Even the nicest, most sacrificial people need to hear a “thank you” every once in awhile. Including Jesus. But before we look at this in Scripture, you need to know that in Jesus’ day, there was a lot of bad blood—hatred, really—between the Jews and an ethnic group called the Samaritans. And for the record, Jesus was a Jew.
[You can download a PDF version of this devo here]
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Digging In (God, Show Me!)
Read Luke 17:11–19 below. As you do, mark every mention of Jesus with a cross.
Luke 17:11-19
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when
he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Let the questions below help you process this scene.
How many lepers came back to thank Jesus?
What was the nationality of the one who returned?
How did he thank Jesus?
How did Jesus react to this?
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Taking It Inward (God, Teach Me!)
So, what about you? How long has it been since you thanked Jesus for what He’s done for you? To jog your memory, read Hebrews 13:12–15 and 1 Peter 2:9-10 from your Bible or Bible app. These verses contain a few things Jesus did that are worthy of a thank you. As you read these verses, put a cross over things Jesus did and draw a smiley over things that describe you as a result of what Jesus did. Then jot these things in the space below.
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Putting Into Practice (God, Change Me!)
Get practical for a second. Write a thank-you note or a text message to God, and send it to a friend. Then write another thank-you to someone who’s done something—even something small—for you.
It made Jesus’ day when the former leper came back to thank Him. So go ahead—make Jesus’ day! Be grateful for the fresh start Jesus gave you.
[You can download a PDF version of this devo here]