The Road to Jerusalem

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice, glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

As Jesus headed south toward Jerusalem, through Galilee and Samaria, He entered an unnamed village. By this time in His ministry, word had spread of His miraculous ability to heal the sick. As He entered the village he was met by 10 men with the painful, disfiguring disease of leprosy—a condition that would have made them outcasts from society. They called out to Him, pleading “Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13). Jesus Christ instructed them, “Go shew yourselves unto the priests” (Luke 17:14) who would determine they were cleansed from their illness and fit to reenter society. As the 10 made their way to the priests, they discovered that they had been healed. They were overjoyed at their deliverance from the terrible affliction, yet only one of them came back to thank Jesus in person. The one who returned to express gratitude was rewarded when Jesus declared him not only healed but also whole.

The invitation

Give back by giving thanks

Gratitude is powerful. When we express it, the healing we find may not be as visible as that experienced by the 10 lepers, but it is just as transformative. Dedicate a day to expressing gratitude—in person, online, or over the phone. Also, like the one leper who returned, don’t forget to take time to pray and offer thanks for the influence of Jesus Christ in your life.

A man walks down a winding mountain road

Questions to ponder

Who’s someone you can reach out to and express gratitude?

What has happened in the past few days that has been a blessing for you?

What makes you feel gratitude for Jesus Christ?

Scriptures about gratitude

Jon explains the principles of gratitude

Principles of Peace: Gratitude

We can show gratitude by being thankful for all that Jesus Christ has made possible in our lives. Jon’s upbringing could have made him focus on what his life lacked. However, he chose instead to dwell on all the wonderful things he had. Watch his story and see how he found peace through gratitude.

Lola explains how the gospel of Jesus Christ has blessed her life

Lola Ogunbote

After scoliosis altered Lola Ogunbote’s dreams, she had to learn how to focus on the positive in her life. Now she can say that adversity is the backbone of her success.