************Luke 17:11-19

Luke 17:11–19 (NRSV)

11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

(Luke 17:11–19)

Thanksgiving: (Holman Bible Dictionary) Gratitude directed towards God, generally in response to God’s concrete acts in history. Thanksgiving was central to Old Testament worship. Sacrifice and offerings were to be made not grudgingly, but with thanksgiving … Thanksgiving is a natural element of Christian worship and is to characterize all of Christian life.” As Christians we are to be thankful and grateful men and women of God. Our thanks to God is not contingent upon how we feel, where we may be, or what we may be going through! Our thanksgiving is to be given to God because of Who He is and what He has done!

Luke revealed the trial of the leper, the transformation of the leper, the thanks from the leper, and the testimony about the leper. We should always express thanks to God because He sought us and He saved us. My prayer is that we would all live thankful lives to God and lift up our thanks to God. We have so much to be grateful for and thankful to God for!

Retired NFL referee Jim Tunney told of his experience with Hall of Fame Coach and Sports broadcaster John Madden, who coached the Oakland Raiders to the 1977 Super Bowl. Tunney had the privilege to officiate the 1977 Super Bowl. Tunney recalled that Madden called Jim Tunney over before the game and said, “Jim, glad to have you here. I want you to know that we think you’re the second best official in the league.’ Tunney thanked him and then walked away. Shortly before kickoff, his curiosity got the best of him, so he returned to Madden and asked him whose the number one referee. Madden answered, “It’s a tie between the other eighty-nine.”

What are we thankful for today? Each day we have an opportunity to show this world that we are thankful to God for what He’s done for us. When we fail to express thanks it is because we are not truly thankful. Christians should be the most thankful and grateful people in the world. Why should we express thanks? Who should we give thanks to? How should we express thanks? God’s word gives us some ways that we can express thanksgiving to God.

I. We express thanksgiving to God for hearing our pleas. (11–13)

“Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.”

Luke tells us of the time of the Lord’s last journey to Jerusalem before His rejection there. Jesus came to the Samaritan and the Galileans. Thank God He comes to where we are. Jews would not travel through Samaria because they hated the Samaritans. They despised the Samaritans. Samaritans were half-breeds and the Jews did not respect them at all. They were not fully Jew and they were not fully Gentile. The Bible says that Jesus journeyed through the midst of Samaria. He didn’t dodge the people because He loved the people. The Jews would not pass through the midst of Samaria, but they would have traveled the long way around so as to avoid contact with the Samaritans. Thank God that Jesus came not only for the Jews, but for the Gentiles also! He not only for the Jews, but the Samaritans and the Galileans! In this passage we notice in verse 12:

A. The condition of the lepers. (12)

“Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.”

Luke doesn’t tell us the name of the village, but the needs in the village. The name was not important, but the needs were! There were ten needy lepers in this certain village. We learn later that one out of the ten was a Samaritan man with leprosy and the other nine were Jews. Why did the nine Jews with leprosy befriend the Samaritan with leprosy?

→ Leprosy: is a progressive infectious disease of the skin, the flesh, and the nerves.

→ It is characterized by ulcers, white scaly scabs, and deformities.

There were sixteen different types of leprosy. Leprosy attacks the nerve endings and those with leprosy lose feeling. In Leviticus chapter fourteen we know that garments and houses could be labeled as having leprosy. Victims were social and religious outcasts. They were cut off from society.

Lepers had to:

◾ Stay at least six feet away from people at all times.

◾ If the wind was blowing they had to stay one hundred feet away.

◾ They had to cover their lips and cry ‘unclean’ so that others could stay away from them.

◾ They could not enter the temple to worship

◾ They had a separate section of the synagogue

◾ They could not hold a job or make a living.

That is why they congregated together. They spent their miserable existence together. Lepers died a slow and horrible death. These ten lepers stood afar off from Jesus because they were required to do that. They were in a miserable shape. They were down and out! They were the refuse of the world. They were as low as could go.

→ They had no hope of medical breakthroughs and treatments to cure them.

→ They had no resources to aid them.

→ They had no caregivers to comfort them.

