The Leper Who Said Thank You

As Jesus traveled toward Jerusalem, He approached a small village on the border of Samaria and Galilee. Ten figures stood at a distance, waiting—men whose bodies bore the unmistakable signs of leprosy. Their skin was blotched and raw, their hands twisted, and their faces misshapen. When they saw Him coming, they lifted up their voices together: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13).

They had heard of Christ’s power to heal. For them, His answer would determine the rest of their lives. In biblical times, leprosy was one of the most feared conditions a person could have. This word in the Bible encompassed a range of severe skin diseases, many incurable and painfully visible.

Lepers were required by law to live apart and cry “Unclean!” whenever anyone approached. They were cut off from their family, community and the opportunity to worship God with others. A leper could not enter the Temple or even the city gate.

To be healed would mean everything: The chance to rejoin society, regain dignity and fellowship—and begin life anew.

Jesus did not hesitate to show compassion. Immediately—“when He saw them”—He told them to go show themselves to the priests. And as they departed, they were all “cleansed” (vs. 14).

But the miracle’s true lesson came after the healing: “One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks” (vs. 15-16). Christ asked: “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (vs. 17).

One man returned to say thank you. The rest did not. Even today, it is all too easy to forget about our blessings once we have received what we asked for. Practicing gratitude as a way of life requires being different from those around us.

What does it take to be like the one leper who turned back instead of the nine who did not?

Two Responses to the Same Miracle

As the man lay at Jesus’ feet, Christ observed: “There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger” (vs. 18).

Verse 16 tells us the man was a Samaritan—an outsider whose people mixed elements of God’s truth with false worship. Yet he gave glory to God, while others who may have known better did not. We do not know how many of the other nine were Jews, but if they were all Samaritans, there would be no need to call attention to this detail.

This Samaritan was overwhelmed by what Jesus had done. He expressed sincere, heartfelt gratitude. Jesus told him: “Arise, go your way: your faith has made you whole” (vs. 19).

The other nine kept walking. Christ’s question, asking where they were, suggests they moved so quickly they were already out of sight.

These men did not show any gratitude. Some may have felt thankful to a degree, but it was not enough to stop them in their tracks. There is a difference between just feeling thankful and pausing to show it. Their feelings did not produce action.

Others in the group may have been too focused on themselves to appreciate what God did for them. They may have been thinking about the things they would do once they were welcomed back into society, no longer isolated with pale leprous skin.

Their minds quickly turned to the lives they could now resume—family, work and comfort—forgetting the One who made it all possible.

True thankfulness is rare. Similar to how only one man was thankful and nine were not, most people on the planet today do not practice gratitude as a way of life. If we are different, we will stand out.

When God does something for us, how do we react? Do we stop our activity to sincerely express how much we appreciate it? Or do we tend to just keep walking?

If we are not careful, we can lose sight of God’s miraculous interventions once the emotion of the moment has passed.

Unexpressed gratitude is incomplete. When God provides, be sure to voice your gratitude to Him in prayer, in the spirit of how the Samaritan thanked Jesus. Keep the deliverance you received vivid in your mind. You could even write down what God did in a journal to reflect on in the future when times get difficult as a testament to how God always delivers.

True thankfulness always turns back—remembering the One who gave the gift.

What the Samaritan Saw

Jesus told the Samaritan, “Your faith has made you whole” (Luke 17:19). The Greek word for faith, pistis, means conviction, trust and faithfulness—a living reliance on God. This faith allowed the man to be healed. Yet Jesus’ statement that he had been made whole came only after that faith led to gratitude.

Gratitude and faith should be inseparable. Think of gratitude as faith’s natural response once we see what God has done. Faith believes God and sees His hand at work, and gratitude gives it voice.

Verse 15 says he “saw that he was healed.” The passage does not say this about the others. While the nine obviously also had their leprosy removed, the language here suggests the Samaritan perceived events on a deeper level than everyone else. The others may have looked down and saw their skin transforming into healthy, vibrant flesh, but did not perceive anything beyond that.

The Samaritan was different. He saw God at work. He may not have been deeply versed in Scripture, but his reaction showed he recognized God as “the Lord that heals you” (Ex. 15:26)—the One who “forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases” and “redeems your life from destruction” (Psa. 103:3-4). The leper’s gratitude reflected what James later wrote: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…” (1:17).

God wants us to see His hand in our lives with that same clarity.

Never lose sight of what God is doing in your life, which includes His roles as healer and the giver of every good thing. Be mindful of His promises and claim them in prayer. And when God answers, make sure you are paying close attention.

Be the One Who Turns Back

The Samaritan’s loud cry of thanksgiving came as his whole world changed in an instant. He was responding to a dramatic, life-changing miracle from God in the flesh. Our blessings will not always be as dramatic as his, but the same opportunity stands before us—to turn back in gratitude.

Each day brings us reasons to give thanks. King David wrote, “Blessed be the Lord, who daily loads us with benefits” (Psa. 68:19). Some of these benefits come as powerful deliverances or healings, while others appear in small blessings and answered prayers. Even during difficult times, there is always something to be thankful for.

Gratitude should slow us down in an age of hurry. It reminds us to recognize what is good instead of rushing past it. We can always thank God for giving us clean air to breathe, food and water to nourish us, and clothing to wear. We can thank Him for spiritual blessings: for knowing the truth in a deceived world, for sermons or articles that open our understanding, and for relationships with others who share our calling.

Each of these gifts brings a choice: to keep walking, or to turn back and acknowledge the Giver.

Gratitude should also extend to the people through whom God works. A kind word, a ride to Church services, a prayer offered on your behalf—each is an opportunity to thank both God and the person He used.

Paul wrote, “In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (I Thes. 5:18). Everything is all-encompassing.

On a dusty first-century road, only one man turned back and said thank you—but Jesus Christ noticed. Gratitude still catches God’s attention today. Will you be one who turns back?