Luke 17:11-19 (NABC12.1.24)

Luke 17:11-19 (NABC12.1.24)

-when it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with Gratitude - G. K. Chesterton

11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.” We find Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. This trip started all the way back in chapter 9:51 where Luke writes “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.” After 3 years of ministry, preaching, teaching, healing, doing miracles, challenging the religious leaders, explaining God’s Word, the time had come for Jesus to finish His mission, by dying on the cross for the sins of the world. And so he “set his face” as Luke says it, to go to Jerusalem to finish His task. And while on his way to Jerusalem He passed along between Samaria and Galilee.

12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance…” Luke tells us that ten lepers approached him there. Leprosy in the Bible was a generic term used for a multitude of skin diseases and issues. In Bible times they were unable to be certain whether or not the disorder was minor and curable or dangerous and incurable, so strict precautions were imposed. A person with leprosy in the jewish community was ostracized. He wasn’t allowed to live within the city walls. He was required to dress a certain way and to announce to those around him that he was unclean. He was on his own, no protection from enemies, no access to God at the temple, separated from family and friends. And so 10 lepers approached Jesus as he entered this village, but as it says in the text they “stood at a distance.”

13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” From the distance that their infirmity required them to be they cried out for mercy. The story of these lepers show us a great parallel between their physical condition/disease and our spiritual condition/disease. The very reason Jesus came to earth was to address the separation that our sin creates between us and God. Isaiah writes, “ 2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible tells us that every single one of us is a sinner and that sin separates us from God, and there is nothing we can do to bridge that gap, because God being holy and just cannot accept sin unpunished. So like the lepers, who were required to stand at a distance (not able to come into the presence of others) we can not come into the presence of God. BUT when Jesus came and offered up His life in our place, taking our punishment, that separation was eliminated. Hebrews 10:12 says, “But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins he sat down at the right hand of God”, and it goes on to say, “let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith…” (22). We can now draw close to God in faith because of what Jesus has done for us, and so there is this great parallel here where we can see ourselves (our predicament) in the predicament of these 10 lepers. And so they cry out “have mercy on us.”

14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Now at first glance this instruction might sound a bit strange, but according to Jewish law if a person was cured or healed of their leprosy they were required to go show themselves to the priests so that they could be examined and declared clean, and then they could rejoin society, so by saying this Jesus is instructing them to follow the laws for those that are healed from there leprosy even though at this point they were not. And so as they began to follow Jesus' instruction, heading to see the priests it says, “And as they went they were cleansed.” Their leprosy was gone.

15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks...” One commentator pointed out, and I find it interesting, that Luke here references back to earlier in his book to the Christmas story in chapter 2. If you remember in chapter 2 the angels appeared to the shepherds in the fields telling them that Jesus was born in Bethlehem, and they rushed to go see Him. And then it says, “20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” And in like fashion here we find that this leper “saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice…” We see this echo of the text about Jesus' birth here as He is headed toward His death. And it says that he “fell on his face at Jesus’ feet.” Remember, before he had to stand far off now in gratitude he is able to approach the very presence of God and give thanks. Again, just another beautiful picture of our relationship with God before and after we come to him in faith for salvation. And what He has done for us in providing healing/salvation.

“...Now he was a Samaritan.17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Luke points out that this man was a Samaritan and of course to Jewish listeners this would be the last person they would expect to do the right thing, but as in so many other instances in the gospels it is the least expected people that exhibit the most faith and show the most appropriate response to who Jesus is and what He does.

So let me draw out a few thoughts about this story before we close. First, from the leper and second from Jesus.

First the leper shows us that gratitude takes intentionality. Verses 15 tells us that he “turned back” he was on his way to see the priests to be declared clean, on his way to returning to safety (inside the walls), to his reentry into society (being among people again), his reunion with his family and loved ones, all these great things that he and the other lepers had missed out on for so long, yet he intentionally turns back and falls at Jesus feet to thank Him for the gift He had given. What this former leper teaches us is that if we are to be a thankful people we need to be intentional about it. Unfortunately, gratitude doesn’t come naturally, but grumbling and complaining does. The reaction of the 9 that did not return to thank Jesus shows us just how often we take God’s gracious actions for granted.

Second, but not in order of importance look at what Jesus does, here He is on His way to Jerusalem to finish His mission. He is going to be beaten, mocked, spat upon and crucified. He is going to die a painful death on a cross, and have His Heavenly Father turn His back on Him and pour God’s punishment for the sins of the world on to Him. Jesus has important things to do, but when these outcasts of society, these people viewed to be hopeless and helpless cry out to Him, He doesn’t say “I’ve got bigger, more important things going on right now, or I’m kinda busy at the moment. He has compassion on them. And that is so like Him. He is not a God who is far off, so busy running the universe and holding it all together that He does not care for each and every one of us. He is a God who was not willing to stand back and leave us to our sins and the penalty that awaited us, but came to earth and gave His life for our sins that we might draw near to Him and have a renewed relationship with Him.

There are so many things that we have to be thankful for, but it takes intentionality and it is all because of the one who loved us and gave His life for us.

18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The great philosopher, Piglet, Winnie-the-Pooh's best friend, observed “that even though he had a Very Small Heart, it could hold a rather large amount of Gratitude.”