The Bible tells us of the condition of the lepers. We also note in verse 13:

B. Their cry to the Lord. (13)

“And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

The Bible says they lifted up their voices.

Lifted: airo, ah’ee-ro; to lift; by implication to take up or away; figurative to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind); specially to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor). They called out to Jesus and they lifted up their plea to Jesus. Obviously, they had heard about Jesus.

His reputation had preceded Him! His reputation always precedes Him! Thank God that Jesus came to the lepers! That teaches me that Jesus will come to you and I when we need Him the most. He will come to us when we cannot come to Him! He will approach us when we cannot approach Him! These lepers where in bad shape and they knew it! They were desperate and they showed it! You didn’t have to convince these lepers that they were lepers!

• You wouldn’t have to point out their deformities, their deficiencies, and their discrepancies.

The lepers were convinced that they had this awful disease. They had withdrawn from society, they had suffered in misery, and they were pleading passionately. Bishop J.C. Ryle wrote, “How is it that dying men and women, with souls to be lost or saved, can know so little of real, hearty, business-like prayer? The answer to these questions is short and simple. The bulk of mankind have no sense of sin. They do not feel their spiritual disease. They are not conscious that they are lost, and guilty, and hanging over the brink of hell.” No one would have anything to do with these guys, but the Master passed by. Remember that day when Jesus came your way and your heart and mind came to an understanding of who He is and what He did for you? Have you recognized and owned your sins that have separated you from God and giving you a spiritual leprosy?

Sin has given men and women spiritual leprosy on our souls. It has made us unclean and unapproachable. Sin has caused spiritual deformities and the rotting of our spiritual souls! They were desperate for mercy and they called on the Lord Jesus—“Master, have mercy on us!” If you know Jesus today you ought to be thankful to Him for hearing your plea! You called on His name to rescue you from condemnation and eternal damnation and He heard your plea! Master: this is the same word used by Peter in Luke 5:5 and it means “Chief Commander.” These lepers believed that Jesus had authority over sickness and diseases and over sin and death! He is the Master—He is the Great Physician!

→ There is no disease that can withstand Him!

→ There is no sickness that can assail Him!

→ There is no power that can thwart Him!

→ There is no force that can derail Him!

We must express thanks to God for hearing our pleas! Charles Johnson sings the song “I’ve Been Sealed” that says it well: “I once was a stranger, I was living in danger, living in danger of losing my soul, but Jesus had mercy and from sin He unbound me. Thank God I can say, thank You Jesus, I’m not a stranger no more.” Has God answered your plea? Has God shown mercy to you? We need to give Him thanks! The lepers recognized their need and they cried out to the One who could meet that need! Some of you today need to cry out to the Master! The Bible tells us that we express thanksgiving to God for hearing our pleas.

II. We express thanksgiving to God by heeding His word. (14–15a)

A. We must respond to Jesus. (14)

“So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.”

We cannot truly be thankful to God when we live in rebellion against God and His word. If we do not obey what the Lord tells us to do we cannot be thankful to Him! We express our thanksgiving to God by heeding His word.

→ Where He goes we go;

→ what He says we do;

→ when He speaks we listen!

Jesus came to the village and then He heard the pleas of the lepers and the Bible says that when He saw them He spoke to them! He didn’t ignore them like a priest or a Levite that passed by on the other side. He didn’t forget them or brush them off! He didn’t tell them that He was too busy for them! He didn’t rush through town and leave them behind! When Jesus heard their cry, saw their plight, He spoke a command for them to obey!

Jesus tells them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” They were to go by faith! They were to take Jesus at His word! He is the God of His word! His word can be trusted and obeyed! The lepers heard the command of the Lord and responded in obedience! God blesses obedience to His word! If the Lord Jesus has commanded you to go and you have not then He will not bless that! He will not bless disobedience! At the word of Jesus all ten of the lepers set out to show themselves to the priest. These lepers responded to Jesus. John G. Butler wrote, “They had called Him ‘Master’ by their words, now they call Him ‘Master’ by their walk.” Jesus told them to “Go, show yourselves to the priest.” Why did Jesus send these lepers to the priest? The lepers were sent to the priest so that the priest could thoroughly examine these men.

