In the Middle of Nowhere

(HCSB) — 11 While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed. 15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus said, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Illustration

I was on a road trip with my family and I got a flat tire on a stretch of road in South Carolina. I had zero visibility and was surrounded by cars, woods, and darkness. Suddenly a light appeared behind me. The truck door opened and I noticed a skinny silhouette slowly climb out of the door. I noticed a crowbar in his hand. I told my family to step back and I yelled out, yo...I’m good. He kept coming closer and I said, my man, you don’t want these problems, I am good. I then heard his southern soft voice say, I own a car shop just up the street and I was riding by and noticed you and wanted to know if you needed help. It was almost too good to be true. He fixed my flat in 5 minutes. This guy just showed up out of nowhere...

Transition

Even when it feels like you are in the middle of nowhere, God knows where you are.

Background/Context

The ultimate plan for Jesus’ earthy ministry was for Him to bring the Kingdom of God into context and making it available to all people by His death, burial, and resurrection. This all took place in Jerusalem. Every lesson, miracle, and destination contributed to that overarching goal. He just finishes teaching on faith and forgiveness and compassion then he comes across this village and these men.

(The Message) — 45 “Any person with a serious skin disease must wear torn clothes, leave his hair loose and unbrushed, cover his upper lip, and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 As long as anyone has the sores, that one continues to be ritually unclean. That person must live alone; he or she must live outside the camp.

Observations/Points

Stood at a Distance.

These men had leprosy, which is a skin disease often associated with disobedience and sin. The infected person would have to leave the community and couldn’t return until they were healed, as confirmed by a priest. Lepers would actually create camps with no identity and live together. They literally lived in the middle of nowhere. Isolated. Broken. Alone. We aren’t given any details on how long they were there but Jesus shows up and the text says, they stood at a distance. Have you every felt like you were in the middle of nowhere and hope was in the distance? Joy was in the distance. Peace was in the distance. Freedom was in the distance. Healing was in the distance. Though they were standing in the distance, they knew lifting up their voice would close the gap. When you don’t have the answers, call on Jesus. When you feel alone call on Jesus, a present help in a time of need. Hopeless, Jesus is the author and finisher of your faith. You may feel distant from God but God isn’t distant from you. You could be one praise break away from your next miracle.

(HCSB) 13 For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved., (HCSB) 21 Then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.,

Go Show Yourself.

Jesus tells the men, to go show themselves to the priest. This was the requirement to be given permission to rejoin the community. We don’t see any hesitation in the text, they begin to walk it out. No evidence of healing, but they walk it out. Have you ever had to put your money where your faith isn’t? Many years ago my wife wanted to do a study abroad program in Turkey. I supported her 100% but honestly didn’t think she was going to go. She put in her application on the exact date of the deadline. A few days later she was notified that out of 300 applicants she made the top 50, but they were only taking 20 students. She needed to put down a $500 deposit and go through a round of interviews. Now this dream was getting expensive. She started researching Turkey. Started buying Turkish food and books. Meanwhile, I am saying, you didn’t get approved can we wait until you get the final word? After 3 weeks and a lot of money she was approved and went to Turkey. When I asked her about her confidence, she said she knew what she heard and was going to walk it out until her eyes caught up with her faith. All she had was a Word from God and that was good enough. All you need is a Word from God to change your entire situation around. You may not see it, but you have to make up in your mind, I’m going to walk it out baby. I don’t see the break through but I got a word from God and I am going to walk it out. My marriage isn’t fixed yet but I got a word from God and I am going to walk it out. We walk by faith and not by sight. Walk it out, walk it out, walk it out.

(NLT) — 8 But the officer said, “Lord, I am not worthy to have you come into my home. Just say the word from where you are, and my servant will be healed.

Go Your Way.

I often think about the struggle the single man had to return to Jesus. To break away from his group. They may have thought it was overkill. Unnecessary. Jesus knows your heart, right? Jesus poses a powerful question, where’s the rest? This is a revealing question. I recall giving my kids Christmas money to go shopping for my wife and I. I gave them $100 dollars. Told my son, spend $35 on me and give the rest to mom. Christmas morning, we are all festive and I notice a $20 gift card for me and about $50 in gifts for my wife. I’m perplexed. I look at my son and say, where’s the rest? He was confused and I said, I gave you $100 to spend on your mom and I, I count $70, where’s the rest. He said, oh, I forgot I needed to get something for my girlfriend, I knew you wouldn’t mind. I said, I literally gave you what you needed to give me honor me. I gave you what you were supposed to give me. What do you mean, you knew I wouldn’t mind? I took $30 in gifts back and told him I knew he wouldn’t mind. How often do we treat God that way. I didn’t feel like worshipping today. God is like, I gave you the breathe to praise me. Where’s the rest? I gave you the job that pays you so that you can give to my cause, where’s the rest. Maybe there are areas we need to God to move in the most are also the areas that we give God the least amount of access. Jesus looks at the man and says, go your way, your faith has made you whole. There is a distinction between being healed and being whole. The other men had to still go show themselves to the priest. They still needed to be validated by man. However, the way this man responded allowed him to bypass that process. This is what it means when it says, who the son sets free is free indeed. Free indeed to worship, love, serve, give, live.

(HCSB) 36 Therefore, if the Son sets you free, you really will be free.

Point: Praise takes you from nowhere to now here

Closing

Story: I told the gentleman that I didn’t have much cash on me and he told me not to worry about it. I insisted that I give him something so he followed me to an ATM where I gave him all I could spare, which wasn’t much. He humbly accepted and said he was awakened and God told me that one of His people needed help. It was hard to comprehend. This guy woke up in the middle of the night and drove up and down the road for an hour, looking for me. I was in the dark and he was looking for me. I was stranded and he was looking for me. In fact, he was looking for me before I needed him. A miracle from my perspective was simple obedience from his. I was exactly where I needed to be in order for me to be in alignment with what God already had in place. I’ve come to think differently about miracles since then. Often we view miracles as a supernatural instantaneous invasion of our current reality. In other words, it’s when something happens out of nowhere. We use the word in something as trivial as a game or magnanimous as a person being healed. In fact, when we assess our current situation we diagnose the necessity of a miracle. We need God to show up out of nowhere to make it happen. This unwittingly perpetuates the idea that God, somehow was absent when the trial was initiated. This means we have a creator that distances Himself just enough to activate crisis then eagerly arrives like a first responder. I’ve grown to have a more dynamic perspective. Instead, I believe a miracle is instantaneous revelation of what God was already doing. Maybe you’re in need of a miracle and you’ve been thinking what do I need to do to make this happen because you feel like you are in the middle of nowhere, but God knows where you are. Your miracle is on the other side of your obedience. Your miracle is on the other side of your praise. Miracles are less about needing God to move in an area of your life, and more moving that area of your life in the presence of God.

(HCSB) 8 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! (HCSB) 37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that not even death or life, angels or rulers, things present or things to come, hostile powers, 39 height or depth, or any other created thing will have the power to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (HCSB) 7 Where can I go to escape Your Spirit? Where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I go up to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. 9 If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, 10 even there Your hand will lead me; Your right hand will hold on to me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night” — 12 even the darkness is not dark to You. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to You. (HCSB) 13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to humanity. God is faithful, and He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation He will also provide a way of escape so that you are able to bear it.

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