There was no reason to be looking for the Kingdom, it had already arrived. As Jesus said in other places, those who did His will and the will of the Father were His family. As the King they are His subjects. The Kingdom is made up of those who follow Christ.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your help and truth and love and grace. You give us what we need to get through each day. Many people woke this morning knowing they only have hope in You. Thank You for caring for those in need. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The Pharisees had not noticed the prophesies already fulfilled in Christ. Their Lord had come to them and they were, for the most part, ignorant of the fact. Thus He tells them that the Kingdom of God was not something they had recognized.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the Kingdom! Your Son is my King forever! Thank You for life in him! It is joy and peace to live in Christ in Your will. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Two important things are shared here, and we must not miss them. First, Jesus indicates this Samaritan can go where he needs to next. He does not have to make his way to the priests, who would likely reject him. Thus, Jesus judges him clean and sends him on his way.

Second, and more importantly, Jesus communicates to this man the right focus. This man obviously understood that Jesus was the source of his healing, and that Jesus was truly sent by God. It is this faith that leads to salvation, not just healing. True faith had given this Samaritan grace.

Heavenly Father, thank You! Your grace through Christ amazes me. Salvation is so great. Jesus is our Hope, Rock, and sure Foundation. I need only fear You, and You give me life through Christ. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Jesus makes a big deal out of this lack of thanksgiving and praise. Considering what had been done for them, it would have cost the nine little to return to offer praise as well.

Heavenly Father, we thank You and praise You for what You have done in our lives. To know salvation in Christ is the most wonderful gift! Your amazing grace is hard for us to fathom. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Jesus intentionally highlights the fact that the majority had chosen a different course. So often this is the case, the majority chooses to take the easy road and the few will make the effort to bring glory to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your truth. You do not lie to us, but you give us the clear truth of the gospel. Thank You for Your great love and mercy! You teach us Your justice and glory. You are wonderful and beautiful in all Your ways. Jesus is our Hope! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Ah here we have the perfect posture for thanksgiving to Almighty God! Jesus is responded to in the only way that anyone can properly do it. A position of complete and total worship is here taken. How appropriate!

And, he was a Samaritan. Why is this important? Because Jesus was about to make a comment about it. He would highlight the fact that it was the Samaritan only who came back to express thanks.

Heavenly Father, thank You for love. We think we know what that word means. But only as we receive it from You do we begin to see. Facedown we will praise You! You are wonderful! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

This man did what the Lord had told him. But, upon seeing himself healed, he understood that Jesus was the One Who healed him. He knew that the priests he was going to see were then representatives of the One Who had done this, the Lord Jesus.

He returns to Christ immediately, for he now knows much more has happened to him today than his release from leprosy. He has met the Lord, Christ.

Heavenly Father, to spend a million years pondering the beauty of Christ, would be a sublime joy. Your Son is our Hope and Anchor. As our ship sails this life, Jesus inhabits the deepest wonder of our souls. Thank You, Father, for Christ! May all glory be to You dear Father! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Jesus did not do all of His miracles this way. But this is truly amazing, and is a beautiful testimony to His power and glory.

Very significantly, it teaches a truth that Jesus drives home many times in the gospels. Faith in Christ is the primary need of any individual. Though each of these persons were impacted by a terrible disease, their most important need could not be met by being released from it. They needed not just to be well; they needed to be whole.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love and mercy! Thank You for leading us to the truth and being straightforward with us. Your ways are wonderful to us. You are full of glory! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

This must be the cry of every person. The Master will not turn a deaf ear to this cry. He has assured us that He hears and answers such a prayer, offered in faith. It is His glory to make such mercy possible.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your mercy and unfailing love! Your work is a wonderful mystery to us that we constantly learn more about. You are glorious! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Being a group of lepers, they could not come closer to the Lord due to His proximity to the village. They would have been well aquatinted with one another, and likely came from the same location nearby. There may perhaps have been others who did not come.

Imagine the conversation that must have taken place among these dear folks along the way. Jesus was their only hope. And indeed, that is the only right reason to come to Him, because He is the Only Hope for any of us.

Heavenly Father, thank You for hope in Christ. We are so blessed who are free of constant pain, shame, and fear. But that freedom makes these realities no less dire. You are our hope in all of life, not just in a limited religious experience. We share the same deep need these lepers had, the need for Christ. Thank You, Father, for the Son! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

This verse sets the stage for what was about to take place. One of the lepers was from Samaria. The Jews would normally try to avoid Samaritans as much as possible. But Jesus did not, He made Himself reachable.

