The Wall is Broken Down!

When Jesus healed the ten lepers, only one returned to glorify God and worship at Jesus' feet.

He was a Samaritan. Jesus commented that only the stranger amongst the ten gave glory to God.

Samaritans were despised and hated by the Jewish people, and yet only this poor man treated the Lord Jesus as He deserved to be treated - as God manifest in the flesh to save helpless sinners!

No wonder the Apostle John lamented that His own people received Him not. This leper was not a natural born child of God. It was God who converted his heart and opened his eyes to receive and worship the Savior.

The Lord approved of this man's conduct, and sent him away made whole because he believed in Jesus.

This was a rebuke to the self-righteous Jewish people who despised this poor man, because he was a Samaritan. They excluded him as a stranger, and yet Jesus accepted him!

Ethnically, the Samaritans were a mixed breed, Jews long ago intermarried with pagans, and departed from the true worship of Israel.

It all started with David's kingdom split by his grandson Rehoboam's harshness towards the people. He promised to make their burdens heavier, and they rejected him. Their new king Jeroboam then constructed an idolatrous religion to keep the people from worshiping at Jerusalem, and slowly being reconciled to David's house.

So the Samaritans were estranged by idolatry, different places of worship, different sacrifices, and a different priesthood.

This alienation could only be taken away by a better temple, a better sacrifice, and a better priest, our Lord Jesus!

He reconciled strangers, Jews, and Gentiles by His offering and His priesthood, uniting us all in Him!