313 - Grateful People Always See Greater Grace#
313 - Grateful people will always see greater grace
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, he traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him; and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Let’s pray together
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! As we begin a new week, we come before you to express our gratitude and worship you, not because you need our worship, but because we need to worship. We praise you, not because you need our praise, but because we need to find peace and joy in praising you. Today, through your word, renew each brother and sister, guide each heart by the Holy Spirit, so that we may all receive something in your presence. Thank you and praise the Lord! We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!
The topic of today’s sharing is: Grateful people can always see greater grace.
The scripture today mentions something significant: Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, passing through Samaria and Galilee. In fact, Jesus was traveling from the northernmost part to the southernmost part, as Jerusalem is at the southern end and Galilee at the northern end, with Samaria in between. Now He entered a village, which was very special because ten men with leprosy approached him.
Brothers and sisters, do you understand leprosy? Leprosy is somewhat like the initial appearance of vitiligo today, where the body is covered in white patches, and eventually, the bones and skin fall off piece by piece without any feeling. This is the most terrifying aspect of the disease. In the later stages, people with leprosy are almost always disabled because their limbs have fallen off. While walking, fingers might just drop off, and their bodies are covered in white patches, resembling monsters.
At that time, leprosy was considered an incurable disease. Even today, there are no good methods to treat leprosy. The ten lepers seized a rare opportunity in life, standing at a distance and calling out loudly, “Jesus! Master, have pity on us!” The scripture mentions that they stood at a distance. Why did they stand far away? If leprosy were only this terrifying, it would be one thing, but the more frightening aspect is that if they touched you, you would immediately be infected. Therefore, these people had to be isolated, according to Jewish regulations. Let’s take a look at
Leviticus 13:45-46
“The person with such a defiling disease must wear torn clothes, let their hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of their face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as they have the disease, they remain unclean. They must live alone; they must live outside the camp.”
Since leprosy is highly contagious, those afflicted with it are considered unclean. When they passed through the marketplace or the streets, they had to cover their heads and shout, “Unclean! Unclean!” to warn those nearby to keep their distance. If they did not warn others, they could be stoned to death. Although people had a terminal illness, they still hoped to live.
We might think, since this disease is so contagious, wouldn’t it be better to just let them die? From the perspective of those with leprosy, even though they knew it was a terminal illness, they still hoped to survive. In some Jewish legal texts, it is explained what it means to stand at a distance. There was a regulation for lepers that if they were talking to a healthy person, they had to be at least a hundred meters away.
Now, Jesus entered a village, and these lepers came to him from a distance. If the wind was blowing towards you and lepers were in front of you, how far would they need to be? If we were talking to someone a hundred meters away, and that person wanted you to hear them, what would they do? They could only shout loudly.
Lepers had to speak loudly; if they were downwind, they needed to be at least six meters away. This indicates that these people had no contact with others. Now, when they saw Jesus, they desperately hoped to be healed because they earnestly wished that Jesus could heal them, and they were also worried that if their voices were too soft, Jesus might not hear them.
What did they shout? “Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!” Last time we talked about how when we come before Jesus, we should not imitate the Jews saying, “Oh! Son of David, have mercy on me.” We just need to cry out, “Jesus! Have mercy on me.” A heartfelt cry to Him is enough. Amen!
These people said, “Have pity on us.” When people say such words, especially those covered in leprosy, do they have anything to boast about? Is there anything they can do to make Jesus heal them? What can they do to deserve Jesus’ healing? They have nothing left.
They understand better than we do what grace is. Let me emphasize that grace is unearned and cannot be earned, but it is freely given by God. No one can earn God’s grace through their efforts. In the case of these ten lepers, this is particularly clear. These people had nothing left, not even normal friends, so when they came to seek Jesus, there was only one thing they could do: simply look to Jesus, hoping that He would show them grace, with nothing to boast about, and all they could do was cry out to Jesus. We call this simple faith.
How many people, when calling on Jesus, after calling, say, “Who knows if it works?” After praying, they continue with their own methods. It is difficult for such people to see Jesus’ power and healing manifested in their lives unless they have no other options left and nothing to boast about, at which point their cries to God are absolutely urgent; that is pure reliance.
The first point of sharing: Pray often and do not lose heart.