Heavenly Father, if You had not revealed Yourself to us, we could never know You. What mercy! We often praise You for Your mercy in loving us, but to even allow us to understand some about You is also a mercy. You could easily have cared for us but kept us ignorant. Thank You for Your perfect plan! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Once again the emphasis here is not that we will never be thanked. The point is that service to the Lord is a matter of duty. We are not doing the Lord a favor. We are not going out of our way. We are not making a special effort.

Instead, when we serve and serve well, and long, and without complaint, we need not pat ourselves in the back for our performance. We are to count it due to a reasonable expectation. It is obedience.

This is a paradox. Service to the Lord is also a joy, and a blessing, and a comfort. We very often feel appreciated while doing it, and may even receive the appreciation of other persons. But it is still, no less, a duty.

Heavenly Father, what a joy it is to serve You! To be involved in what You are doing is frankly an overwhelming blessing! Your service is a comforting place in which to find oneself. Thank You Lord! We will gladly do our duty for Your glory. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Jesus is not saying that Christian ministers may never feel appreciated. He is not suggesting that He is never thankful for His servants. Things He says in other contexts tell us this.

But, this passage does help us to understand a very important concept that is sometimes missed. We are not meant to serve the Lord because we will be rewarded. We are not to do it for renumeration or kudos. Instead, we serve the Lord Christ as faithful servants and follow the commands of our Master.

Heavenly Father, whatever we find before our hand, let us do it for Your glory and to bring joy to Your heart. You are our worthy Master whom we love dearly. Never have You ever given is cause to doubt Your care. We can serve You in peaceful freedom because of Your boundless goodness. We find great joy in Your service! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Job duties come first. This servant had to put the duties of his job ahead of his personal needs. Even today when we have far fewer of this type of working class, we must set aside personal schedules for work demands.

Heavenly Father, thank You for providing for us. You are good and You truly care for us. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

One of the things we tend to forget as we read the gospels is that the audience of Christ was very often well off. Many of them at least knew someone who lived in some luxury. Thus, the teachings of Christ interact with this reality.

Heavenly Father, thank You for caring for us regardless of our bank account or social standing. Your goodness is evident and we trust to Your care. In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The context in which we find this verse is very revealing. Yes, the disciples requested more faith. But it is also placed between a discussion of forgiveness and a story about duty. Why?

Even at a basic level, faith will provide all that we need for doing that which we must do. If we are trusting to His Almighty Hand, the ability to do something will not be the obstacle.

If yoy are trusting in Him, He can help you to do your duty. He can help you to forgive as you should. He can help you to do all that you must do. Without this faith, the obstacle of ability will overcome you every time. With faith, it is all different.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your love! If I were to express my love to You every moment of every day for the remainder of my life upon earth, I would not have equalled a small fraction of Your expression of love to me this very day. Your feeling is so much larger and grander than ours could ever be. But I will still love, knowing it will never be enough, but also knowing it will always be appreciated more than I could ever imagine. Thank You Lord! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Our faith needs help all the time. But, truly, faith comes not so much in measure as in need. We tend to have it most when we most feel the need for it.

Heavenly Father, we will wake and see each day how much we depend upon You. Faith shows us that You are our hope in all things. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Seven is no magic number here. The point is that frequency is not a consideration. Genuine repentance is all that is required for genuine forgiveness. The important thing is the life that is at stake.

Heavenly Father, thank You for revealing Yourself in our lives. We need You every moment of every day. You are worthy of all praise! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

The first sentence of this verse means to ‘watch yourself’ rather than anything else. The point here is to be sure you do not offend as top priority; and, then only it is your job to rebuke properly.

When offering a rebuke, however, you must stand prepared to forgive. Indeed, that is to be the whole purpose, to obtain repentance and freely give forgiveness.

Heavenly Father, thank You for Your forgiveness. You lead us to be what we would never be on our own. Thank You! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise You, Amen.

Be careful not to misunderstand this verse. Jesus is not recommending that we haphazardly execute people. He is speaking in spiritual terms here and is helping us to understand that offences against others causing them to stumble from the path of the truth is every bit as serious as a crime.

Intentionally working to destroy the faith of others, or doing so through willful neglect, are serious problems. Jesus does not want anyone to be confused on this point. The purpose of all our actions must be to ‘gain a brother’ as Jesus says in Matthew 18:15.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the humbling influence of Your word. Each day, as we look into its truths, we are reminded of our own pride and sin. Thank You for working in our hearts. We are undeserving, but You are Holy. Only by your grace can we bow before You. Thank you! In the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.