Jesus Saves 10 Desperate Men (Luke 17:11-19)
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Story about Desperation for water…
(We all get to a place of desperation)
[Today in our text we are going to look at 10 very desperate men]
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, 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 cleansed. 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. 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 gives this picture of these 10 men who are desperate.
They all have been given the death sentence of leprosy,
and are all alone living out their final days.
While they are living as outcast in society,
believing their days are numbered.
They see in the horizon,
their salvation...
They see in the distance,
someone walking in authority,
someone who has the power to heal...
His name is Jesus...
And though they might not know everything about him,
they know this one thing...
Jesus is their only hope of being saved from certain death.
So with one voice all 10 men shout to Him,
“Jesus, Master, Have mercy on us” V13
How many know that desperate people could care less how they look?...
How many know that desperate people don’t care how they are perceived?...
Desperate people have a singular focus-
-to fulfill their needs, no matter the cost or consequence.
Example…
A homeless man who has not eaten in a few days…
Trash…
Image or sickness…
Story of William tipping over dresser…
A few years ago I was at a Men’s breakfast…
(story medicine for your child)
Desperate people have a singular focus—to fulfill their needs, no matter the cost or consequence.
These men with leprosy,
would have been at the stage of desperation,
they they only have one thing in mind,
how can I be cleansed.
They knew they were unclean with leprosy,
and they knew the ramifications of this disease was death...
As I said last week,
there is no medicine to cure the disease,
no essential oils from a mom to take it away,
they are on the path to certain death.
So when they saw Jesus in the horizon,
could you imagine the level of desperation that they shouted out,
“Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” V13
(Shouting in desperation forsaking all image and pride)
[only care about being cleansed]
They knew if Jesus had mercy on them,
he could make them clean.
Therefore, in that moment,
they don’t care if they are making a scene,
they don’t care if they are looking like fools,
they don’t care about the cost of crying out in desperation.
All they care about is being made clean....
They have literally hit rock bottom,
and at this point they will try anything,
because they have a singular focus of being saved.
They have nothing to lose,
but have everything to gain...
When Jesus saw them,
and heard their desperate cry for help.
Jesus moved with compassion said to them,
“Go and show yourself to the priest”
Which honestly,
in the natural probably sounded a little foolish to those 10 men.
(you show yourself when your clean not when you are still unclean?)
[Last week Jesus said go show yourself to the priest after he was healed]
Faith...
1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.
(they don’t see their healing yet…)
But because they 10 lepers are desperate,
they don’t care if it is a little foolish,
they have nothing to lose,
but everything to gain.
I wonder if we carried that type of mentality in our Christian life,
how much more affective we would be?
what if we believed when we stepped out in faith,
that I have nothing to lose,
but everything to gain.
20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Here’s the deal,
when I have been crucified with Christ,
and no it is no longer I who live,
but Christ who lives in me.
Therefore,
When I step out in faith,
I don’t care if I am seen by the world as a fool,
Because I have nothing to lose,
but everything to gain....
(Don’t care if people see me as foolish)
These 10 men have nothing to lose,
but everything to gain.
And as they they begin to step out in faith,
and begin to walk in obedience to Jesus’s Word,
something started shifting in their lives… (Tell how it happened...)
Hear me when I say this...
Walking in faith,
shifts circumstances...
(Not just thinking about walking in faith)
When these desprate men began to walk in obedience,
they began to see the results of their obedience...
as their bodies transformed from being unclean to clean.
These 10 men saw the results of their obedience to Jesus,
as their lives were restored.
What needs to be restored in you life?
(Dreams? relationships? careers? Hope?)
Today could be the day of restoration,
but are you willing to start walking in obedience to God’s Word?
An important reality to understand is that,
healing both physically and spiritually can happen,
instantaneously or progressively.
Last week we witnessed in the text of Scripture,
that the man with leprosy was instantly healed at the touch of Jesus.
As soon as Jesus touched him,
all his filth was removed instantly,
and he was completely cleansed.
But with these 10 men,
Jesus did not do it that way,
did He…
Instead Jesus said,
go show yourself to the priest...
Jesus required action on their part,
before he brought their healing and transformation.
It is when they took the step of faith in obedience,
that restoration took place.
Luke stated that “as they went they were cleansed” V14
I know some of you here want an immediate touch form God,
and you want everything restored instantly.
