The story of the Ten Men Healed of Leprosy in Luke 17:11-19 reveal the deepest heart of Jesus for us.  If you remember the story, there were ten lepers who called to Jesus from a distance.  They asked Him to have pity on them.  Jesus' response was immediate.  He said; Go and show yourselves to the priests.  As they went, they were healed.

One of the ten, a Samaritan, ran back to Jesus when he saw that he was healed.  He threw himself at Jesus' feet and praised God with a loud voice.  Jesus was very impressed with the actions of this foreigner.  (Samaritans hate Jews and know they are not welcome in their presence.)  This Samaritan came back to praise God, and Jesus' response to him was nothing but pleasure in what he had done.  Jesus praised him for his actions.  He told him to get up and go because his faith had made him well.

There is nothing that pleases Jesus more than when we praise His Father.  Jesus is not jealous of His Father's praise, His whole life is about bringing praise and glory to His Father.  It grieves Jesus when we don't praise God.

There is another side of praising God.  This story reveals how the Samaritan's encounter with Jesus was the most uplifting moment in his life.  Once he was distant from Jesus, now he is bowing at His feet hearing words of praise and approval for whom he is.  The most amazing thing about giving God praise and thanksgiving is that you can never out give God.  You always receive more than you can ever imagine.

The secret ingredient of praising God is that once you do it, you realize that praising God is what you are here for.  You are here to give glory and praise to God.  This story also shows us the other side of us.  How often do we receive from God, but miss out on giving Him praise because we are so caught up in our own traditions and expectations?  The other nine were doing what Jesus told them to do.  That took faith.  They didn't tell Jesus how to heal them, they merely cried out for His pity and obeyed his words.  While they were on their way to the priest, they saw that they were healed.  Unlike the Samaritan leper, they evidentially kept on going.  They didn't return with their friend.  Why? 

Why don't you give God glory and praise?  What keeps you from throwing yourself at the feet of Jesus and thinking Him?  Jesus was very pleased with the Samaritan leper.  The leper shows us the kind of life Jesus is looking for in us.  We need to be full of the joy of God and let our hearts lead us to Jesus in gratefulness, then we will find that our faith will heal us too.