Read: Luke 17:11-19 “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.” Luke 17:15-16 (NIV) “Ten unclean and nowhere to go. Ten men cleansed as clean as snow. One returned to give God thanks, but nine went away. God gives gifts to us every day. Favors His people in every way. Hope restored and pain relieved. Do you ever give thanks for a gift received?” ~ Medical Mission Sisters I often wonder why I remember the words from songs I heard as a child, but when I hear the words to other songs today – they don’t stick. The song above was played quite often on a record when I was growing up and it had quite a rousing tune (maybe not by today’s standards - reminds me now of ‘Sister Act’). As you can see it was all about the ten lepers who came to Jesus asking for cleansing so that they could return to society.

They were told by Jesus to show themselves to the priest, and on the way, they were healed. Ten percent of those healed returned to thank Jesus. The Bible has a lot to say about ‘giving thanks.’ So, obviously it is an important part of our Christian living. In fact, it’s one of the most powerful things we can do! Why? Because a thankful person is focussed on God… and all the good things He does in our lives and in those around us. People have a need to be appreciated and be encouraged by words of appreciation. Imagine then how God would feel when someone remembers that it is God who actually gives and provides us with all we need for daily life. Jesus heals and helps every one of us each day. Don’t forget it is God who brings these blessings.

Jesus asked the one leper who was cleansed where the other nine were. It wasn’t like Jesus wasn’t going to then heal the other nine, but He responds with joy to the one who comes and thanks Him. Jesus mentions the man’s faith… for it is through our faith that we recognise that every good gift comes from our Heavenly Father. T hank God today for all the blessings you have received!

Prayer: Thank you, dear Jesus, for all you do for me, my family and my friends every day. You bless me, help me and give me the greatest gift – life everlasting! Thank You! Amen.

Read: Luke 14:1-6 “Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, ‘Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?’ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.” Luke 14:1-6 (NIV) Just this last year, we had a young woman come to stay with us for an extended weekend. She was a friend of our daughter and told us that she just needed to have some time to have a Sabbath and Noosa was a great place to rest, recuperate and read God’s Word. Have our lives become so busy that we can’t take a Sabbath (time for God) every week – rather we need to book it in as one would a holiday?

I remember as a youth, no shops were open on a Sunday and closed at lunchtime on a Saturday, which allowed people to have a forced break from shopping at least! Sabbath in Jesus’ day was regimented. The Pharisees and leaders of the Law required that no one do anything on the Sabbath – no cooking, cleaning, working, or preparing anything. These laws were to give people a day of rest from their everyday work and remember that it was God who saved them. The Old Testament people were prone to forget God which is why God had remembering the Sabbath as one of the Ten Commandments. (Maybe we need reminding of this!) When Jesus came, he brought a new law to spend the Sabbath in spiritual rest and in God’s work – God would come to His people and bring them His life and forgiveness.

It was a day for God’s people to rest in Him. Jesus came to turn all the laws upside down and bring them back to the original purpose of living as God intended. God wants us to spend time with Him but not to the detriment of helping those in need. This is what Jesus was teaching His disciples. The man with ‘dropsy’, or excess fluid was in danger of a heart attack and needed help – not tomorrow when it wasn’t the Sabbath, but today. Jesus asks us to listen, to rest and to be with Him. He also asks us to help those in need. Find your Sabbath day and spend it with God and listen to His leading!

Prayer: Lord Jesus, use my hands in service to you. You have given me the opportunity to spend time with you, also help me to see the needs of those around me and help them as you would. Amen.

Read: Luke 13:10-17 “When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, ‘Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.’ Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.” Luke 13:12-13 (NIV) This story gets straight to the heart of Jesus’ ministry. “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favour.” (Luke 4:18-19 NIV) In this healing miracle, the woman is described as bound and needing to be set free from her crippling illness. She needs liberation from the spirit that has bound her for eighteen years.

When Jesus performed miracles, He was very clever in using His healing actions to also teach His disciples and those around Him (and the Pharisees) the new law of freedom with God. In the Old Testament the Israelites were bound by the 613 laws that were given to the people at that time. Laws that bound them from doing things rather than freeing them. The Sabbath was meant as a time to refresh the body and the soul, but according to the Pharisees, the Sabbath was a day to do nothing and if you did anything you were breaking the law. Good laws should give boundaries for living, a security to work within. Jesus was trying to show that in God there is freedom for all those who are captive in sin. God is not bound by the laws of people. How are you bound?

Are you bound to your work, sport, family? It becomes a burden when things are done out of obligation rather than with joy and love. Take a step back, review your own situation and try to set yourself free from all that binds you. Find time to be released into the love, joy and peace of a loving Heavenly Father who doesn’t want to constrain you with laws, but free you in your faith by His grace. Jesus came to earth to set us free and forgive us from all our wrongdoings. Let go of the guilt. Let go of the burdens and find release. Live in the freedom that Jesus gave on the cross!

Prayer: I am unbound. I am set free from everything that constrains me – thank you Lord Jesus! Help me to share the grace and freedom that only you can give. Amen.