Faith's Full Satisfaction
"Were not ten cleansed?"
In the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers in Luke 17, why does only one return to thank Jesus? 10 were ill, 10 asked Jesus for mercy, and 10 were healed “as they went.” So, why did only one return to praise Jesus for the miracle?
Maybe they discussed it. As they were walking along one started to notice the skin being healed on her arm. Another noticed it on one of the other’s face. They all start freaking out. “It actually worked, we’re healed!” Another asked, “So now what?” Maybe a couple thought they better heed Jesus’ words. “He did say ‘Go show yourself to the priests.” Maybe one knew the Law and knew a ceremonial offering at the temple was required for such a cleansing. And maybe the others were so ecstatic that they just had to run and tell their family and friends, whom they had been excommunicated from for so long, that they were healed and coming home.
I’m not sure. No one is. But we do know that only one of them thought the appropriate response was to return to Jesus with praise. But why? Jesus’s work was done; he had performed the miracle without asking them to praise him; why did this man feel the need to go back and praise Jesus? Perhaps it was because this man’s faith was actually genuine.
Jesus says at the end of the passage, “Your faith has made you well.” But didn’t the other lepers have faith? If they didn’t have at least some, why would they have even asked him to heal them in the first place? I believe they all had some measure of “faith,” if faith means expecting things from Jesus. If faith means turning to Jesus for miracles and gifts, then these guys had plenty of faith. But Jesus seems to be making a distinction about this man's faith and the faith of the others. His faith is different. His faith has saved him. This man’s faith was genuine.
You see, genuine faith doesn’t use Jesus as a means to an end. Genuine faith sees Jesus as the end. Genuine faith doesn’t find its satisfaction in Jesus’ gifts. Genuine faith finds its fullest satisfaction in glorifying Jesus for his gifts.
Rightly Placed Praise - The Difference
And this was the difference between the “faith” of the nine and the faith of the one. For the nine, they were satisfied with what they had received. They wanted a healing and they got it. Case closed. Period. End of story. Their desires had been satisfied. But for the one this wasn’t the case. He noticed his healing just like the others. He too probably stopped and wondered what to do next. And he decided to go back to Jesus. Why not just go on to the priests? Why not go show everyone he could? Because Jesus was still in walking distance and he just had to praise him for what he had done. He couldn’t help but to return to Jesus because it was Jesus who had healed him! Genuine faith, faith that sees Jesus as an end and not a means, isn’t fully satisfied with the gifts Jesus gives, but with Jesus himself. Genuine faith sees the gifts and graces given by Jesus as means to deeper satisfaction in Jesus. Genuine faith finds its deepest satisfaction in Jesus himself through giving him glory for the gifts he gives.
Think about eating for second. Anyone can eat a great meal and go on and on about it, in fact we usually do: "Man that was amazing! The taste, the texture, the presentation. That food was incredible!" But the buck usually stops there. Therefore the satisfaction in the meal is found in, is rooted in, the food itself. But food is food. As good as some food may be, it didn't make itself so. And lest we then turn the praise to the preparer of the food, who gave her the skills and passion she uses? who gave the food she uses its color and innate flavors? Not her, at least not ultimately. So surely true, deep, and lasting satisfaction won't be found in praising the food or even in the cook. And that is why so many people remain unsatisfied, because food (or anything else for that matter) can't fully satisfy.
But for Christians it's different, at least it should be. Christians don't find satisfaction in created things but in its Creator. Don't get me wrong we love food! We too can go on and on about it. But unlike others, our praise doesn't find its final resting place in the food or the cook; our satisfaction goes further and deeper. When Christians eat we notice the flavors and textures and colors. The infinite possibilities with spices. The mind-boggling variety of options. But we don't praise the food for this. No, we turn and praise the infinitely creative God who in his grace has given us such good food to eat! We praise God for creating it and gifting all of humanity with it. And in so doing we find the fullest satisfaction possible because we are giving praise to the One who deserves it. Our fullest satisfaction is not in food. Our fullest satisfaction goes beyond food to the One who created it and has graciously gifted us with it.
Joy, Praise, More Joy
Here's the point: Full satisfaction is found not in simply experiencing something we enjoy, but in exalting it. C.S Lewis said it best and its worth quoting in length,
We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation. It is not our of complement that lovers keep on telling one another how beautiful they are, the delight is incomplete till it is expressed.¹
Praise then is the end, the completion, the telos of joy. Joy pours over into praise which results in more joy. Christians know where that ultimate praise always belongs, God, and as a result we can experience the greatest joy possible. In this way food, and all things, becomes a vessel for ultimate delight in God. And so, in eating, and all other things, we go beyond praising things to praising God for all things; and in doing so we find the greatest delight possible. Our greatest exultation is found in our exalting God.²
The same was true for the lepers. Nine of them placed the gift above the giver. They chose to place their gratefulness, and thus their joy, in the gift itself instead of the one who gave it. And in doing so they reveled that it was not Jesus they wanted, but what Jesus could do for them. And they got what they wanted: a miracle; and missed out on the greater reality: that the Son of God was available to them.
But one got it. He saw how silly it would be to thank the gift for being a gift and being given to him. So instead of stopping at the gift, and don't get me wrong he was delighted with it, he took his delight further by placing it in its rightful place, the giver. He saw Jesus as the end, of which the gift was a means, and placed his pleasure in him and found it full. His joy over being healed naturally poured over into praise, and he knew exactly where the praise belonged. That's why he went back, because his joy lead him to praise. In so doing he discovered where ultimate satisfaction is found, not in things given by Christ, but in Christ himself, the well who never runs dry.
Faith finds its satisfaction in Jesus and Jesus only. What an amazing thing it is that his glory and our joy are not at odds but deed each other. Therefore, if we are to experience the most joy possible it will be through giving Jesus credit, praise, and glory for all things. His glory through our praise resulting in deep joy. Nothing else will ever satisfy.
-Zach