The decision to return

Click here to read Luke 17:11-19

Luke 17:15 "...he returned..."

If you have been a Christian for some time and have attended church frequently, I am sure you have sat through sessions of praise or praise & worship or singing or however you want to call it. You would have heard about clapping and praising God. You would have heard about dancing and praising God. You would have heard about singing and praising God. You would have heard about jumping and praising God. You would have heard about praising God with instruments, praising God with shouts of joy. Falling prostrate and praising God. Praising God in tounges, praising God with your tithes. I could go on and on and I am sure you could add to this list as well. However, there is one way of praising God that I have seldom heard: “return and praise God”

Mark 17:15,16 says, “Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus feet and thanked him.” I want you to notice 3 of his outward actions:

1. He turned back

2. He praised God with a loud voice

3. He prostrated himself at Jesus feet and thanked him.

I want you to notice the response of Jesus in verse 18: “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God…” Jesus leaves out the “loud voice”. Jesus also leaves out the “prostration.” I would have liked it if Jesus had said. “Was none of them found to return and praise God with a loud voice by prostrating himself…” But that is not what Jesus said. Jesus conveniently leaves out the fact that the praise and thanksgiving to God was demonstrated using “a loud voice” and “prostration.” However, he does make mention of the fact that it was done after “returning”

It tells me that the manner of praising God is not as important as the decision to praise God. But for me to make a decision to praise God, I have to “return.” Although this does sound trivial, it isn’t. Allow me to illustrate: If I decide to take a casual walk down town and I realize that I have to return home for some reason or the other, the decision is an easy one to make. However if I decide to go to a concert and I realize that I have to return home for some reason or the other, the decision will not be as easy. If I am on my way to a very important meeting at work and I realize that I have to return home for some reason or the other, the decision will be harder still. If I am on my way to a doctor’s appointment for a very crucial health diagnosis, the decision to “return” will be extremely difficult. The decision to “return” is made easy or difficult depending on the degree of affinity and importance of the “subject” at the other end.

If the leper’s decision were to only “return” from a casual walk, it would have been an easy one. However the leper had to decide to “return” by sacrificing his visit to the priest. Jesus had told him to go show himself to the priest. Once he had realized he had been healed, he “returned.” In those days, only the priest had the authority to pronounce a leper “clean.” Jesus wasn’t one of the official priests that had the “right” to pronounce a leper clean. The process of pronouncing a leper clean and the “purification” process thereafter are so detailed and complex that the book of Leviticus has 116 verses dedicated to it: i.e. the whole chapter of 13 and 14.

In short, he turned down human approval to “return” and praise God. One of the most challenging things for me as a Christian has been to make that decision. The challenge of turning down human approval for what Christ has done for me and in me. That is why praise is described as a sacrifice in Hebrews 13:15: “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.” To sacrifice the certificate of a priest which officially makes you “acceptable” in the society again and “return” to praise God! WOW! I wonder if I could have done that. If you and I can, the delight it will bring to the heart of God is unspeakable.

Jesus says, “…Was none of them found to return…” Notice the word “found.” You could only use the word “found” if you have been searching. I wonder if Jesus is still searching for that today: For us to sacrifice human approval of God’s work in us, and then “return” to praise God. Search your heart today. How often do you sacrifice human approval and make a decision to praise God for what he has done? It is a daily struggle for me. “… bind the sacrifice with cords, even unto the horns of the altar.” Psalms 118:27

Chemistry was one of the subjects I took in school. No matter how many people tell me I’m good in Chemistry, it wouldn’t mean as much as hearing it from my Chemistry teacher. My friends could tell me I’m brilliant in Chemistry. However if my teacher tells me that, it would give me joy unspeakable. Hence, I acknowledge that he/she is the source of my knowledge in Chemistry. One of the best definitions of praise I have come across is in Psalms 87:7 “As they make music they will sing, "All my fountains are in you." The keyword there of course is “ALL”