The Power of Gratitude: Remembering Where We Came From

Info for Sermon

Bible Passage: Luke 17:11–17

Summary: In Luke 17:11–17, Jesus heals ten lepers but only one returns to give thanks. This passage highlights the importance of gratitude in our relationship with God. Jesus address his disciples about the inevitability of temptations to sin, warning that it is better for those who cause others to sin to face severe consequences. He emphasizes the importance of self-awareness, urging them to rebuke and forgive those who sin against them, even repeatedly. The apostles request an increase in faith, to which Jesus responds that even a small amount of faith can achieve great things. He illustrates the concept of servitude, stating that servants should not expect gratitude for fulfilling their duties. The narrative then recounts Jesus healing ten lepers, with only one, a Samaritan, returning to thank Him, highlighting the importance of gratitude. Jesus explains that the kingdom of God is not observable but is present among them. He warns of the coming days when people will long to see the Son of Man, comparing it to the days of Noah and Lot, emphasizing the suddenness of judgment and the need for readiness.

Application: This passage encourages Christians to cultivate a lifestyle of gratitude, reminding us to acknowledge and appreciate God’s blessings in our lives, even amidst struggles. By practicing gratitude, we can find peace and joy in our daily lives.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that giving thanks is a vital part of our faith journey. It emphasizes that gratitude can transform our hearts, deepen our relationship with God, and impact those around us.

How this passage could point to Christ: This passage points to Christ's compassion and power as the one who heals and restores. It ultimately reflects how Christ's redemptive work invites us into a thankful relationship with God, demonstrating that true healing goes beyond the physical.

Big Idea: Gratitude is essential to experiencing God's grace and blessings in our lives; remembering to say thank you can lead to deeper faith and transformation.

1. Compassionate Call to Gratitude

Luke 17:11-13

The passage begins in the least place where one would find reason for gratitude and thanksgiving, a leper colony. The ten men were here in the camp with varying degrees of leprosy, yet they all were together outside the city. They are separated from family, friends, and the fellowship of the saints. Their condition forced them into isolation bearing the mark of being unclean according to the law (Leviticus 13:2-8; 9-59). They were separated from God and the people. The attitude of Christ toward those afflicted with leprosy was in marked contrast to the rabbis of his day. One rabbi would not eat an egg purchased in a street where there was someone with leprosy. Another rabbi threw stones at lepers in order to keep them away. No doubt these men operated in anticipatory negativity, meaning they kept a negative mindset that was based on their current conditions.These lepers, even in their condition knew who to call. The condition does not stop Christ from being compassionate with us. Even in our separation and loneliness, Jesus meets us where we are…Jesus is still approachable…..

“Don’t let your distance deter you from calling on Him.”

Your condition does not stop you from calling on God…in fact it should make you call him more….the more you call him the better you feel.

2. Commanding Faith in Thankfulness

Luke 17:14

Jesus hears their call for mercy from a distance, and he takes the time to hear their call. There are times when you call and some people don’t take the time to hear your call, yet, Jesus takes the time to hear the cries of the marginalized and ostracized. Jesus’ compassion to their call caused him to stop long enough to provide instructions for their miracle. The phrase “Go and show yourselves to the priest” is an interesting phrase because challenges their faith in the call.

The next phrase “And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy” is a Greek phrase that uses the aorist tense of the verb “to cleanse” (καθαρίζω, katharizo), which indicates a single completed action in the past. As they went is the participle “to go” (ходя, choma), which describes the action of going while the cleansing happened. What Luke the physician is saying: the cleansing happened while they were in the process of going.

“God can do things for you while you are on your way to doing what he said

Now, here is the tension in the tex: Jesus is instructing these ten marginalized, ostracized lepers to have faith in him enough to go show themselves to the priest. The ten lepers knew that to go to the priest in their condition would violate the Torah, but Jesus their faith and not the law. Often, the best form of gratitude and thanksgiving is obedience. We should never obey God from our religion; we must obey God because of our love and relationship with HIm. To be declared clean, The ceremonial purification of one who had recovered from leprosy is described in Leviticus 14:1–32. The first step took place outside the camp, where the priest examined the person to verify his recovery. Then two live birds were taken, along with cedar wood, a piece of scarlet cloth, and hyssop. One bird was killed over an earthen vessel containing fresh running water, and the living bird was dipped in the blood mixed with water and then released. The same blood mixed with water was sprinkled seven times on the healed person. This rite is an expressive symbolization of the healed condition of the individual. The flight of the living bird symbolized the new freedom and liberty entered into by the one previously in a state of living death. The slain bird represented the death that must certainly result from the person’s former condition of uncleanness. The blood and water, representing life and purity, were sprinkled upon the healed person, identifying him with the bird that was alive and at liberty. The cedar wood, scarlet cloth, and hyssop were further symbols of life and purity. After this symbolic purification the individual was required to cleanse himself bodily; and although he could now enter the camp, he still had to remain outside his tent for another seven days.

The second part of the purification rite restored the person to fellowship with God. It began with another bodily cleansing on the eighth day. A male lamb was sacrificed as a trespass offering, and this with a log of oil was used as a wave offering reconsecrating the person to the service of the Lord. Next a lamb was offered in the holy place as a sin offering. Some of the blood of the trespass offering was placed on the tip of the right ear, on the thumb of the right hand, and on the great toe of the right foot of the person to be consecrated, thereby sanctifying the organs of hearing, acting, and walking for God’s service, as in the dedication of priests (Lv 8:24). After sprinkling the oil seven times before the Lord in order to consecrate it, the priest put the oil on the same places he had put the blood and poured the remainder on the head, thus making atonement before the Lord.

Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Leprosy, Leper,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 1324.

3. Celebrating Grateful Faith

Luke 17:15-16

This portion highlights the lone leper who returns to give thanks and worship Jesus. Perhaps you can underscore that true gratitude demands action. Not only acknowledging but actively expressing thanks is crucial in our faith journey. Encourage the members to vocalize and actualize their gratitude in their daily lives, shaping their interactions with others and their spiritual growth.

Gratitude not only demands obedience, but it requires expressing thanksgiving for what God has done for you. While these ten lepers walking, they all experienced the power of God, but they had different responses to their healing. The nine acted entitled that because they called Jesus and he was supposed to heal them. Today, many Christians have this same attitude and miss their opportunity to offer praise for what He has done.

A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature, 3rd ed. δοξάζω

to influence one’s opinion about another so as to enhance the latter’s reputation, praise, honor, extol

to speak of something as being unusually fine and deserving honor—‘to praise, to glorify, praise.’

Johannes P. Louw and Eugene Albert Nida, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (New York: United Bible Societies, 1996), 429.

4. Cultivating a Thankful Heart

Luke 17:17

At a homeless shelter, a volunteer witnessed the power of gratitude in action when a man, despite his struggles, insisted on leading a prayer of thanks before the meal. He thanked God for the food, the volunteers, and the hope he felt each day. This attitude shifted the atmosphere in the room, and others joined in. Romans 12:12 encourages us to be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer. This man's gratitude became a beacon of hope, showing that thankfulness can thrive even in the most challenging situations.