What Jesus Did! 'The Blessings of Obedience' — Luke 17:14

Saturday, October 7, 2023

[Jesus] looked at [the ten lepers who had pleaded for mercy] and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
— Luke 17:14 NLT

Key Thought

Jesus healed people in all sorts of ways. He told these ten with leprosy to go show themselves to the priests just as the law commanded them to do if they were healed. [1] Jesus didn't heal them before they left but rather as they were on their way to the priests. Healing happened after they stepped out in faith and obeyed. So often, many of us will not follow until the Lord does for us what we want. Like these men with leprosy, we call Jesus Lord or Master, but we want him "to do for us" rather than for us to submit to him as Lord. Let's be reminded today that, if Jesus is our Lord, we will obey him whether we see the answers to our prayers before, during, or after our obedience or even if we don't see the answers at all. Let's do what he says and trust that he will dispense his mercy and grace in ways that most bless us for an eternity with him.

[1] Leviticus 14:1-2 ASV.

Today's Prayer

Father God, please give me the patience that comes from your Spirit's presence. May the Spirit lead me to obey whether or not I see the answers that I want for the wishes of my heart and my prayer requests. I want Jesus truly to be my Lord and Master. Open my eyes so that I can see where I need to obey him and follow his will. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Matthew 7:21-23
  • Matthew 7:24-29
  • James 1:21-25

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5 Related Resources by Heartlight

The Other Nine
Article by Patrick D. Odum
Wonder what all those other guys did? Patrick Odum talks about the the 10 lepers who were healed and only one came back to thank Jesus and puts the other nine into modern context and describes what they did instead of thanking Jesus.
One Out of Ten
Article by Tim Archer
Time to stop and say thanks When Jesus healed ten lepers, only one of them came back to give thanks. We need to follow his example, stopping to thank God for what he has done for us.
The Sudden Kingdom
Article by Cary Branscum
Have you ventured beyond the grace you've received? Jesus brings us gracious gifts, but if we receive the gift without thanking and praising Him, we miss out on the Sudden Kingdom.
Presuming on Grace?
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Beloved, Caiaphas spoke treacherously about Me. At the same time, he also unwittingly spoke God's truth about My mission:Caiaphas, the High..."
See All 5 Related Resources about Luke 17:14

Illustration

Illustration of Luke 17:14 NLT — [Jesus] looked at [the ten lepers who had pleaded for mercy] and said, "Go show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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