From Unclean to Worship

Esther 1-2; Psalms 150; Luke 17

“As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’ When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed: One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan.”

Luke 17:12-16

To be a leper in Jewish law was to be unclean. To be a Samaritan leper was to be doubly unclean. Those who were unclean had to separate themselves from those who were clean. Jesus honored the Law of Moses by sending the ten lepers to the priest to examine their skin disease, but then he fulfilled the law by healing them, even as they went. Sin separates us from God and from others. We might feel unclean and wonder where we can turn to become clean. Jesus invites us to call out to him in faith and find cleansing. He is our healer, deliverer, and Savior. Gratitude is our only response as we offer him our lives at his feet in worship.

“Lord Jesus, you have healed and freed me, for your glory. I give you all that I am.”