I was recently introduced to a new way to analyze and study scripture. I have really enjoyed studying the Bible in this way and wanted to share it with you. It is a simple process that involves reading the scripture passage multiple times and finding a word or phrase that stands out to you. The second step is to think about what made you choose that word or phrase and write down some thoughts about it. The third step is to take it to the Lord in prayer and then to sit in silence and reflect. Each step can be anywhere from one minute to five minutes depending on the depth the Lord is calling you to.
The scripture I want to discuss with you this week is what we talked about in service last week. It is found in Luke 17:11-19. I challenge you to take a look through the passage and find some words or phrases that stand out to you as we will discuss a few of my selections further down in the post.
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus 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.’
I have highlighted a few phases that I want to analyze.
"Now on his way to Jerusalem”
Have you ever noticed that Jesus rarely stops to rest and when He does it is in the company of friends or in Praying to His Father. I feel like this is me on most days… I am going, and going, and going, until it is time for me to lay down to sleep. I need to work better at taking downtime to enjoy the company of my family, friends, and most importantly the company of God.
We also know that Jesus isn’t just walking with no destination, He is on His way to Jerusalem. As we know Jerusalem would be the place in which He would be brought into custody for crimes He did not commit and crucified to cleanse us of our sins.
“Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
Why would Jesus tell the men to go show themselves to the priest? Why would Jesus send unclean men to the priest? Well if we know anything about the power of God we know that just His voice can heal the sickest of people. When Jesus comes across these men He is able to heal them with just His words. The reason He tells the men to go see the priest is that, at this time in history, only priests were allowed to classify someone as clean and give their approval to return to society. Jesus was giving them the chance at a clean bill of health and the ability to be a part of, the community again.
"he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.”
When the men realized they were healed one came back to praise God for what He had done. We learn that that man was rejoicing in a loud voice to bring more attention to the Lord. He didn’t want anyone else including himself to receive any credit for this. This brings up the question, what do I do when I receive a blessing from God? Do I bring attention to my gain or to the giver of that gift? This is something I think I need to work a little harder at.
Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?”
Jesus asks the question we were all thinking… If ten were healed then why did only one return to give Him praise? First, I think it is important to learn from the man who did come back. Life as a Christian can be lonely sometimes. Many times we will be on a different route than everyone else. It is not for us to focus on what others might think of us returning but to focus on the source of our blessing which is God. Second, we can learn from the other nine. What were the nine doing that was more important than going back to worship the God who has just healed them? The scripture doesn’t tell us but I am sure that they were thankful in their own way but they chose wrong. Our first reaction to a blessing from God is to give Him praise.
I personally learned a whole lot through this scripture and now have a list of things I need to work on. This method of studying works well for me because of its simplicity. I hope that this has introduced you to a new way to study scripture and open your eyes to how exciting learning the Bible can be. I would love to hear about other phases or words you might have chosen and how God spoke to you through them. Please share in the comments!