Now think about this: Were these ten lepers particularly eager to be healed? What if Jesus didn’t hear them this time and didn’t respond? They would continue to call out; that was their way. As long as there was a chance, they would definitely cry out to Jesus because there were no other methods available. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Luke 18:1-8
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Let me ask you a question: If God does not listen to your prayers, what will you do? Will you continue to pray? What if there is no response for three months? What about three years? Will you continue to pray? Can you really do that? There was a sister who sent me a long message. Her child had a condition similar to epilepsy, and she had been praying to God for three years. There was no progress with her child’s issue. She asked me what she should do. I have a friend who practices Buddhism, and when he burns incense, his child gets better. Why doesn’t the Jesus I believe in listen to my prayers?
Where is her problem? Is it that her faith is small? Actually, I want to tell everyone, don’t look for reasons. Because when problems arise, if you can be like this widow, that’s enough. What did this widow do? There was a judge in the city who neither feared God nor respected people, someone who was completely indifferent to her plight. You have an adversary? So what? Your life or death has nothing to do with me. The problem is that this widow kept coming to him to seek justice.
From the widow’s perspective, does she believe in this judge? Yes, she believes because she knows he is the only one who can help her. If he is unwilling, she has no way out. So she didn’t say, “This judge is useless; I’ll just deal with my adversary myself.” No, this widow, no matter what, would cling to him, saying, “Even if you don’t want to, I will stay here until you help me.” She knew that the judge had the ability; he just didn’t want to help.
Let me ask you a question: Do you know that Jesus has the ability to solve your problems? Does He have the ability to save people? Yes, that’s the first answer you need to confirm. If you are not sure about this first question, there’s no need to discuss the rest; you can go look for something else. If you are sure that Jesus has this ability, then the second question is to pray to Him.
Many people’s problems lie in the second question: they are not sure if Jesus is willing to help them seek justice, not sure if Jesus is willing to heal them or save them. What is your answer? Do you think Jesus is like this unjust judge, only helping you when you annoy Him enough? Is that how it is? What is Jesus’ desire? He wants to grant you justice, and not in a delayed manner.
In verse six, the Lord says, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.”
Verse seven is related to us: God’s chosen ones cry out to Him day and night. Will He keep putting them off?
What does this mean? It seems to emphasize God’s sovereignty. You can pray, but God has a timing for His actions. God knows when it is best to grant you justice, and that is when He will do it. Is that the meaning? Because it says, “He may have delayed for them for a long time, but will He not ultimately grant them justice?” What does this mean? Is it that He delays justice or grants it quickly? In fact, this passage in the original Greek is a rhetorical question, meaning: How could God, faced with the cries of His chosen ones day and night, delay their justice? Isn’t it clearer to understand it this way?
God’s intention is not to delay, nor does it mean that God has a timing for His actions. Although God does have a timing, we should not casually misuse the Bible. Not all similar words can be used interchangeably; we must look at the context. The meaning of this passage is that God eagerly expects us to call upon Him sincerely.
Because verse eight is the ultimate answer: I tell you, He will grant them justice quickly.
This is God’s intention. Even if you don’t understand the content of verse seven, you can ignore it. Just remember the answer in verse eight. Now I tell you the meaning of verse seven: as God’s people, you should call upon Him day and night. What is being said here is a sincere seeking, not a “I’ll pray and see if it works; if not, I’ll try something else.” It’s not like that. It’s like this widow, who firmly believes that you can grant me justice. I have no other way.
If you call upon God with this heart, what can’t God solve for you? The fear is that just when God is about to solve our problems, we suddenly change our minds and go elsewhere.
Let me give you an example. In the New Testament, Pontius Pilate once asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?” Jesus replied, “You say so.” He asked Jesus a question, “What is truth?” The Bible does not mention Jesus’ answer; it simply states that Pontius Pilate went out. Many people are like this: they come before Jesus and ask, “Lord! What is truth?” After asking, they leave. Can’t you wait for Jesus to answer you before you leave? Many times we are too anxious. I often advise brothers and sisters that after praying, can you take a moment to quiet yourself? During that quiet time, don’t think or say anything; just listen to what God has to say to you.
Too many people pray like they are submitting homework: “Lord! I have something to tell you today.” After praying, they just leave, entering a mixed environment, and immediately start to doubt, “Lord! You might not fulfill this.” I hope everyone can be like this widow, firmly believing that Jesus can solve your problems, and call upon Him in this way.
Then it says, “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
What is faith? Some say it is having faith. If Jesus directly said that having faith is enough, wouldn’t that be the end of it? Does that mean that in the last days, people will have no faith? Here, faith expresses the meaning of persisting in belief until the end. I hope every brother and sister understands what this faith means: when problems arise, you continue to pray. If there is no fulfillment today, you still believe. If there is no fulfillment tomorrow, you pray again the day after, but you are no longer troubled by the situation. You believe that God has already accomplished it; you are just waiting for God to show you the result.
