There is an account in the New Testament, found in the book of Matthew 17: 11-17, about the ten lepers in Jerusalem. One day Jesus was passing by, saw them walking toward Him. They asked Jesus to heal them and He had compassion on them...He healed them of their physical infirmities of open skin wounds, deformed limbs and multiple other symptoms. When the people saw them in their healed state, they were astonished to see lepers appearing so changed! They were clean and whole! They were free from the prison of illness, shame and ugliness. People readily associated with them without fear of contagion. The lepers were pariahs no more.
One would think that each one would have said, as a matter of gratitude and graciousness: 'Thank you' to the One who made this new life possible. There was, however, only one leper who returned to say, 'Thank you.' to Jesus Christ, the Great Healer.
I have often thought that out of 10 lepers, only 1 returned to say he was grateful and to acknowledge the great miracle that had just taken place in his life. After verbalizing a request for healing and actually receiving the gift of healing, only 1 man, a Samaritan, out of 10 people stepped out to verbalize thanks. It seems sad and ungrateful and thoughtless of the people ~ but that is the way it happened.
carol a castagna (c) 5/2014
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