Pentecost 18

· Intro: Good morning, my name is Fr. Andrew Costa and it is a pleasure to meet all of you. Some of you are probably wondering how I came to be a part of your morning celebration. I was attempting to plant an Anglican Church in Ansonia, Ohio. This last month that experiment has come to a close which means I was available to come and worship with you this morning. For those who are wondering what an Anglican is, its the Christian Heritage that comes out of England. Just as Lutherans come from Germany, Anglicans come from England, and the two families of Christians enjoy a warm relationship.

o This morning our Gospel reading is going to invite us to consider what I think is Luther’s greatest revival, we are invited to consider that salvation comes by faith alone, which unlocks Grace along, as reveled in the scripture alone, accomplished by Christ alone, all for God’s Glory alone. The Five Solas of Luther’s reforms.

o So let’s look at the text and see we can draw out these great truths from the text.

· The Text: Luke 17:[11] On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.

o Jesus is on his way somewhere…where? Jerusalem, after the transfiguration he set his sight on Jerusalem and if you track the geography of the book of Luke he is moving downhill to his ultimate lifting up on the cross.

§ In this particular event he is on the North of Jerusalem. None of the distances are huge, but it is not convenient jaunt from one to the other. That will play a role later in the events.

o [12] And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance

§ He is met by Lepers, What was the disease like? Were did they think it came from? What was the plight of the sufferers…?

§ That is why they stood at a distance.

o  [13] and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

§ The plea for mercy, which God is generous with. Which is why our liturgy it constantly encouraging us. Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy. Ask God will grant.

o  [14] When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.

§ Notice there is not yet an account of anyone being made well. They are not healed then sent on their way, they are sent on their way to show the priest the results of a healing that has not yet come.

· The Book of Leviticus required for the priest to sign off on the healing of a leper then for there to be ceremonial washings to return the person to ritual purity for worship. This means they would have been sent to Jerusalem for this task, quite a journey.

§ On the road to see the priest they realize that the healing has taken place. The things they asked Jesus for came true.

o [15] Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;

§ One turned back. What do we call that when those God acts on turn their direction. God acts and then we change our way…we call that change in direction repentance. We see in this one a change of direction a repentance. A willingness to do a new thing. His new thing is to turn from the Rules of Leviticus, the Law, and Turn to Christ…the Gospel. We will have more to say on the Law and Gospel in this account but let us continue.

o [16] and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

§ What is a Samaritan…The Jews had an ethnic claim to being God’s chosen people, for whom the things of God would be revealed and yet here we have this not ethnic Jewish person responded. It would have scandalized the original hear ears that the hero is a Samaritan.

o [17] Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?

§ Jesus teaching in the Socratic method, and he is giving a rebuke to the nine. The ones who should know.

o [18] Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

§ Those who are of the people of God should be bringing God praise. Those with the right genetic pedigree.

o  [19] And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (ESV)

§ But this foreigner has not only the blessing of being well, but the blessing of Salvation. Salvations that should have been for the people of God not going to the nations. How do the nations become the people of God. By faith. Your faith has made you well. Your faith has made you not only cured of leprosy but has made you a part of the new Israel.

§ The Old Israel can go to the Old Priests of the Law, but the new Israel well come to the great high priest of the Gospel Jesus Christ.

· So what are the applications of this text for God’s people.

o First Application: Praise and thanksgiving is the live of the Christian. We should always be thankful and always ready to pray. And If you can make an effort to pray daily we should always pray thanks giving. God could have left us in our Delema. God could have left us dead to sin, but he rescues us and for that we should always be thanking God. Let our liturgies be replead with thanksgiving. The leper returns to Christ with thanksgiving for being healed of leprosy, and we should return with thanksgiving for being healed of Sin and death.

o Second Application: We begin disease much worse than leprosy. Leprosy is the slow decay of your body, sin is the decay of your soul. And we should ask for God’s mercy just like these lepers asks for God’s mercy. For if God does not intervene our souls will continue to decay for eternity this reality called Hell. We need the healing power of God and the first thing we do to receive it is to ask God for mercy.

o Third Application: We thank know that we have healing of our leprosy because God has told us the cure and we use the cure. Faith is the cure. Faith is the means by which we experience the healing power of the Gospel. The nine lepers lived according to the words of the Law that would only ever ask them for obedient living. Washings and ceremonies and ritual clensings. But the Samaritan changed directions and went to the newer, better priest, not with a law, but with a Gospel. And that Gospel meant that his soul was healed.

· Today we are going to approach the great high priest Jesus as well. We are going to set aside the meals of the Law of Leviticus and eat of the meal of Jesus Christ’s Gospel. And the healing power of his Gospel will come into as alongside these elements, cleanse our spiritual leprosy so that we live as the new people of God, made so by faith and not by genetics.