Ten Lepers

       TEN LEPERS

Ten lepers, standing off afar,

Their desperate hopes revealed-

To Jesus called, “Have mercy, Lord,

Oh please, can we be healed?”

And Jesus said, “Go show yourselves

Unto the priests,” and then,

As those poor lepers went their way,

They were all cleansed, all ten.

But one, a poor Samaritan,-

He stopped, and left their ranks,

Returned, and fell at Jesus feet,

Praised God, and gave Him thanks.

Said Christ, “Where are the other nine?

Art thou the only one

To render glory unto God?

Were there not ten, my son?”

“Thy faith hath made thee whole this day—

Thine attributes include,

Thou art a stranger here,

The gift of gratitude.”

Dear brethren, sisters, aren’t we all

Like lepers, all unclean?

Have not all sinned and fallen short?

Cannot our faults be seen?

 

Yet God forgives and bless us,

Atones for all we do—

Repentance is the only fee

He asks of me and you.

Against none is His wrath kindled,

Saith He, the King of Kings,

Save those who fail to acknowledge

His hand work in all things.

And how we ought to thank Him, not

Just with mere platitude,

But by the way we live express

Sincere, deep gratitude.

Ah, may we be the one’s who’ll praise

Our God in ways so fine,

But ne’er of those of whom He asks

“Where are the other nine?”

--Jay M. Richardson