Going After The Other Nine

Many people cry out to God in their distress and ask for relief, even those who do not know Him.  God is a merciful God, and so He often answers their requests, and even in the very manner they asked from Him!

Thanks, But No Thanks

But what thanks does He most frequently get?  Is the thanks only a simple prayer, “thank you very much, God?”  Maybe He gets a good deed or two out of it, or a check for a few dollars sometimes.  Perhaps, a little more, as long as the feeling or memory lingers.  But, is that all God deserves?

Would not the proper response include a seeking hard after God, to know Him and serve Him?  God is constantly merciful to so many people.  But, so often, once people get what they want from Him, they discard whatever faith they had.

Why then is He still so merciful?  It is because God really is a very merciful, patient, kind, and forbearing God!

God’s acts of general mercy should point people to see the glory of the Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ, and worship Him, receiving from Him the best mercy of all—eternal salvation!

A Story from Luke

Luke shows us that God still acts mercifully today, and tells this story of the Ten Lepers hoping to lead many who have received God’s mercy to a true faith in Christ Jesus.

Luke 17:11–19 ESV “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers,who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.””

The Tragedy of Getting Too Little

Luke challenges unbelievers to return to God like the Samaritan and receive more than just a few met needs, like the other nine lepers.  He challenges them to receive salvation in Jesus Christ the Lord.

When people get want they want from God, they mistakenly think it to be enough.  This might be a miraculous escape from danger, or special help for their sick child, or relief from intense financial pressures, or a myriad of other needs.  This is tragic, because there is so much more available to them from Jesus Christ.

We see such behavior all around us today.  People get healed or rescued, but never go to church to praise God and learn about Him.  Some of them even had made a vow to do this very thing if God answered their prayers!

Challenge the Unbelieving

Feel free to challenge people on how lightly thy may have treated God’s gifts of mercy, especially if you know their situation was recent.  This is yet another way to begin what might turn out to be a spiritually profitable conversation.  This obligates people to look back and see their ingratitude and hopefully their need for true faith in Christ.

Don’t let people abscond with God’s mercies without an engaging Gospel conversation!  Follow Luke’s example and go after those who act like the nine lepers.

God responds mercifully to so many who cry out to Him.  It is good to cry out to God in Jesus’ name for healing and for whatever one needs.  Jesus still responds to calls for mercy and then He still expects faith as the proper response.  

Pray with the Unbelieving

Almost everyone has cried out to God and received mercy from Him at some point in their life.  And we should encourage them to do so.  

Sometimes we shy away from this because we have a strange notion that unbelievers shouldn’t be praying to a God they don’t know or don’t really believe in, or that God doesn’t hear them or act on their behalf.  

Times of distress and crisis and weakness are wonderful opportunities to minister to people. We should display the same general compassion of our Lord Jesus.  Of course, we will also desire more than this for them – a faith leading to salvation.  And so, we will follow up with them with the specifics of the Gospel message.

Pray with unconverted and for them, for acts of mercy from God.  God is really a generous God, and people need to know this and see this.  Many people respond to this kind of ministry, and many actually come to a true God-glorifying faith in Jesus Christ!