(God can certainly do that)
But what if God wants you to start walking in obedience,
before he restores your situation....
(posturing yourself for breakthrough)
The question is...
Are you desperate enough now,
that you are willing to do whatever God tells you?
(whatever that might look like...)
I am convinced the devil does not want us to hit rock bottom…
Mediocrity… Lukewarm…
(Rock bottom causes us to be desperate enough make changes)
These 10 desperate lepers were at rock bottom...
That is why it was easy for them to take a step of faith in accordance to the Word Jesus spoke...
Where you are at right now,
are you desperate enough to also walk in faith in accordance to God’s Word over your life?… pause
As these lepers walked in faith,
God cleansed them,
and after their healing took place,
this is how they responded...
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. 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.”
One of the most difficult things for believers,
is to maintain that same level of desperation for God,
when breakthrough comes.
I find that when people are going through a valley,
it is easy for them to turn to God.
But once they are removed from the valley,
they all to often forget about God.
I have grown up entrenched in the life of the church,
and I could share story after story of this reality playing out...
(going to jail… lose their job… marriage failing…)
Think about our text here…
The 10 men with leprosy are desperate for God,
because God is their only option for help,
but once they are clean,
only one returns and demonstrates the same level of desperation for God.
explain…
ALL Shouted for Help.… Only One shouted with thanksgiving…
All make a scene when they need help… Only One makes a scene to give thanks..
(Bows down in worship) [worship is giving thanks.. giving honor...]
When Jesus see’s this man who is still desperate for God,
he asks the question,
where is the other 9?
Jesus recognizes that only one man returns to give thanks to him for his healing.
But Jesus also recognizes,
that this one man who gives thanks is a foreigner...
He is a Samaritan.
Now we know that Samaritan’s and Jews did not get along.
There relationship with one another was quite simple,
Samaritan’s hated Jews and Jews hated Samaritan’s.
(pretty simple right)
Of course this demonstrates the power of leprosy,
because Jews allow their hated enemy into the group.
Craig Keener writes…
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament 17:11–19—A Samaritan’s Gratitude
That a Samaritan would travel with Jewish lepers in the area between Samaria and Galilee (v. 11) also illustrates the extremity of lepers’ outcast status: it erases other social distinctions.
I have learned that if 2 enemies are dying together,
all barriers are removed from each other.
Republican and Democrat…
Georgia fan and Alabama fan...
This Samaritan is found to be with these Jewish lepers,
and once they are all clean,
it is only the Samaritan who returns to give thanks.
It is important to understand that,
Samaritan’s were very unique in the sense that they were outsiders to both Jews and Gentiles.
They were a mixed race,
and because of that,
they did not fit in well with anyone.
The simplest way to identify and understand the Samaritan’s of the Bible,
is that they were social outcast.
(They did not fit in with anyone)
When Jesus heals these 10 lepers,
it is the outcast that returns to give thanks.
And I can’t help but think—that’s often how it goes…
Because when the outcast was healed,
he had no where else to go,
but back to Jesus.
When the Samaritan was cleansed,
he had nothing else but Jesus.
For him,
it was easy to maintain that same level of desperation as before,
because he had nothing else to go back to,
the only thing this Samaritan had was Jesus.
Whereas the other 9 who were not outcast,
saw that they were healed,
and had things to go back to....
They had careers to get back to...
They had position of influence to go back to...
They did not have time to go back to Jesus to give thanks,
because they had a life to get back to…
How many times have we done the very same thing???
We use Jesus for what we can get from him,
and once we get what we want,
we move on and forget who got us there.
The outcasted Samaritan had nothing to go back to...
He only had Jesus...
The question we need to ask ourselves,
is having Jesus is enough?
or do you need Jesus plus something else?..
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
To maintain a level of desperation for God in both the valley’s and on the mountaintops,
requires one to say that my treasure is in Jesus alone.
To pursue God passionately in worship everyday,
requires one to say Jesus is enough.
(I don’t need anything else but Jesus)
Because when Jesus is no longer our fallback,
but rather our foundation,
everything changes...
Stay desperate for Jesus at all times… Amen…
Finish with this...
1 As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
Predator chasing the deer...
Desperate...
faith has made you well,
in other words your faith has saved you…
