The Nine, I

Luke 17:^17-18 “Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (emphasis added)

The question is where are the nine? Jesus was surprised that only one came back. And reading it almost will break your heart that people will be so ungrateful to God. Where are the nine? If Jesus is looking for something and you are His boy, you have to help Him find it. If your father asks, ‘Where is my car key?’, what do you do? You go and look for it, you do not need to wait for him to tell you to search for it. So, when Jesus says where are the nine, I started looking for them and I found them. I am going to show you where they went and the excuses that held them bound.

First, the one who perhaps said, ‘Are you sure?’ This man listened to the voice of doubt that said, ‘What if this thing comes back?’ This thing that God has done, are you sure you are better? Just wait until you are sure. There are people who say they want to wait for five years before they give their testimony. Pastor, I want to be sure this thing will not come back. The question is, so you are expecting it to come back? That is what it means. For this man, as soon as he realized he was healed, he turned back immediately.

Second, the one who perhaps said, ‘It must be a coincidence. This is too easy! Have you heard this kind of statement before? God does something great, something that you have been desiring, praying, and fasting for. Then suddenly it happens, and you are like, is it the prayer? And you conclude it is too easy so it must be a coincidence. Listen, if God did not do it, you will still be crying and knocking. Now that it is done, all you can conclude is that it is a coincidence. Personally, I love that kind of coincidences. In fact, may those kinds of coincidences be happening in my life – easy miracles. So, the second one did not come back because he felt it was easy.

I once read a story about a man called Paddy. Paddy had a life-changing appointment at a certain time that will change his financial fortune. He got to the place where he was going to have the appointment on time, but he could not find a parking space. Time was ticking, Paddy was going to miss his appointment and he knew the implication of that. He checked every street but there was no parking, everywhere was full. So, Paddy looked up and said to God, ‘God, please find a parking space for Your boy. If You give me a parking space, I will stop drinking and I will follow my wife to church every Sunday till I die.’ As soon as Paddy prayed that prayer, he saw a parking spot and he said, ‘God, never mind, I found one.’ He parked in the spot and rushed off. Many of us are like Paddy, we make a commitment to God, then things happen, and we are like, no it cannot be. It cannot be that fast God!

Prayer:   Father, forgive me for every time I have held back a testimony because of doubt or concluded that my miracle was a coincidence. Bring back the commitments I made and did not keep, that I may do right by You, in Jesus Name. Amen!