This man had a condition that everyone must face. A condition that has started since the time Adam disobeyed God. "You can eat of any fruit in the garden, but do not touch this one". The same condition that has been plaguing us for some odd years, sin.
If you look at this from the same standpoint, everybody who had the same condition stayed in the same place. One section you have your homosexuals, another you have your liars, another gossipers, and you have those, which we would say at Selma University, those who are just S.O.S. Stuck on stupid.
They were all trying to find a cure for their condition. After every attempt to get rid of whatever aliment they had, there was not the be found, but then one day, one of the lepers saw Jesus coming, and with a loud voice cried out, "Master have mercy"! If you look in the Old Testament, there was not cure for the person that sinned, but there were sacrifices made according to the sin that was committed. It never took away your sins it just covered the sin that was committed. It is like fighting a common cold, there are remedies that would help you fight the symptoms of a cold. If you have a headache,
there is a remedy to fight your headache. A stuffy nose, there is a remedy to fight your stuffy nose, but there was never a remedy that would help you get rid of your common cold. You just had to wait, until your could went away.
When this man say Jesus, he cried out, "Jesus, Master have mercy on me". A cry for help for his worst condition. A cry to be saved or delivered from his ailment. Jesus looked on his with mercy, He did not have to do anything or say something miraculous, and He just said, "Go show yourself to the priest". It is funny that as they went, the text said that they were cleansed. There was only one, when he realized that he had been cleansed, stopped thinking about going to see the priest, but went back to give thanks.
The priest did not matter anymore. We do not know what happened to the other nine. Maybe you can ask that question, when you ask yourself, when was the last time you came back and gave thanks. When was the last time you stopped from your busy schedule, thought about all the things that God has done for you, and you said, "Thank You"? When was the last time you came to church not out of obligation, but just wanted to praise the lord?
I heard someone say, "I was glad when they said unto me let us go into the house of the lord. This may be my last time I don't know". I just want to praise Him for what he has done for me right now.
What happened to the other nine? I do not know. When was the last time you said, "Lord, thank you".
You did not have to do it, but you did it anyway. I know it sounds like a clique today, but just think about it, God did not have to do anything He did not want to do. He could have let you died and go straight to hell, but he sent His Son to die for our sins. When was the last time you came without a grudge, but with an open mind saying, "Thank You"?
Only one came back. Fell down at Jesus' feet and with a loud voice glorified God. Saying, "I did not have to be cleansed but lord you cleansed me, anyway". I did not know what happened to the other nine. They still are probably going to see the priest. I just had to come back, because you cleansed me. I wanted to be made whole, and lord you made me whole.
In my own life, I have reason to praise the lord.
Every time I made it up and down the highway, traveling to and from Alabama, I just want to praise the lord. When I saw, cars turned upside down. People who were like me, "I will be home in a couple of days". Lying on they side of the road and I am here unharmed I just want to praise the lord.
I remember I was at Tennessee; I did not have any money. I was hungry and frustrated. I called my momma to see if she had any money, which she could send me. She told me she could not. The only thing she said she could was pray for me. I went to my room and tried to go to sleep and wait for morning to come so I could go and get some food. It seemed the more I tried to go to sleep, the more hungrier I was getting. The hungrier I was getting the more frustrated I got. Just when I was about to say lord, why? There was a knock on my door. One of my friends said, Joe, I know that you may be sleeping, but could you take me to get something to ear, and if you do I will get you something too. I have reason to praise the lord.
I may not understand why things happen, but I do know God has a purpose for me, and when He gets through with me, then I shall be where He wants me to be.
What happened to the other nine? I do not know. All I know is when I think about he goodness of Jesus, I just have to say thank you. My road may be rocky right now, but I am learning to say thank you.
This man had a condition that no one seemed to have an answer for. This is what's wrong with our society today. We are faced with some condition we do not have and answer for. The only thing that I know is that we have turned our backs on God. We have allowed people to give us another gospel, and another god, then the One from when we first believed. However, it is good to know that although we have turned our backs on Him, he has never given up on us.
This man could have done anything he wanted. He could have just given up hope, but his ounce of hope was Jesus was passing by. For he cried out, "Lord have mercy on me".
I am not a perfect person, and I will not allow you to think I am or that I should be. We all have flaws, which we are trying to hand over to God. I