En route to Jerusalem, Jesus encounters ten lepers on the passage “between Samaria and Galilee” (v. 11). They maintain their distance—as required by Mosaic law—and entreat the Savior to have pity on them. The law literally required diseased persons outside the camp to cry out, “Unclean, unclean,” as a warning to those approaching, lest they come into contact and become defiled. The text says that they “lifted up their voices,” or, as the NLT puts it, “they cried out.” The verb is not to be overlooked, for after they are cleansed, the grateful leper returns to Jesus and again cries out, this time “praising God with a loud voice” (Lk 17:15). Thus, there is a parallel structure to the story—crying out in the beginning and crying out in the end—albeit from very different affections.

But isn’t that always the case? When we cry out, our Lord hears and has compassion on us. This idea is presented repeatedly throughout Scripture, most notably (and personally) in the Psalms. Psalm 30 says:

O LORD my God, I cried to you for help,
and you restored my health… (v. 2, NLT);

…that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
O LORD my God, I will give you thanks forever! (v. 12, NLT)

God has the power to transform our deepest sorrows into profound joy—if only we would cry out to Him. But let there be a corresponding cry as well, an expression of praise. Whichever side of the crying out you’re on, know this: You can take comfort in the fact that He hears you, or you can take joy in the fact that He heard you.