One Lone Dogwood: Be the One

We were recently driving home from a family vacation when my mom drew our attention out the window to a single dogwood tree growing alone on a hillside.

The dogwood, known for its vibrant hues of whites, pinks, and reds, stood at contrast against the backdrop of browns and greens.

This passing moment called to memory Luke 17 and Jesus’ healing of ten men with leprosy:

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Verse 11 draws our attention to the border between Samaria and Galilee. This was not just a geographical border, but it was a social and spiritual border, as well. You can read more about it on your own, but the Jews and Samaritans were pitted against each other for centuries-worth of reasons. The Jews did not like the Samaritans, and the feeling was mutual.

Verse 12 tells of Jesus encountering ten men with leprosy, a vicious skin disease that rendered its sufferers socially and spiritually isolated. This could have been why the ten men lived in the border zone, stuck between two groups with nowhere to go.

The lepers see Jesus coming, and they call out to Him in verse 13: “Have pity on us!”

Verse 14 tells of their healing, but verse 15 is where our dogwood comes into play.

“One of them,” only one of them, returned to thank Jesus for his healing. All ten men were healed, but only one acknowledged the Healer. All ten were now socially and spiritually restored, but only one praised the Restorer.

Do you know the best part? Verse 16 tells readers that the only one who return to thank Jesus was a Samaritan, one whom the Jews despised. Verse 18 recounts Jesus stating the obvious: “Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Why This Matters

Although all ten men were healed, only the Samaritan returned to give thanks to Jesus. Jesus called out the hypocrisy of others when he noted it was only the Samaritan who did what was right.

Where do you see yourself in this narrative? When God answers your prayers, do you acknowledge Him, or do you just keep going? When good things come your way, do you thank God for the blessing, or do you continue on without much of a thought?

Personally, I am guilty on being among the nine more often than I am the one. I think this is due to my daily rhythms; I often fail to create the margin needed in my life to exist in the stillness and quiet that is needed to be with God. When the noise of life is too loud, my attention is drawn elsewhere.

What can you do this week to be the one? Can you prioritize a morning time of quiet and prayer? Can you schedule a few minutes of Bible reading on your lunch break? Can you stop right now and take 30 seconds to thank God for the good He has given you today?

Here’s the point: Be the one, the lone dogwood, who stands out from the crowd and returns to Jesus with thanksgiving.