Many people believe through prayer, which is incorrect. You should believe before you pray that God is willing to hear your prayer and is willing to listen to your prayer. After praying, you should expect to see when that result will appear. In many traditional churches, we are influenced by past traditional thinking, believing that we can move God through prayer in a pious way. This is actually incorrect. If there is still something that can move God, it proves that you still have something to strive for.
What could these ten lepers do to move Jesus? Nothing. Could they move Jesus to heal them through pious prayers? No. So the only thing they could do was to believe that Jesus was willing to heal them and come before the Lord to ask for help.
I hope all brothers and sisters’ prayers are like this: before you even open your mouth to pray, first believe that God is willing to hear your prayer. Then after you pray, expect that result to appear. If it doesn’t appear today, you continue to pray, but you are not praying, “Lord, did you hear me? Did you respond?” You are continuing to communicate with God, waiting for the result to appear, until that result appears. Amen!
If you have doubts in your heart, then pray more to remove those doubts, rather than doubting whether God can hear or is willing. You need to let go of both conditions. So in the last days, when Jesus says He comes, will He find faith on the earth? Persist in believing until the end. This does not mean that our faith will not weaken; we may have weak moments. But whether you are weak or strong, you must believe: first, that God is willing to hear your prayer; second, that God is willing to accomplish it for you. Amen!
These two things, no matter how weak you are, do not doubt, because it is not based on your efforts, achievements, or actions that God accomplishes things for you, but because of the name of Jesus, because of the blood of Jesus, our Heavenly Father will accomplish it for you. Hallelujah! I hope everyone can hold on to this faith until the end.
Currently, it seems that these ten lepers have this kind of faith, persisting in believing that Jesus can heal them, regardless of their situation.
Look at verse fourteen, When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
Here a question arises: if the illness is severe, what do we expect? If this pastor has the gift of healing, and your illness is already terminal, what kind of healing prayer do you hope to receive? Many people hope that the pastor will lay hands on them and pray for a day. Even more hope that the pastor will jump around, shout, and make them feel something. The worst is when they come to this gifted pastor with a heart full of enthusiasm, and the pastor says, “Alright, you can go back now.” They feel like the pastor is deceiving them.
Brothers and sisters, do you know what great faith is? It is believing that this person, no matter what he says, is to be believed. Previously, we saw Jesus heal a leper who said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” What did Jesus do? He reached out his hand and touched the man and said, “I am willing; be clean!”
Perhaps these ten lepers heard similar stories about a leper whom Jesus touched and healed. They believed that Jesus had the power to heal and was willing to heal. This proves that these ten lepers had heard testimonies from others. When they came to Jesus, He did not heal them according to the faith of that leper but according to their current faith: “You go and show yourselves to the priests.”
If today Jesus told you such words, could you believe it? You have to put aside your reasoning and personal feelings. At this moment, when Jesus speaks these words to you, what do you feel? You might feel deceived, thinking, “How can Jesus have such great power? I am covered in leprosy; what do you want me to see the priest for? Isn’t the result the same?” But these ten men were not like that. When they sought Jesus with one heart, they received a response from Jesus. No matter what God’s response was, as long as it was said by Jesus, they believed it.
So Jesus said: “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” This was Jesus’ response to their prayer, right? So many times, we think God should respond in a certain way to fulfill our prayers. If God responds in a different way, we say God has not fulfilled it. It should not be according to your way; you should receive what God gives you. In this way, you will experience greater testimonies. Amen! Jesus fulfilled what they needed. Let’s look at a passage of scripture.
Mark 11:23-24
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
What is your mountain? Perhaps it is your illness, your debts, or your children. But no matter what it is, hold this word in your heart, believe in God, and do not doubt. This is called faith. Do you believe that what Jesus says will surely come to pass? Brothers and sisters, let me give you a piece of advice: you must read the Bible. Many times, if you do not read the Bible, you do not know whether this has a biblical basis. What we believe is merely some traditional sayings of men, yet we expect God to fulfill them. God is not responsible for this; He is only responsible for the promises He has made.
