Abundance of Life

Luke 17:11–19 NIV

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

The last several weeks, Pastor Lynne has led us through a sermon series on gratitude.

Two Sunday’s ago she encouraged us to find 55 points for gratitude.

I hope you’ve taken her up on the challenge.

I’m not sure I hit the magic 55, but I at least got closer than my normal.

If you did, you probably experienced the wellness of faith Jesus references in today’s lesson.

Wellness

Luke 17:17–19 NIV

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

All ten lepers cleansed.

Only one was made well.

What is wellness in the eyes of Jesus?

Though preferable to illness, physical health isn’t wellness.

All 10 lepers had that after they were cleansed.

Financial goals are great, but they aren’t wellness.

Matthew 6:19 NIV

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.

Earthly relationships are important, but they don’t lead to wellness.

Matthew 10:37 NIV

37 “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Wellness Is Faith

What is wellness?

Jesus spells it out clearly in verse 19.

Luke 17:19 NIV

19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Wellness is faith, and the faith of this leper is nothing, if not grateful.

There’s something about gratitude that does truly make us well.

In this way, I think the Westminster Catechism gets it right.

Question One: What is the chief end of man?

Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him for ever.

Ladies, you’re included.

When we express gratitude to God, we have everything because that IS what we were made to do.

It’s our chief end.

When we fail to orient glory toward God, we may have every earthly blessing, but we really aren’t well.

Think of David’s psalm of praise in Psalm 145

Psalm 145:1–3 NIV

1 I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever. 2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

I remind you, that David didn’t have it all smooth sailing.

Often he was surrounded by enemies who were trying to kill him and overtake Israel’s Kingdom.

He made some great decisions.

He made some terrible decisions.

He was a conqueror of lands and a slayer of giants.

He was an adulterer and murderer

As a king, he had the same choice as the leper.

Grumble, or express gratitude.

I’m sure on some days he grumbled.

On the day he wrote Psalm 145 he didn’t.

I think David knew that...a heart of gratitude is a heart that’s well.

Additionally, God makes faith, grounded in gratitude, available to all.

Background and status don’t matter.

In our lesson, the man who returned was not only a leper.

He was a SAMARITAN leper.

Samaritans were considered beneath the established religious classes of the day.

Maybe the world looked down on him the rest of his life, but it couldn’t stop him from faith that made him well.

It was put this way on a website I frequent...

The author referenced Mark 5, where Jesus declares to a woman who has bled for 12 years that her faith has made her well.

Faith makes people whole. Not just in body, that would be too small for something as wonderful as faith. After all, this precious woman, though healed of her physical ailment, eventually faced what we all face – our own mortality. She died physically. But her faith made her “well.” Her faith meant that even with mortality, she was complete, whole, healthy in body and soul. This is what faith, true faith, does to a person. It makes that person truly whole, well.

True faith…

I used to dislike that phrase because it seemed to me to be a test.

Like it becomes a comparison game.

You ever met a one-upper?

Anytime you tell a story, the one-upper has a better story.

That’s what true faith sounded like...

You think you’ve got faith…that ain’t nothin’...

If that’s true faith, no thanks.

True faith in the context of these passages, though, I can work with.

True faith that leads a Samaritan leper to return to Jesus out of gratitude.

True faith that leads the bleeding woman to express trust and gratitude.

True faith that leads a Roman centurion to seek Jesus with faith grounded in gratitude.

True faith that leads fishermen to drop everything and follow Jesus.

Conclusion

Did you get to 55 expressions of gratitude?

I didn’t, but I have good news.

You get an endless number of opportunities.

Fortunately, as we see in today’s lesson, it only takes one expression.

So, whether it’s one sincere expression, 55, or 5000, here this...

The moment you sincerely thank God for all He provides...

...Your faith has made you well.