As They Went

Reading: Luke 17; Psalm 52 12 As he entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, 13 crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. 15 One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan. 19 And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” (Luke 17:12-16,19 NLT) This brief story follows closely after the apostles had said to Jesus, “We need more faith. Tell us how to get it.” He had replied that if they had faith as small as a mustard seed, they would be able to speak to a tree and God would uproot it and throw it into the sea. Then, he immediately told them a story about a servant’s responsibility to serve and obey his master unquestioningly. I believe this story, the apostles’ request for more faith, and Jesus’ reply about the mustard seed-sized faith, are all tied together as follows:
• Apostles: “Jesus we need more faith. Tell us how to get it.”
• Jesus: “If you had the tiniest amount of faith—even as small as a mustard seed, it could release miraculous power. In fact, there is no more or less in faith. There’s just faith!”
• Jesus: “If I’m your Master, you’re exercising faith when you simply do what I tell you. Faith is released as you obey.”

The lepers obeyed his simple command to go and show themselves to the priests as the law commanded. Their obedience was their expression of faith and as they went, they were healed.
Jesus said to the one man who returned to thank him, “Your faith has healed you.” A gift of faith is given to me in seed form when I hear God command me to do something. The potential of life-changing, circumstance-altering, situation-solving, reality-impacting power is contained in the little faith-gift just as oak tree-producing life is contained in an acorn. When I simply believe, simply obey, and simply act on what he has said, that faith is released. Miracles can happen that way! Prayer: Father, I want to have exactly as much faith as I need to be the person you want me to be and to do the things you want me to do. Please help me to follow closely, listen carefully, believe confidently, and obey completely. Amen.

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