A Samaritan's Gratitude and Faith

Scripture Reading

Luke 17:11–19 NIV84

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 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Luke 17:11-19

Introduction

What does it mean to truly be transformed by the Gospel?

10 Lepers - Only about gratitude?

Nothing explicit, but plenty implicit.

1. The Place (v.11)

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

On his way to Jerusalem

This is not an unimportant detail in the context of Luke's Gospel

Some time back (Luke 9:51) we saw that Luke recorded Jesus' resolve to head towards Jerusalem

Much has happened since then, but Christ is still resolutely set towards his goal of crucifixion of the sins of His people.

But we see now that he was traveling along a particular path.

Border btw. Samaria / Galilee

We must keep in mind that Galilee was the place where Jesus ministered extensively.

Samaria was the dwelling place of the Samaritan people....

The Samaritans were essentially despised in the eyes of the Jews

They were seen as half-breeds

They were Jews that had inter-married with other people, and this caused the ethnic Jews to look down upon them with disdain and scorn.

One of the things that we see with Jesus (and with Luke's Gospel in particular) is that Jesus interacts with these people that in general were despised or rejected by God's people.

That truth is certainly heavily weighted in this present instance....

Luke 9:51-54... The Samaritans had rejected Jesus.

2. The Unclean (vv.12-13)

12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance

Going into a village.

We are not told which village this was particularly

It may have been on the side of Galilee or Samaria

What we do know is that there were lepers there... and they were of mixed ethnicity.

Both Samaritans and Galileans present.

Ten men with Leprosy

Luke shows that 10 men approached Jesus, or at least stood in the path in which he was travelling

Leprosy...

A terrible skin condition that affected a person.

We know well that there was no cure for a person that was suffering from a leprous infection.

Furthermore, due to the fact that it could spread, these men would need to separate themselves from society entirely.

Leviticus 13:45–46 (NASB95)

45 “As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’

46 “He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

They would need to live outside of the camp of the Israelites, outside of the community.

They would not be able to participate in the worship of God or the feasts at the temple.

As such, they were considered to be among the worst of the outcasts of society.

Leprosy often pointed to God's Judgment

Miriam (Numbers 12)

King Uzziah (2 Chron.26)

Ten of them approached

These ten men have heard of Jesus

They have heard that He can cure.

They've heard of the healings that he has performed elsewhere.

They are those desperate for help.

Notice that they stood at a distance.

They knew that they couldn't approach because they were unclean.

They felt the weight of what it meant to be an outcast, unloved, uncared for...

They would have to cry out "Unclean, unclean..." if they had leprosy...

Notice that these men group together.

This is not uncommon

Notice also - Stayed NEAR the city. (Charity)

13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

Called out...

As they stand far off, the cry out to Jesus at the top of their voice.

Loud Voice

Their voice is raised up.

This is a cry of desperation

They must have God hear them.

Jesus

They call out to Jesus as the master...

Jesus, the name meaning "God saves..."

He was called this because He saves his people from their sins...

But here, the men would have cried out to him in order to save from an affliction.

At least to some extent, they believed that he would be able to save them... that's the reason for calling out.

Master

This is a different name, in addition to calling out to Jesus, the one who saves.

It is a declaration of Jesus' authority.

"Master" is the one under whom we submit.

They recognized that Christ had a power and authority under which they were to submit

They confessed, at least in this present instance, that they had no hope

Have pity on us!

This is a cry of desperation.

When all other hope has failed, they turn to the One that they've heard has healed and raised from the dead.

We must note that this is the cry of any person that has come to recognise their sinfulness and helplessness before a holy God.

A little later in Luke 18 we find the tax collector calling out to God, "Have mercy on me, a sinner..."

Now, I'm not convinced that all ten of these lepers were calling out as a consequence of their recognition of sin... they were predominantly calling out for mercy in light of their physical suffering.

Nonetheless, there is a picture here of calling out in suffering that has relevance to us all!

3. The Cleansing (v.14)

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”

Christ notices and responds

Show yourself to the priests

Keep in mind the passage we read from Lev.14

Plural "Priests" - different ethnicities.

Only when a person was cleansed could they actually go and present themselves to the priest.

Priests were merely inspectors

At this point - they are still unclean

This is a test of faith and obedience

This would entail entering into the city, to the place where the priest was, in order to be examined.

Any attempt to do so without cleansing would lead to consequences for them.

As Christ calls them to do this, he is clearly implicating that they will be cleansed

...And as they went, they were cleansed.

This is interesting.... they had to turn and go...

In one sense, here was at least a measure of faith being exercised in what Christ had commanded.

But we see also that as they go on their way, they were cleansed.

Imagine the joy. Just thinking about these healings is amazing

In this past week, I've had discussions and encounters with a variety of people that struggle or have struggled with various conditions or difficult situations.

They wear a person down, they lead to despondency and sometimes a sense of hopelessness..

That's where these men were, but Christ healed them miraculously.

NB! Listen to the Word of God... simple obedience, even when simplistic is important.

4. The Response (vv.15-16)

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.

The awareness

All of these men, as they went along the way, would have come to a point of noticing their healing.

