Where Are the Other Nine?

I’m stuck on this question. Jesus asked it so many years ago and had it recorded.

Luke 17:11-19

¹¹ As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. ¹² As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, ¹³ crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

¹⁴ He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”^[b]And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

¹⁵ One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” ¹⁶ He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?¹⁸ Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”¹⁹ And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.^[c]”

King James version – ¹⁹ And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. There is a difference!

To be made whole verses being healed. They were ALL healed as they ran towards the priest but only the one that ran back to Jesus and fell at his feet was made whole.

Can you imagine this with me? Your in a leper colony for who knows how long. You are away from your family and friends. You are not allowed to leave unless the leprosy is gone from your body, thus the point of having to show yourself to the priest. You had to be examined. Obviously they passed their exam and the nine (now ex lepers) kept on going. They were so excited to get out of that place. They missed whatever life they had before contacting that horrible disease. Except one. He was so grateful and thankful for what had just happened to him that he immediately turned around and ran back to Jesus!

Now here’s the thing that stands out to me. Jesus had expected all of them to have turned around and run back to him and react like the one ex leper did. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked the question, ”Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine?”

Yeah, where were they? Out of ten men only one was full of thanks? They all believed in Jesus or they wouldn’t have taken him by his word when he instructed them to show themselves to the high priest after they had cried out to him for help. They were healed AS they were on their way to show themselves to the high priest. Not before. And before I forget to add, the one who ran back was a foreigner. What’s the significance of that you might be wondering? The other ones were raised in the Jewish faith.

So like 9 Christian men and one who wasn’t brought up in the faith. The nine take for granted what they hear through God’s word and the love God displays over and over. Whereas the one is so overwhelmed with thankfulness that he falls at Jesus feet (maybe at the altar at church or on the floor in his room). He ends up being made whole. Truly changed.

The ten lepers were all healed but only one was made whole. I keep reiterating this because it is very important to understand what actually happened to him. The leprosy was not only gone but the effects on his body caused by the leprosy was gone as well. The other nine only had the leprosy gone from their body. Whatever effects it caused on them physically as well as mentally, they were going to have to live with it. Except the one, because he was made whole!

How many people are sitting in church week after week with the effects of what happened to them in the past in their own spiritual leper colony? You can tell that some use to live a hard life because the effects are still on them. Some are battling with their minds because mentally it has taken a toll. And the few, yes few, are sitting among them completely set free from any and all past hurts. You would never guess what their past was like. You cannot tell because their are no effects.

Out of ten only one ran back. And he expected all of them to have ran back. He still is.

And so the question remains. Where are the other nine?

If you are one of them, are you ready to run back? You still have time.