Luke 17
Here we have two lots of teaching, with a story of healing.
In verse 5, the apostles asked Jesus to increase their faith. This is quite a healthy thing to keep asking. If we start thinking our faith does not need increasing, then it is more likely going backwards, or is dead.
Moving on to the story, 10 people were cured of their skin diseases. However only one returned to give thanks. Jesus said to that one that their faith had made them well. What about the other nine - what had made them well? It does record at the start of the story that 'they' called out to Jesus to have pity on them. So this suggests that they also had faith. However only the one returned to say thank you.
How often do we say "thank you" to our Lord - even for the small things.
Luke 17
It's somewhat confusing, at the start of the chapter, that Jesus refers to "these little ones" -- but there doesn't seem to be context which shows to whom he is referring. Children? Or... who?
We have two contrasting examples about "giving thanks". On the one hand, we have, immediately after the talk of "faith as a mustard seed" (yes, the mustard seed again), the parable that a servant should not expect thanks for merely doing their duty. (Is this supposed to be connected to the faith-as-a-mustard-seed example or not?) Then we have the lepers, only one of whom returned to give thanks.
And, yes, I think all ten of the lepers had faith, because (a) they called out to be healed, with expectation that he could do it, and (b) they obeyed him ("go to the priest").
So... the question I'm wondering... was Jesus miffed that the other nine did not give him thanks, or was he thinking "ah, I was just doing my duty to God, I should not be expecting thanks." I don't know.
Then Jesus is being asked about the coming of the kingdom, and again, it is "don't be decieved, it will be bloody obvious when it has happened - and there will be no warning."
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DaveB
Kerr Avonsen (she/her)