Let me emphasize again, in our church, those who do not serve should read the Bible at least four times, and those who are serving should read it at least ten times. The purpose is simple: first, to store God’s word in your heart, so that you can have something to believe in. Otherwise, what will you believe in? A few days ago, someone told me that there is a song called “Loyalty and Filial Piety” in the red hymnal, and she didn’t understand the lyrics. I said I didn’t understand it much either. She asked, “What should we do then? Should we not sing that song?” If we don’t sing it, does that mean we are disrespecting God?
Brothers and sisters, if you don’t sing that song, can you sing another? What if you don’t understand the lyrics? Just let it go. Since you don’t understand, why must you sing it? If you don’t even know what you are praying for, why are you praying? Similarly, you must first understand whether this aligns with the Bible. If it is not in the Bible, there is no need to spend time trying to understand it. You should hold onto God’s promises. Amen! So no matter what your mountain is, hold onto God’s promises without doubt. Believe that what God says will surely come to pass.
Verse 24 says, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
There is only one condition: it must be within God’s promises. Amen! You cannot pray, “Lord! Quickly send down lightning and strike this person dead.” God will not fulfill that. At the same time, when you are praying, do not care how others say or believe; the key is how you believe.
Take the example of the widow we just read. If this widow went ten times and was turned away each time, and people around her said, “You’ve gone fifteen times, and they don’t pay attention to you; you might as well give up.” If this widow had given up, she would not have received the outcome. No matter how others believe, you must hold onto what you believe. Amen!
If you firmly believe in Jesus without wavering, you will see God’s power in His promises. No matter how others believe, you must strengthen your heart and live according to Christ’s words. I believe you will surely experience God’s power. You must believe this and not be influenced by the surrounding environment. How others believe is their business; we must choose to believe in God’s words and hold on until the end. Amen!
The ten lepers lived together due to their shared suffering and helped each other. From the scripture, we can see that at least one of them was a Samaritan. Originally, Jews and Samaritans did not associate with each other; Jews looked down on Samaritans, and Samaritans felt inferior to Jews. But now, due to their common plight, they have put aside their racial prejudices and are living in harmony, serving one another. In response to the cries of these ten lepers, the Lord Jesus had compassion on their suffering, but His healing was very special. He did not say, “Let the Jews come to me first, and the Samaritans go aside. I will heal the Jews first and then the Samaritans.” No, He made no distinction of race and healed them in a special way, saying: “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
Brothers and sisters, do you know what this means? When you hear the Lord Jesus say, “Go, show yourselves to the priests,” you will receive two kinds of faith. The first is to be completely clean before going to the priest. The second is to be seen by the priest and still be unclean. What kind of faith did these ten lepers receive?
They believed they had already been healed, so they turned to find the priest and show themselves. On the way there, they were already healed. In fact, Jesus did this as a response to their faith. I wonder if everyone understands this meaning? Because they already had this faith, Jesus spoke these words to them as a response to the faith that already existed within them. They completely believed what Jesus said, no matter what it was. The Bible says, “If you believe in me, it will be accomplished for you.”
When Jesus said to these men, “Go, show yourselves to the priests,” they believed, and as they went, they were cleansed. Did God fulfill their faith? So brothers and sisters, why could these people have such great faith? Did they read the Bible every day? Did they pray and gather every day? No, it was because they had no way out.
In fact, there are two types of people who can easily receive miracles from Jesus: the first type has no way out, and the second type completely believes. In the end, these two types walk the same path. Those who have no way out can only believe in Jesus and must simply believe in Jesus. They will not pick and choose, saying, “Jesus! What you said doesn’t quite make sense to me; it doesn’t align with the doctrines of my denomination.” Such things will not happen. Therefore, experiencing Christ’s words and God’s power is quite simple. We need to simplify things a bit; by simplifying, we can see miracles.
Many times, it is because we have too many thoughts and analyses that we cannot believe. I want to share with you again the revelation I received before God: God’s words are not for us to analyze but for us to believe. Do not analyze God’s words too much with your reasoning. It should be, “God’s word says so; I believe it.” That’s enough.
For example, in the Book of Job, God says the earth hangs like a ball in the air. God says so; can’t you just believe it? The Indians were very clever back then; they said the earth is flat and rests on the backs of many turtles. They were very smart to think of that. Don’t be so clever. When it comes to God’s words, believe exactly as God says. That is completely correct. Amen! If you do not add your reasoning to it, then Christ’s words will surely manifest great power as recorded in the Bible. Hallelujah! These ten lepers believed in this way, so on their way back, they found themselves cleansed.
The second point of sharing: Grateful people will see greater grace.