According to the Old Testament the priest would have to inspect lepers that had been cleansed before they could enter back into normal functions in society. The priest would have to pronounce them clean. The priest had to give them all a clean bill of health. Once the priest pronounced them clean, they were able to get a job, worship God in the temple, they could come to town and mingle with the people, and they could return home. They would have all their rights restored to them. Notice: all ten of the lepers responded to Jesus. To heed the word of God means that we must respond to the word of God!

What was the result of them responding to the Lord’ command? The Bible says, “And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” Cleansed: katharizo, kath-ar-id’-zo; to cleanse (literal or figurative):- (make) clean (-se), purge, purify.

They were not physically touched by Jesus, but they were cleansed by the word of Jesus. As they went to the priest their leprosy went from their bodies. Matthew Henry wrote, “We may expect God to meet us with mercy when we are found in the way of duty. If we do what we can (obey), God will not be wanting to do that for us which we cannot.” The lepers didn’t debate about what the Lord told them to do! They didn’t argue about going to the priest. They didn’t question what the Lord told them to do. They responded to the word of God and they were cleansed by the Son of God. We can never express thanks to God without responding to the words of Jesus. Some of you need to respond to Jesus by following Him in believer’s baptism! Some of you need to follow the Lord by tithing, by joining this fellowship of believers, by being a witness for Him, by worshiping Him every day! The lepers were told to go and show. As believers we all are told to go and show! We must heed the word of God and show this world what Jesus has done for us! Are you expressing thanks by responding to Jesus? Not only are we to respond to Jesus, but we also learn:

B. We must return to Jesus. (15a–b)

1. What he discerned. (15a)

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed,”

Question: Didn’t all ten receive healing? Yes and all ten recognized that they had been healed! Luke tells us that one of them saw that he was healed. He discerned that his healing was at the word of Christ and by the work of Christ. Have you discerned that your spiritually healing was from the Lord? Have you recognized that your physical healing was from the Lord? What impact did His work have in your life? We learn what he discerned. We also see in verse 15:

2. What he determined. (15b)

“returned”

When he saw that he had been healed he returned to the Source of His healing. He was determined to get back to Jesus! One of the ten returned and to top that off he was a Samaritan.

Jesus’ own people did not return to Him. John A. Martin wrote, “The lack of gratitude by the other nine was typical of the rejection of His ministry by the Jewish nation. He alone had the power to cleanse the nation and make it ceremonially clean. However, the nation did not respond properly to Him.” These nine lepers did not respond properly to Him. Responding is not enough, we must return to the Source of our healing, the Source of our blessing, to the Source of our salvation! 1 Peter 2:25 says, “For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.” This man determined to return to Jesus. Only one of the ten returned! This tells me that God may heal a person’s physical body, but their spiritual soul can still be lost. This passage is a clear example of nine that got physical healing, but only one received both physical and spiritual healing.

Many people have confessed the name of Jesus, but have never changed their lives. The men had plenty to thank God for, but the hardness of their hearts revealed their true self. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “How grateful the men should have been for the providence of God that brought Jesus into their area, for the love that caused Him to pay attention to them and their need, and for the grace and power of God that brought about their healing.” Are you thankful for what the Lord has done for you? Have you responded to Jesus? Have you returned to Jesus? This leper was not ashamed. He knew what the Source of his healing was and he returned to give thanks. Many times we enjoy the gifts but we forget about the Giver. Often we are quick to pray and plead, but we are slow to praise. J.C. Ryle wrote, “The best of us are far too often like the nine lepers. We are more ready to pray than to praise, and more disposed to ask God for what we have not, than to thank Him for what we have.” We express thanks to God for hearing our pleas. Have you called on the Master? We express thanks to God by heeding His word. Are we obeying the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ?

III. We express our thanksgiving to God by honoring our Lord. (15–19)

A. Worship causes exhilaration. (15–16)

1. His demonstration before the Lord: His outward position. (16a)

“and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.”

