Joni Eareckson Tada: Sharing Hope

Shana: This is Shana on Joni Eareckson Tada Sharing Hope. Today, Joni has a story from the Gospel of Luke.

Joni Eareckson Tada: You know the story well, but let me read it to refresh your memory from Luke chapter 17. I'm going to start with verse 11, and this is what it says: "Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 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!" And 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 that he was healed, came back praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him. He was a Samaritan.

There are many things we can glean from this passage. My husband, Ken, loves this story because it reminds him to constantly, as he calls it, "be the tenth leper," to always give thanks when God answers our requests. But that's just the point about this passage.

When they saw Jesus, the ten lepers did not ask to be healed. They simply asked for pity. All they wanted from the Lord was for Him to take notice and have compassion on them. They did not ask to be healed from their leprosy; they just wanted mercy. They wanted pity.

In response to their request, Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priests. And immediately as they do what they are told to do, in that very act of obedience, God healed them. I can just picture it. I can just see it.

There they are, scurrying up the road toward the temple when they suddenly look down at their feet and, oh my goodness, the crusting, decaying flesh is all gone. Instead, they see toes and feet and legs that are clean and pink and healthy-looking. They probably stop to look at their hands. Their hands are no longer rotting and smelly. Instead, their hands look like anyone else's, strong and smooth.

They probably start laughing and crying, touching each other's faces. No longer are their lips decomposing; there's no crusty, flaky dead skin on their eyelids or cheeks or noses. And they are amazed. But one man is more amazed than all the others. He is the one, the tenth leper, who returns to thank Jesus.

Now here's the lesson, and it is an important one. Remember how the group of lepers only asked for mercy? All they wanted was pity from Jesus, and He told them to go see the priests. And in that act of obedience, they received healing. When Jesus asks you to do something, it pays to do it, even if it is just a simple request.

The end result may be much, much more than you could possibly ask for or imagine. The lepers only asked for pity, but God had in mind to give them a complete healing. But the surprise of that healing never would have happened had they not heeded the Lord's instructions to go see the priests.

Friend, when the Lord asks you to do something, albeit small and seemingly insignificant, do it. Just do it. Because in your act of obedience, God may well surprise you. He may give you something you never would have dared to ask of Him.

Shana: Friend, what's the Lord asking you to do today? What will you do to make sure you don't forget to follow through in obedience? Write yourself a reminder note if you have to, and be sure to pull over if you're driving right now. Visit us at joniradio.org and tell us how we can come alongside you in prayer, because that's one thing God asks us to do and we want to be obedient. We'll see you soon at joniradio.org.