Luke 17:15-16

And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan" Luke 17:15-16

Isn't it interesting that of ten lepers healed of their terrible disease, only one returned to the Physician who performed the miracle? And that one was a Samaritan. It seems that Jesus had a "thing" for Samaritans.

We have this poor leper as an example. We also have the parable of the Good Samaritan to show us that Jesus thought highly of them. It was the Samaritan who, unlike the priest and the Levite, helped the beaten and broken Jewish merchant and showed mercy. Finally, we have the example of Jesus and the woman at the well. Instead of circumventing the province of Samaria as most Jews did, He headed through the heart of the state. Instead of avoiding the woman at the well, He not only spoke to her, He asked her for a drink. Any self-respecting Jew would never have accepted a sip of water from a spiritually "soiled" person.

Yes, Jesus did have something favorable for the Samaritans. What was it? He had love for them. And how was He rewarded? The healed leper returned to show his gratitude. The woman at the well, she told the entire city of Samaria about the Man who "told me all about my life!" The result was the salvation of a community. And the Samaritan in the parable, he is immortalized as a true neighbor even though he was one scorned by the very people represented by the robbed and beaten man. All of this leads me to ask two questions.

First, how thankful are you for your salvation and the blessings God has showered upon you? We have been forgiven much. Do we really appreciate it, or are we too much like the nine Jewish lepers who never say "Thank you?" Second, how do you view those who are "different" than you? Do you look down upon them as lesser citizens of the Kingdom of God? Do we mock them, scorn them, ridicule them, and consider them "beneath us?" I suggest that we take some time to seriously consider these two questions. Don't take the first answer that comes to your mind, but stop, ponder, pray and seek the truth. Only then can we make necessary adjustments to our attitudes. Amen and Amen.