You’ve been back in school over a week now. You’ve already figured out who your friends are and you’re spending time together. It depends on which grade you’re in, maybe if you’re a boy or girl, or even who your brother or sister is. But you know who your friends are.

These 10 lepers knew who their friends were. They were their own friends. They had a really nasty skin disease. It would really gross you out. It was gonna kill them. God’s Law said they had to stay away from everybody else. They needed each other. Without each other, they might not survive too long. Without each other they’d get really lonely. They all knew their end was coming. They had no hope.

The only hope anybody has is Jesus. One day Jesus came to them. They couldn’t believe it. They thought He’d never come. They’d heard of Him. They’d hoped this day would come more than you hope for the weekend. And it came. They had to take advantage of it, just like you need to take advantage of every hint and help your teacher gives you. So they cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

They call Him Master. What a title! A master owns slaves. Do you ever think of Jesus as a Master? He is. He wants you to live a certain way. At home, He wants you to love and honor, serve and obey your parents. That means you do what they tell you, even when you don’t want to. It means you don’t yell at them or fight them. At school, He wants you to treat your teachers the same way. Don’t make fun of them. Do what they say. Do your homework to the best of your ability. Don’t get into fights or be mean. Be nice to everybody.

So how are you doing at obeying your Master? You belong to Him, so you need to obey Him. Are you getting an A+? No. Did you argue with your dad last night? Did you hit your brother a couple days ago? Did you think your teacher is not as smart as you last week? Did you get sloppy with your homework last weekend? Were you mean to people you don’t like or who aren’t like you on the first day of school?

So what should you do? Repent. How does that look? It looks like this: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Why do you say that? Because you’re sorry for disobeying your Master. You need to be sorry and ask Him for mercy. If you don’t, you’ll die forever. Beg Him for mercy, and He will give it. For He is not just Master. He is most importantly Savior.

That’s what Jesus is talking about with that Samaritan leper. He says in the Greek: “your faith has saved you.” That guy believed Jesus would heal him, and He did. You believe Jesus will forgive you. That’s faith at work. Faith believes that Jesus forgives. Why? Because He died and rose for you! He was eternally punished on His Cross for every single thing you’ve done that disobeys Him at home and school. He rose from the dead and says to you through His Word: “I forgives you all your sins.”

This year our theme is “Every One His Witness.” How do you confess Him? Be a faithful child and student. When you fail, ask Him for forgiveness. He does forgive. With The Samaritan, give thanks to The LORD, sing praise to His Name, declare His loving-kindness and faithfulness every day. Confess, proclaim, what He has done for you in both what you say and do. He healed the lepers, and He forgives your sins and gives you eternal life.