The Samaritan leper didn’t make it to the priest, but when he saw that he had been healed he turned around and went back to Jesus. This leper was so thankful that he returned to the Lord and he bowed before the Lord!

In verse 16 the Bible tells us that he came back and fell at Jesus’ feet. This is an outward demonstration of submission, reverence, and worship on his part. This man bowed down in humility and thanksgiving and worship before the Lord Jesus Christ. Have you bowed before Him? Do you love and adore Him?

Some of us need to come to Jesus and bow at His feet in submission, reverence, and worship! There are many Baptist that need to submit themselves under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Warren Wiersbe wrote, “Instead of going to the priest, the Samaritan became a priest, and he built his altar at the feet of Jesus. By coming to Jesus, the man received something greater than physical healing: he was also saved from his sins.” The Samaritan man was submitting. The Bible tells us of his demonstration before the Lord: His outward position. We also note:

2. His declaration to the Lord: His ongoing praise. (15–16b)

“and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.”

The Bible tells us that the man not only return to Jesus and bowed before Jesus, but he returned to Jesus praising God. He was not only submitting, but he was shouting! The leper was so thankful that he returned shouting. He lifted up his voice in praise for what Jesus had done for him. The man came back to worship the King and the man came back worshiping the King! They probably could hear him before they could see him. He was excited about his healing! True worship of God causes exhilaration. True worship produces excitement in our hearts that manifests itself in our praise to the Lord.

The people of God need to be excited about what Jesus has done for us. We should not come to church sad and mournful! We should not have to be prodded and begged to praise the Lord! Vance Havner said, “The church today suffers with a joyless experience. Christ is not joyfully acclaimed as King. A noiseless religion is the order of the day: no shouting, no amens, no hallelujahs. If some brother does occasionally grow happy, there is a wail from the Pharisees. But our Lord approved it and still does. When He enters a heart to reign, if ever there was something to rejoice about, certainly that ought to set the joybells ringing!” The leper expressed his thanksgiving to God by honoring the Lord Jesus. He came back to Jesus and bowed before Jesus! He lifted up praise for Jesus Christ the Lord! When we worship in Spirit and in truth it is exhilarating and exciting to the soul!

The Bethany Missionary Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas was taken to court by one of the church’s deacons. This man had a herniated disc and blamed the church for his problem. He claimed his back injury occurred when he was assisting a fellow church member who became ‘overly excited during the sermon.’ Many churches would welcome a lawsuit like that! We express thanksgiving to God through our worship of His Son. True worship is exciting when we recognize Whose presence we are in. This man’s declaration to the Lord brought glory to the Lord.

The man’s ongoing praise was heard in him giving thanks to Jesus. Giving Him thanks: eucharisteo, yoo-khar-is-teh’-o; to be grateful, i.e. (active) to express gratitude (towards); specially to say grace at a meal (give) thankful. Are you thankful to God? Have you given thanks to God? Do you express your thanksgiving by your demonstration and your declaration? Have you come before Him and bowed down? Have you lifted up praise to Him? Worship causes exhilaration! May God impress that fact upon us today to get excited about worshiping Jesus! We also learn:

B. Worship brings evaluation. (17–19)

1. He evaluates the people at worship. (17)

“So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?”

The Lord Jesus knows when we are at church and when we are not at church! The Lord Jesus knows why we are at church and why we are not at church! The Lord knows if we are truly here to worship. He evaluates our worship!

I will often times ask Mary or Paul, ‘Did you see so and so at church Sunday?’ I haven’t seen ‘so and so’ and a while? I can sometimes detect when someone is here and when they are not here. I can sometimes realize when someone is here for Sunday school and leaves out and doesn’t stay to worship the Lord Jesus! I don’t always recognize who is here and who is not here! I do not have a check list with “Absent” or “Present” on it. I want to see all of God’s people here every Sunday to worship God, but sometimes we cannot be here. The Lord does however know when we are here and why we are here. He evaluates the people at worship.

Jesus didn’t ask this question in verse seventeen out of ignorance. He knew there were ten lepers that were cleansed—and He knew there was only 1 that came back to worship God! That’s a pretty sorry return—only 10% of the people came back to truly worship! The Lord Jesus knows why we are here today and He knows our motives for coming and He is evaluating our worship.

