Luke #5 "For Everyone" 3-6-22

Overview

Text: Luke 17:11–19

Topics: Samaritan, Leper, Gratitude

Big Idea of the Message: We are called to see and love everyone.

Application Point: Think of a specific individual whom God is calling you to see, and then act on that calling this week.

Housekeeping

-Today is First Fudd’s!!

-Next Saturday, March 12th is the Men’s Breakfast. Gentlemen, who are you going to invite to the breakfast next Saturday. Doug will be sharing his testimony and challenge for each of us.

Prayer

Intro/Object Lesson

We are in our fifth part of our study in Luke-Halfway thru our Study! Turn your bibles to Luke 17:11-19. As you each are turning there...our prayer and hope is that each of us realize we are called to see and love everyone.

Love the Unseen.

Here’s a good example:

China Miéville’s 2009 award-winning book The City and the City has a bit of a preposterous setting: two city-states that overlap in time and space (placed somewhere in Eastern Europe).

Despite sharing the same space, the residents of each city hate the other so much so that they have developed a way to totally ignore the existence of the other.

The act of “unseeing” the people around them is at the core of this science fiction story

But while this work is fiction, it definitely resonates with our world.

Seriously now, How often do we consciously and unconsciously “unsee” other people: those we disagree with, those we don’t approve of, those we want nothing to do with?

The story in Luke’s Gospel today shows Jesus interacting with two types of people whom Israel tried very hard to unsee.

Another way to approach todays teaching is not just “unseeing” the individual, but to not really “see” the person closest to us.

Try this now.

Close your eyes. that’s right, right where you are, close your eyes. Without saying a word, recall what your spouse is wearing today. If your spouse is not here or you are a single, then recall what both Kerry and I are wearing.

Without opening your eyes, face your spouse and share with them what they are wearing. Wives first, then Husbands.

Once you do, open your eyes and see if you were correct. Single friends, open your eyes and see if you were correct about us.

See, not only do we have a habit of “unseeing” individuals, but we also have a habit of not “seeing” those closest to us. And we’re not just talking the physical attributes, we’re talking about the emotional, mental and spiritual facet of that individual that God has placed in our lives.

Before we read, let me remind each of us that Luke’s Gospel has a lot of stories not found in the other Gospels. Many of these stories emphasize God’s grace and the message of salvation being for all people (Jews and gentiles).

Two such stories found in Luke and not the other Gospels deal with Samaritans.

One is the famous parable of the Good Samaritan, where Jesus challenges his followers to redefine whom they see as their neighbor by making the Samaritan the hero of the story (Luke 10:25–37).

The other is found here, in Luke 17. This Samaritan is a leper.

Both Samaritans and lepers were people Jews tried to “unsee”—lepers because they were considered unholy (Numbers 5:2), and Samaritans because they were hated enemies of the Jews

So now that we have somewhat of a background...

Let’s read Luke 17:11-19 together.

Luke 17:11–19 CSB

11 While traveling to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were cleansed. 15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”

Study Time

This is the third mention of Jesus’ traveling to Jerusalem. His continued journey there, where He would die.

Luke 9:51 CSB

51 When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem.

Luke 13:22 CSB

22 He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem.

Luke 17:11 CSB

11 While traveling to Jerusalem, he passed between Samaria and Galilee.

As Jesus enters a village, he encounters a group of lepers.

Ten to be precise. We must also know that we see in scripture, 2 Kings 7:3 for instance, that lepers so often are found in groups, probably for mutual aid, comfort, and encouragement.

Also notice that the name of the village is not recorded. I personally feel that the name is irrelevant. See, “What Happened”, not “Where it Happened” is important.

As required by the Law, they are keeping their distance.

Leviticus 13:45–46 CSB

45 “The person who has a case of serious skin disease is to have his clothes torn and his hair hanging loose, and he must cover his mouth and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean!’ 46 He will remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He must live alone in a place outside the camp.

However, unlike the required announcement of “Unclean!” they are crying out for Jesus to have mercy

Luke 17:13 CSB

13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

I found this interesting.

Elsewhere, only Jesus’ disciples used this term “Master” (epistata) to address him whereas nondisciples used the term “teacher” (didaskalos)

This title Master was a favorite of Luke and was used only by him in the NT (cf. 8:24, 45; 9:33, 49; 17:13).

Whereas the title “teacher” in Luke was used of Jesus only by strangers,

“Master” was used only by Jesus’ followers and reveals better his authority and might.

The address “Master” Luke suggested they sought more, i.e., healing, from Jesus. Much more than just pity and alms from others.

Another side note, Luke also avoided completely the use of the title “Rabbi” for Jesus.

Jesus responds by healing them (Luke 17:14).

