EVEN IF YOU CRY OUT FROM A DISTANCE
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”. He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”[a] And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:11-14 NLT)
The leprosy symbolizes our sin and all those things we battle in the flesh; bad thoughts, rage, resentment, bitterness, addictions, illness, violence, etc.
During those times, the Law stated that lepers had to stay outside the city so as to not contaminate the family, neighbors, etc. They were rejected and, in a way, discriminated against. That’s why, when Jesus was passing by, they stayed distant. But, even from a distance they shouted, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Even though they were far, they made a good choice and began to cry out, asking for compassion and mercy.
It doesn’t matter how we may be in life. There are important decisions we need to make, and one of the most important ones is to cry out to God and say, “Lord, I am not worthy of your blessing” as Paul said, “I am a sinner, but please have compassion for me.” When someone cries out to the Lord, He hears. Verse 14 says that Jesus did something very interesting. He looked at them. Jesus looked at them!
How wonderful it is to know that even though we may feel far from Him due to the leprosy of sin, errors, mistakes, failures, or even if we feel that we don’t deserve God’s favor, we can be sure He will turn to look at us when we cry out to Him, even among a big crowd.
If you cry out to God, He will listen wherever you are and will respond.
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”[a] And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. (Luke 17:11-14 NLT).
Think about it:
Have you felt like you had leprosy?
What do you need God to do in your life?
When will you make the choice of crying out to God for him to intervene in your life?