Many years ago, Thomas K. Beecher once substituted for his famous brother, Henry Ward Beecher, at the Plymouth church in Brooklyn, New York. Many curiosity seekers had come to hear the renowned Henry Beecher speak. Therefore, when Thomas Beecher appeared in the pulpit instead, some people got up and started for the doors. Sensing that they were disappointed because he was substituting for his brother, Thomas raised his hand for silence and announced, “All those who came here this morning to worship Henry Ward Beecher may withdraw from the church; all who came to worship Jesus may remain.” The example of godly leaders is helpful, but only the Savior is worthy of our worship and devotion.” Have you come to the house of God to worship God today? If we have not come to worship the Lord then we are not honoring the Lord, and if we are not honoring the Lord we are not expressing thanksgiving to the Lord! The Bible tells us that the Lord evaluates the people at worship! We also learn:

2. He examines their purpose of worship. (18)

“Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

Jesus did not ask this question to belittle the Samaritan, but in asking it He magnified the Samaritan’s faith. It was a foreigner—who didn’t have the certain privileges and the covenant promises that the Jews had. If anyone should have recognized and been thankful it should have been the Jews. The nine went and showed themselves to the priests, but they did not give glory to God. Those who should have been thankful were not thankful! They did not return to give glory to God! The Samaritan expressed his thanks to God for hearing his pleas, by heeding God’s word, and by honoring His Lord.

Many years ago, a boat was wrecked in a storm on Lake Michigan at Evanston, Illinois. Students from Northwestern University formed themselves into rescue teams. One student, Edward Spencer, saved seventeen people from the sinking ship. He was later carried to his room exhausted. He asked those who carried him, ‘Did I do my best? Do you think I did my best?’ Years later, Dr. R.A Torrey was used this illustration at a meeting in Los Angeles and a man in the audience called out that Edward Spencer was present. Dr. Torrey invited Spencer to the platform. An old man with white hair slowly climbed the steps as the applause rang.

Dr. Torrey asked him if anything in particular stood out in his memory. Spencer said, “Only this sir, of the seventeen people I saved, not one of them thanked me.” The Lord had a little better return than that, but it wasn’t from His own people. The Samaritan returned to give thanks to God and glory to God! The Lord examines their purpose of worship. Only the foreigner (alien) returned and gave glory to God!

BIG SIDE NOTE:

◾ The Samaritan lifted up His voice in praise to God

◾ The Samaritan returned and bowed before Jesus

◾ The Samaritan gave thanks to Jesus

◾ The Samaritan returned to give glory to Jesus

◾ We cannot give glory to God apart from Jesus—

◾ When we bow before Jesus we are bowing before God

◾ When we lift our voice to Jesus we are lifting our voice to God!

◾ When we bring honor to the Lord Jesus we bring honor to the Lord God!

The Bible tells us that the Lord evaluates the people at worship, He examines the purpose of worship, and lastly we note:

3. He expresses His praise for worship. (19)

“And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

The Lord tells the Samaritan that his faith had made him well. It was the word of Jesus that made the leprosy disappear from the ten, it was the faith of the Samaritan that made him eternally well! The Samaritan’s nine friends were declared clean by the priests, but he was declared saved by the Son of God. Jesus praises the man’s faith and trust in Him. He recognized and received the man’s worship and praise! Does the Lord recognize and receive our worship and praise? Are we spiritually well today? Do we respond to Jesus? Are we determined to return to Jesus? Are we ashamed to come before Jesus? Have we bowed before Him? Are we ashamed to praise Jesus? Are we giving thanks to God?

We express thanksgiving to God for hearing our pleas. We express thanksgiving to God by heeding His word. We express thanksgiving to God by honoring our Lord. Is thanksgiving a priority in your life? Do you count your blessings and name them one by one? Do you have spiritual leprosy? Cry out to Jesus today!

Do you need mercy today? Call on the Lord today! Do you need to heed His word? Obey what He tells you today! How is your worship? How is your praise? How is your thanksgiving?

What the Bible says abo