Luke 17:14 CSB

14 When he saw them, he told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were cleansed.

One of the ten healed lepers responds and falls at the feet of Jesus to thank him(v. 16).

Luke 17:15–16 CSB

15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan.

The Samaritan in response to his healing did four things:

-Praised God

-Loud Expression

-Fell Face Down

-Thanked Him

This response is an important detail:

Praise is an importance response to God’s salvation, His Grace and Mercy towards us.

Our loud expression may not just be audible, but also visual of our love and respect towards Christ. Like I’ve stated before, do those around you see Christ in You?

Falling face down before God shows a posture of our heart, of reverence and respect.

See, the distance has been removed between the defiled and the pure. Jesus has taken that away and given us immediate intimacy with God.

And finally, giving thanks. Recognizing the gift and acknowledging the gift giver.

See friends, because of Jesus, this man’s entire life (social, economic, religious) has been completely transformed.

The same is true for all whose faith in Jesus has made them well (whether the healing was physical or spiritual).

Of those 4 actions of the Samaritan, which do you do well and which do you at times lack?

-Praised God

-Loud Expression

-Fell Face Down

-Thanked Him

Jesus seems surprised and perhaps dismayed that only one person out of the ten has come to thank him.

Luke 17:17–18 CSB

17 Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?”

But it is important to see the fullness of God in this moment.

Even though he has given his grace to ten lepers and only one thanks him,

Notice this truth...God doesn’t then condemn the others for their ingratitude or take away their healing.

Just as we are saved by grace alone and not by works, we do not then lose our salvation because of a poor response to God’s grace.

While Jesus doesn’t condemn the others, he does praise the Samaritan (the foreigner) for being grateful (v. 19).

Luke 17:19 CSB

19 And he told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.”

For Luke true faith, which leads to salvation, was intimately connected with glorying God even as it is elsewhere connected with the forgiveness of sins (Luke 5:20),

Luke 5:20 CSB

20 Seeing their faith he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”

entering God’s kingdom

and inheriting eternal life (18:18–30)

Luke 18:18–30 CSB

18 A ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 19 “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “No one is good except God alone. 20 You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery; do not murder; do not steal; do not bear false witness; honor your father and mother.” 21 “I have kept all these from my youth,” he said. 22 When Jesus heard this, he told him, “You still lack one thing: Sell all you have and distribute it to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” 23 After he heard this, he became extremely sad, because he was very rich. 24 Seeing that he became sad, Jesus said, “How hard it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 26 Those who heard this asked, “Then who can be saved?” 27 He replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.” 28 Then Peter said, “Look, we have left what we had and followed you.” 29 So he said to them, “Truly I tell you, there is no one who has left a house, wife or brothers or sisters, parents or children because of the kingdom of God, 30 who will not receive many times more at this time, and eternal life in the age to come.”

Compare the connection between faith and glorifying God in Luke 18:42–43 and in Acts 11:1-18

Turn to Luke 18 and find Acts 11 and place a finger there.

Luke 18:42–43 CSB

42 “Receive your sight,” Jesus told him. “Your faith has saved you.” 43 Instantly he could see, and he began to follow him, glorifying God. All the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God.

Acts 11:1–18 CSB

1 The apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.” 4 Peter began to explain to them step by step, 5 “I was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a trance, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. 6 When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. 7 I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ 8 “ ‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing impure or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’ 10 “Now this happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house. 13 He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 14 He will speak a message to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’ 15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning. 16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ 17 If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?” 18 When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”

What do you see?

Land the Plane

This story in Luke’s Gospel makes us confront two daily practices.

First, whom do you habitually unsee? Is there someone in your life who occupies the same space (perhaps your home, your neighborhood, your job, or even this church) whom you habitually unsee?

Someone who you try your hardest to avoid at all costs?

Or someone whom you have become lazy or complacent with and you do not see the emotional, mental or spiritual heart of them.

Why do you unsee them or apathetically ignore them, and how do those actions line up with the actions of Jesus toward the Samaritans and the lepers?

And if your practices are out of line with those of Jesus, then why do you do them?

Think about that…why do you do them?

The other question has to do with gratitude.

More than a healing story, this is a story about gratitude.

Do you thank God for the blessings he gives, or do you receive them and go about your day without ever stopping to praise him?

These are the two applications we have to wrestle with this week.

Those of the “Unseen” or “Unnoticed” and our heart of Gratitude.

Both equally important and necessary as we continue to walk with Christ.

Remember the questions I emailed out this past week?

-How good are you at seeing others?

-Do people whom you disagree with know that you still love them? How would they answer that question?

-What role does gratitude toward God play in your faith?

-Whom do you feel that God is calling you to “see”?

After this morning, prayerfully go back and take time to answer them again with this new perspective.

Closing Prayer

I found this interesting. ke 15:11-32. A focus on Grace, Love and Mercy.