Did these ten lepers receive what they wanted? Should they thank God after receiving it? If you treat gratitude as something you should do, it becomes a condition. We need to come before Jesus more to receive His grace. Amen! Grateful people will always have praise and thanks for God on their lips. You will often hear such people say, “God is so good; Jesus is so good.” They know the reason for their blessings is God’s grace, and they also know that God’s grace is unearned but is freely given by God.
Why did only one of the ten healed return? Many people come before God with the desire to receive blessings, and our God gives them, just like these ten lepers who wanted healing. With a singular heart of belief, God granted them, and they received blessings. After receiving, they happily walked away, which is great! However, what they received was only a little grace. I don’t want to say they were ungrateful; they just wanted physical healing... They felt that this little grace was enough, and that was their biggest mistake.
If Jesus had told Peter back then, “Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch,” and Peter caught two boats full of fish, if Peter looked at the two boats of fish and said, “Great! Jesus can go now,” he would have already received what he wanted, which is a good thing. But if Peter chose this path, he would have missed out on greater grace. What is the benefit of being grateful to God? After receiving a little grace, you become a wise person who prays to Jesus in everything, and then you can see greater grace. In God’s eyes, after you receive His grace once, if you are willing to pray to Him about everything, God will be happy to give you even greater grace.
Luke 17:15-17
One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him; and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
One returned to give glory to God, while the other nine clearly knew that Jesus had cleansed them but did not intend to come back to thank Him. In fact, the unfortunate thing for the other nine was that they cut off the supply of grace for themselves.
Let me ask you a question: If we do not return to thank God, will He get angry? Will He let their leprosy relapse after a while because they did not return to thank Him? No, that won’t happen. Will God lose glory, peace, or joy if we do not praise Him? Clearly, that is not the case.
So why does God want us to praise Him, thank Him, worship Him, and gather together?
The answer is that regardless of whether we thank Him, He is still a God full of grace. Whether we glorify Him or not, He is still a God full of glory.
Whether we worship Him every day or not, He remains a God full of grace. He will not become a little more glorious because we worship Him, nor will He lose glory if we do not worship Him. He is forever a God full of grace and love, regardless of whether we worship Him, praise Him, or listen to His words; He is that kind of God.
So why does God want us to be grateful to Him? Just like in the Old Testament, why did God tell the Israelites to bring the first fruits and offer a tenth before Him? Does God lack money? Why does God want the people to do this? It’s simple: because you have needs. God says, “Give me a reasonable reason so that I can legally and justly bless you.” So when God says, “If you are willing to bring a tenth before me, I will treat this as a seed and give it back to you.”
If you are willing to worship me, then I will fill the peace and joy you originally lacked during worship... If you are willing to listen to my words, I will heal and support you for the harm and grievances you have suffered in front of the world. If you are willing to express gratitude to me, I will let my joy fill you.
It is not because God lacks, but precisely because we are too lacking. Therefore, God wants us to come before Him to express praise and worship. When we worship Him, we will be filled with joy. When we listen to Christ’s words, we will be filled with faith. When we read the Bible, we will be filled with His grace; He is always supplying. The fear is that you have no time to listen to the word, no time to praise, and do not want to pray... You are the one who cuts off the supply of grace.
So in this sense, I hope everyone does not treat reading the Bible, listening to the word, and gathering as something that should be done. Just like I asked you earlier, after being healed by God, what should you do? You said you should thank God. If you treat this as something you should do, then it becomes a repayment. Thanking God becomes a repayment, and that is no different from the gods of the Gentiles. You made a vow to them, and they fulfilled it, so you come back and buy some incense to offer to them, thinking you have repaid them and owe them nothing.
But our God is not like that. When you receive His grace, do not think, “I should thank God.” No, you need to thank God so that you can understand more grace. Hallelujah!
David once told us in the Psalms how we should repay the Lord for all His great kindness: “I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” David knew that he could not repay God anything, so he said, “The only way to repay is to lift up the cup of salvation again and come before Him to continue receiving.” Amen!
When we come back to Him with such a heart, God is very pleased. God is willing for us to seek Him again, and He is willing to supply us with greater grace. Now this man returned to thank Jesus and fell at His feet in worship. What did he receive? In the English KJV version, it mentions that when he returned to fall at Jesus’ feet in worship, Jesus said, “Get up and go; your faith has made you whole.”
This phrase has two meanings. The first is that everyone can understand he was saved; previously, he was only physically healed, but now he acknowledges Jesus as his Lord. Because of this faith, he has the life of Jesus, which everyone can understand.
