But . . .
Maybe it would be better to ask why they did what they did.
Maybe it would be better to our own growth if we listened or watched to see what we can learn.
This is what I tried to do this morning when I read about the ten lepers in Luke 17:
"And as (Jesus) entered a certain village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; and they raised their voices, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!'
"And when He saw them, He said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.'
"And it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed.
"Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.
"And Jesus answered and said, 'Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine -- where are they?' And He said to him, 'Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well.'"
They all had faith to be healed.
So, you can say they were all Believers.
But only one of the ten said thanks.
Why didn't the other nine come back to thank Jesus?
Why was it the foreigner who ran back to Jesus rather than the fellow Jews?
I wonder, were the nine so intent on presenting themselves to the priests that they forgot to thank Jesus?
Maybe they got so caught up in what they knew they were supposed to do they didn't let the Spirit lead them?
The Samaritan broke away from the crowd, the Samaritan left the religious rules and ran back to Jesus.
Did you notice when Jesus spoke to him Jesus didn't tell him to go back to the Pharisees. He just told him to go his way.
Do we forget to thank Jesus?
I wonder . . .
I think of my kids -- I don't want them to be constantly thanking me all day long for every little thing they are provided with.
But I do want them to have a grateful attitude.
Having a grateful attitude opens one up to the moving of the Spirit in ways that playing by the rules never will.
Back to the ten lepers -- lest we too become preoccupied with rules and results, we ought not to condemn the nine. Instead we ought to do what the one did -- be occupied with Jesus and what He has done over and above rules and results.