Have you ever found yourself taking someone or something for granted? Were there consequences or was it corrected before it became a serious problem?
In Luke 17:11-37, Jesus travels to Jerusalem from the border between Galilee and Samaria. He will spend some time here and in Perea before heading to Jerusalem for the Passover and pending crucifixion. As he enters a small town on his travels, he is approached by ten lepers who ask him to heal them. There is a lesson in this meeting for us about the dangers of taking God for granted.
Ten healed, one grateful– Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus is about to enter a town on the border between Samaria and Galilee, ten men who have leprosy, a contagious, degenerative and deadly skin disease, approach him and ask him to heal them. Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priest, who can confirm that they are healed and allow them to return to worship at the local synagogue. As they go to do as they are told, they are immediately healed. One of them, who is not a Jew, turns and thanks Jesus. The others (Jews) take it for granted. Jesus tells the grateful Samaritan that his faith has saved him.
How much do we go to church and go about our religious routine without considering what God has done in our lives? In what ways have you taken God for granted? Of course, God wants us to call on him when we need healing or help, but shouldn’t we also notice the beautiful things he has created and praise him? Wouldn’t it be appropriate to praise God for all the good things that have happened in your life?
God’s kingdom– Luke 17:20-24
Jesus has a large crowd traveling with Him at this time, in addition to the townspeople. A Pharisee asks him when the Kingdom of God will come. Jesus warns him that the Kingdom of God is not like an earthly Kingdom, but resides in the hearts of all who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior. It is internal and personal.
We get into all kinds of speculation about the second coming, the Kingdom of God, and Jesus reigning on earth. What Jesus is saying here is that He reigns NOW (not in some future event). His Kingdom is within all who believe in Him. This is why no government can overcome or suppress Him. The Kingdom of Christ is not like the government of the United States or any other country. There is no “capitol city”, no legislature, no place to go or physical person that constitutes the Kingdom of God. It exists within and is understood by all believers. You are part of the Kingdom of God NOW! Don’t take it for granted!
rejection wages – Luke 17:25-32
Jesus now warns his disciples that they will not always have him around. When He is gone, you must not be fooled by people who try to tell you where He is or how to approach Him. They will all be wrong. Since His Kingdom is in us, He can be like lightning that lights up the whole sky instead of being a man in a small place.
This is why I reject most of the stories I hear about the second coming of Christ. They are all well-intentioned and well-studied in his opinion. They have searched the Scriptures, but too much is being placed on some future coming and not enough is being placed on Him who lives in us. We need to remember that we are in his Kingdom NOW and you and I need to be ready NOW!
Jesus also speaks of his being rejected by people (including Christians) who take him for granted. We become complacent and routine and don’t always think about what we are doing or why we are doing it. Some will become so careless as to fall out of God’s grace. They will take their salvation so much for granted that they will return to their lives of sin while attending church and thinking they are Christians.
You and I must constantly remind ourselves of who God and Jesus are, what they have done to earn our love. We must also examine our behavior to make sure we are serious about his salvation and our relationship with him and not neglecting to fight temptation. It is careless yielding to temptation that will destroy us.
You must lose to win– Luke 17:33-37
Jesus makes one more comment that we want to see. The only way we can attain eternal life is to stop trying to preserve this life. We cannot earn our way to heaven. We cannot be good enough to obtain God’s favor. We must surrender and trust God’s grace and promises to do what He says He will do. One person will trust God and be taken with Him. The other will try to earn his way to Heaven and will be left behind (by Hell).
Many times, the only way we can get away with it is to stop trying to get away with it. This is true in love. You can’t make another person love you. You can only let them go and if they choose to love you then you are loved. If they choose not to love you, then there is nothing you can do to change their minds. With God, salvation is on his terms, not ours. We cannot earn our way to heaven unless we lose our power to do so ourselves. God bless you and have a great week!