The KJV version has another meaning: this man returned, and Jesus not only healed his leprosy but also restored his fingers and toes. I mentioned at the beginning that lepers in the later stages are usually disabled, and their fingers have fallen off without feeling. They cannot pick them up because they are already useless. Even if leprosy is cleansed, it is not experiencing a miracle. In the Bible, healing and miracles are two different things. Healing is the disappearance of a physical ailment, while a miracle is a creation from nothing.
Now this man had lost his fingers and toes. Was he already cleansed and able to walk? He did not say, “Why only heal me and cleanse me but not let my fingers and toes grow back?” He did not. Because of this grace, he returned to Jesus and fell down to worship Him. At this moment, Jesus said, “Your faith has made you whole; now go back.” When he got up, he saw that his fingers and toes had all grown back. So the more you are grateful before God, the greater grace you will receive. Isn’t it a pity for the other nine? Did they receive grace? Yes, but it was only a little.
How many people come to church just to receive physical healing? After we pray for them and they are healed, they never come back. Aren’t such people very unfortunate? After being healed, what should they do? They should continue coming to church, regularly attending, to receive greater grace. Hallelujah! Although they have already received physical healing, in God’s eyes, that is too small. He hopes you will come back again to receive more of His grace. Amen!
Luke 17:19, Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you whole.”
This is what Jesus said to the leper who came back to give thanks. His body was already cleansed. Now what was he to do? I mentioned earlier that his body was made whole. In fact, here, Jesus not only wanted him to be made whole physically but also to receive his own life. Therefore, his life was also saved here. Jesus not only cleansed his leprosy but also knew that today He would lay down His life for this leper. That is why Jesus said, “Your faith has made you whole.” Amen!
Physical healing is external and temporary. All lepers, even if they are cleansed now, will eventually face death. And after death? If they do not believe in Jesus, then healing is just a short-lived grace. But if through this event, they come to know that Jesus is their Lord and are willing to let Jesus be their Lord, what they receive is not just physical healing but also the salvation of their souls. Amen!
What was the final outcome for the nine? Because of their unbelief, their end was still tragic. Therefore, the biggest difference between us and the world is not that we have received a little physical healing in Jesus. Many people always testify to God after receiving physical healing or financial turnaround. Do you know what you should be most joyful and grateful for? Your soul is in Jesus’ hands, and your name is recorded in heaven. This is the greatest miracle of your life; this is the greatest grace you have received. Hallelujah!
If you seek God with such a heart and give thanks in everything, you will experience greater miracles. Therefore, Jesus hopes that we continually come before Him to receive greater grace, not only for our lives to be saved but also for us to be blessed in our daily lives. Hallelujah! Jesus said He came to give life to the sheep and to give it more abundantly.
A more abundant life actually includes two aspects. First, if you believe in Jesus, believing that He shed His blood for your sins on the cross and rose from the dead three days later, you have already received the life of Jesus. After receiving the life of Jesus, what should you do? He hopes you will pray to Him in everything, know Him more, use His words, enjoy His blessings in His words, and experience His power.
How can you experience Jesus’ power in your daily life? It’s actually very simple. Your listening to the word, reading the Bible, and gathering are just methods. If you imagine all these as being with Jesus, enjoying being in it, you will definitely see greater grace come upon you.
Every day of your life is abundant because you are looking forward to what kind of great power God will let you experience today. With this heart, your mood will be different. Even if you encounter problems, you pray to Him, believing that He has already heard and is willing to quickly accomplish it for you. Every prayer is also an enjoyment, not a tormenting way of saying, “Lord! I’ve prayed a thousand times; why haven’t you listened yet?” It should never be like that. Every prayer is an enjoyment. I hope everyone will meditate on this word this week regarding our relationship with Jesus and then experience His great power in daily life.
Let’s pray together.
Heavenly Father, we thank and praise you! Thank you for renewing and helping us through this word. Lord! We give you thanks, not because we should, but because you hope we come before you with a grateful heart to receive your greater grace. Grateful people will see your greater grace.
Lord! We do not wish to interrupt the supply of grace, nor do we want to give up receiving more grace after receiving a little. Thank you for allowing me to know you more through your word, to experience your great power. I believe that as we begin this new week, I have a new perspective, willing to experience your presence and the power of your words every day.
Please lead and help me to see your glory in my life. You will supply my needs, allowing me to experience your greater grace in your glory. Thank you and praise you! All glory be to you! We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus. Amen!