It’s very interesting to have a closer look at the parables in the bible. With a bit of quiet time, sitting before the Lord and reading them, it’s amazing what we can see.
One such parable is the parable of the Ten Lepers in the book of Luke (Luke 17:11-19).
The parables of Jesus are what I call a type and shadow of things which were seen or experienced at the time of Jesus and can also be seen and experienced in our present time and it’s wonderful to compare the two situations.
Let’s have a look at some of these ‘types and shadows’ in this particular parable:
Firstly, in the scripture, the Lepers called Jesus ‘Master’ (Vs.13). If we look at our present time and ask the question, “Who in this day and age calls Jesus ‘Master’?” the answer would more than likely be, ‘Christians’ call Him Master – worldly people certainly don’t acknowledge Him as that. So, in our time, the ‘Lepers’ could be seen as a type of Christian.
Next, The Lepers did not ask directly for a healing from Jesus but instead said “Have mercy on us” (Vs.13). By asking this, they were acknowledging His power and they must have believed that He could heal them. And so Equally today, there are Christians in our midst who believe that God’s power is great and that He can do anything.
Lastly, in verse 14 Jesus tells the lepers to go and show themselves to the Priests (Vs.14). He didn’t perform the healing there and then but sent them to the Priests as was the law of that time, to present themselves. As they began the journey, the healing became real. Once again, Christians today have faith to believe that God can heal. However, who of us will TRUST God enough to start our journeys and then wait to see the healing unfold in ‘His time’?
Ten of the Lepers saw Jesus, they were aware of Him and believed He had great power. Ten Lepers received healing but yet, only one came back to thank Him (Vs.17). Why is that?
Equally today, you and I witness people who call themselves ‘Christians’ but they don’t seem to behave in a way that would please God. Why would that be?
In the parable, ten lepers received healing but only one was actually TRANSFORMED or had a heart change by the miracle of the healing. In essence, nine carried on their lives with their old natures and one began to live out of his new resurrected life. That’s how he was able to return and thank Jesus.
It is exactly the same today. Jesus said in the book of John that we must be ‘born again’ to SEE the Kingdom of God. He said we must be ‘BORN OF WATER and SPIRIT’ to ENTER the Kingdom. According to this scripture ‘seeing’ the kingdom and ‘entering’ are two different processes. Is it possible then that some could be born again but not in the Kingdom of God? (Jn 3:3-5).
When we understand that Jesus took away our old sinful NATURE at the cross – not only our sin, but the engine that drives us to sin, we become ‘BORN of WATER’ and then, we have entered the Kingdom and we begin to live out of our new resurrected Christ like nature.
In the book of Matthew Jesus says “many are called, but few are chosen.” (Matt.22:14). And this is further confirmed earlier in the same book, where He says the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it (Mat 7:14) – rather like the one out of ten lepers don’t you think?
Today there are many who are aware of God and will accept His healing, but how many will actually be TRANSFORMED in their hearts by those acts of kindness, and then return to Jesus to say ‘thank you’?
We can’t please God in our old human natures (Rom 8:8). We can’t really appreciate Him or the many blessings He has given us. When we start to live out of the new resurrected nature, which the work on the cross gave us (Rom 6:1-6), then we will be able to say ‘Thank you’ to the Lord with lasting sincerity.
Thanks so much for reading this ….may the Master continue to teach and guide us – always. Until next time….be blessed.
Time with the Master