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What causes us to become too familiar with God to worship Him?
In "Biblical Perspective", Dr. Gayle Woods writes:
Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Do we hear a note of disappointment in the words of Jesus? Is there an indication that He seemed to be somewhat puzzled by the fact that nine of the ten men who had been healed did not seem to place great value on what He had done for them?
This account should be a serious reminder to the people of God that we must be careful not to become familiar with the work of God to the point that we lose the sense of wonder and amazement. When the awesomeness of His glory begins to dim, we need to fall on our faces at His feet once again to renew our commitment of love to the one who made the difference in our lives.
Discussion: List possible reasons why the nine lepers failed to show gratitude to God.
Discussion: What are ways we today become too familiar that we fail to worship?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 31.
Who is the "leper" in your life?
In "Word Focus" William Sillings writes:
Jesus touched (hapsato) the leper. Not only that, but He also stretched out His hand (ekteinas — aorist participle). The literal meaning of this word might read something like this, “When He had stretched out His hand,” signifying that this was a very intentional action. We think little about the fact that Jesus touched a leper, because we have heard it so many times. But think about what it meant to the first-century disciples. According to Leviticus 13, anyone who had leprosy was to be declared unclean, and they were to be quarantined from their families and the rest of the camp of Israel.
For Jesus to touch a leper was to transgress the traditions of Israel as well as to cause Himself to become ceremonially unclean. In the eyes of His disciples, Jesus was rewriting the tradition. He was taking drastic steps to make His point that people are more important than ceremonial cleanness.
Discussion: Who are the people our community are unwilling to touch? Who are the people our church is afraid or unwilling to touch? Who are you unwilling to touch?
Discussion: How should we change our attitudes and actions toward our "lepers"?
Source: Miracles of Jesus: Adult Teacher's Insights, page 28.
Devotional: Put Away Defilement
Read Numbers 5:1-4
“Both male and female shall ye put out, without the camp shall ye put them; that they defile not their camps, in the midst whereof I dwell” (v. 3).
Cosmo, our beautiful Bouvier Des Flandres dog, got too close to the kitty cat with a beautiful white stripe down its tail. The kitty, not quite as happy about playing, raised that fluffy tail and unleashed a spray, covering poor Cosmo. The odor of burnt coffee, rotten eggs, and burning rubber seeped from every part of him. My mother firmly refused to allow him inside the house. If she could have put him outside the “camp,” I know she would have. Why? She did not want her carpet, clothes, sofa, or even the porch to take on Cosmo’s odor.
In Bible days, God directed the Children of Israel to place the defiled outside the camp. While my mother was concerned about the odor, God was concerned about walking in His holiness in the midst of defilement. Even for His special people, the Israelites, if they touched a corpse, contracted leprosy, or hemorrhaged, God wanted them out of the camp. He wanted to ensure they would not contaminate others.
Today, the blood can deliver us from the defilement of sin. “Its saving virtues ever are the same. It cleanseth still, and always will” (Phoebe Palmer). Are we spraying bad attitudes, ungodly speech, and sinful be- haviors in the camp? Cleanse yourself in the blood of Jesus! (Pamela Kuhn)
A rotten stench does not stop with its source; it permeates the atmosphere of anything in his circle of influence.
This devotional is the Monday, December 28, 2015 entry of Opening the Word.
Lesson 5: The Lepers Cleansed
Lesson 5 - January 3, 2016
Focus Text: Mark 1:40-45; Luke 17:11-19
Central Truth: Christ has power to make us whole.
Objective: By the end of this lesson my students should be able to explain the difference between temporary faith and saving faith.
Lesson Outline:
- Compassion and Healing (Mark 1:40-45)
- Mercy and Healing (Luke 17:11-14)
- Gratitude and Healing (Luke 17:15-19)
Prayer for Lesson 3, Miracles of Jesus
Heavenly Father, help our teachers as they speak of the bondage-breaking, freedom-giving grace of God today. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen.