Nov 24th Sermon

Make it a Double

Luke 17:11–19 NIV

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Last week we talked about the difference in gratitude and thanksgiving. We talked about that gratitude was a long term heart setting and thank thankfulness was a momentary emotion.

Today we see that in action.

Jesus and his disciples are headed for Jerusalem and as they are on the outskirts of a town a group of lepers yells over to them a phrase that we have become familiar with. “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

—> In this time people were sent out of towns if they were found to have any number of skin diseases that all got lumped into the term leprosy. While this was not an immediate death sentence it was very isolating. You could have no real contact with your family or friends. You could no longer go to the temple to worship. You were an outcast.

—> This group of lepers sees Jesus and yell over to him because it is against the law of the day for them to approach so they must yell. “Jesus, Mather, have mercy on us” —> they know that no one else could help.

—> Jesus hears them and says “Go and show yourselves to the priests” —> to be admitted back into society you had to show your self to the priest as no longer having a skin disease and then perform ritual cleansing. Only then could you be fully connected back to society.

—> “and as they went they were cleansed.”

—> Blessing came on the path of obedience, as it always does.

—> we aren’t sure exactly how far they had went before they were healed but its was far enough for us to say the healing wasn’t instantaneous.

—> This required a level of trust in Jesus to provide for them.

—> What alwasy amazes me is there confidence in Jesus. He doesn’t tell the 10 that they are healed, he doesn’t give them any details he just says “go and show yourselves to the priests.”

—> How many times do we want all the proof or all the answers before we take that first step?

—> We want to be sure that we’re sure, that we’re sure, then we will think about listening to what God is calling us to do.

—> These lepers were so desperate, so in need of hope that they trusted and went.

—> I’d like to offer to us today church that we aren’t in any better condition than them. We are all desperate and in need of the hope that only obedience to Jesus can provide.

—> so they’re going and somewhere along the road they are healed. One of them realizes this and turns back.

—> shouting again and praising God.

—> do we praise and thank God with the same intensity as we ask for mercy?

—> He shouted for help and then he shouted his praise and thanksgiving.

—> In fact his praise was probably more intense than his request.

—> lifted their voice vs with a loud(great) voice

—> Jesus then asks

Luke 17:17–19 NIV

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

—> Another translation of verse 19 is “your faith has made you whole.”

—> Because of this mans thankfulness and faith in Jesus he wasn’t just healed physically but also spiritually.

—> When we thank God for what he does, when we acknowledge God in a heartfelt way for being the unltimate provider we are blessed all the more with things to thank him for.