They most likely would have noticed the healing in the other 9 that they were with.

In that moment, they would no doubt have been filled with an overwhelming sense of emotion.

But the response is an important indicator of the heart of the men.

One of them responds very differently to the rest.

Note the word used by Luke... Different to them being "cleansed" (v.14)

This is Luke’s common word used for spiritual insight. He had eyes to see and ears to hear. This one leper who was cured was also called. His eyes were opened to who Jesus is.

Turning around

One of them, says our text, "CAME BACK..."

Now, it is very possible that all ten of them continued to the priest in order to be declared clean.

But only one man returns

In some way, he has a deeper appreciation of what Jesus has done.

He knows that this healing power has affected him, but it has moved beyond the joy of healing.

He has reflected upon and been moved by the act of kindness and mercy shown.

There is no sense of self-entitlement, or feeling that he deserved.

Keep in mind the preceding account of the servant that should not expect to be waited on, but should say, he's only done his duty.

Praising God

This is the response of the man whose heart is transformed.

Praise is given to God...

Here is a man worshiping God, acknowledging that what has happened to him is a consequence of the work of God.

A response of worship flows out of his thankfulness for mercies shown.

Compare Also John 4:19-21 - Samaritan Woman

16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Humility

Throwing himself down at the feet of Jesus is once again an act of worship.

It is a response of humility.

There is no pride in this man, only a deep sense of gratitude.

His life has been transformed, he recognises that this is a work by Christ, and he now throws himself down at the feet of Jesus.

Keep in mind, all 10 had cried out to Jesus as "Master" before he healed them.

Only 1 is coming to him in humility.

In other words, only one of them was truly looking to Christ as Master, irrespective of life's circumstances.

9 of them were prepared to acknowledge Christ as master when they needed something, when they needed help.

When life's circumstances changed, they no longer submitted to Jesus as master.

Posture of worship...

Compare this with Cornelius bowing to Peter (Acts 10:25-26)

Gratitude

This is another important mark of this man's life.

He thanked Jesus for the work that He had done.

There was gratitude in this man's life that overflowed out of his prior desperation, and then a recognition that this condition was changed because of what Christ had done.

Our salvation is always a far greater deliverance than what deliverance from leprosy is... or any other condition for that matter.

We just don't see the spiritual condition of our souls as clearly perhaps as a physical ailment.

Nonetheless, if we truly look to the Scriptures to teach us the condition of our hearts in their natural state, and then reflect upon the manifold grace of God towards us as unworthy people, it must lead us to thankfulness.

Sometimes the most desperate situations for us are the most helpful situations.

The more desperate our situation, the more we recognise our need of God's grace, and the more we appreciate that grace when it is received.

Outcast

We must then take particular note of the inclusion of that phrase.... "And he was a Samaritan."

This man was an utter outcast in the eyes of the Jewish people.

So, firstly, the people that would have witnessed the healing would have known that this man was an outcast.

The Jewish people that witnessed the healing would have been somewhat taken aback, possibly even shocked, that this man was healed in the manner he was.

Why would Jesus have brought healing to a man that was not part of the people of God?

Perhaps this would have even contributed to a sense of rejection by the Jewish people.

In addition, think about the non-Jews that would read this - particularly in that early day.

Jewish people were far better placed to respond with thankfulness...

Psalm 147:20 (NASB95)

20 He has not dealt thus with any nation; And as for His ordinances, they have not known them. Praise the LORD!

Amos 3:2 (NASB95)

2 “You only have I chosen among all the families of the earth; Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities.”

Also - Isaiah 5:1-4 - Vineyard of God

Notice... the Samaritan thanked a Jew. This was also unheard of.

What is the point? We see these references through the Lukan Gospel account.

Luke is conveying the reality that Christ is slowly establishing a broader community.

5. The Blessing (vv.17-19)

Three Important Questions are asked…

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?

We must note that all 10 were cleansed!!!

It certainly was not a matter of only 1 being cleansed.

However, only one is thanking Jesus.

So, where were the other nine?

In all likelihood, after having gone to the priest, they had simply gotten on with life.

They had gone home to their families...

They'd enjoyed the privileges of being integrated back into society.

But perhaps they had come up with various reasons / excuses for what had happened to them.

Some examples?

One waited to see if the cure was real.

One waited to see if it would last.

One said he would see Jesus later.

One decided that he had never had leprosy.

One said he would have gotten well anyway.

One gave the glory to the priests.

One said, “O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything.”

One said, “Any rabbi could have done it.”

One said, “I was already getting better anyway.”

Third important question

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

This was a statement indicting those who claimed to love God.

Of all the people that should have returned with thankfulness, should it not have been the people who claimed to love God.

Keep in mind - this is a genuine account. This is not a parable.

Jesus genuinely healed these ten lepers.

Only the one that in a sense was an outcast returned to give thanks.

‘foreign’, is used of non-Jews in the LXX and on the well-known ‘keep out’ signs on the inner barrier in the temple.

Marshall, I. H. (1978)

We need the reminder of this - perhaps those we would look down upon have their heart in a better place than we do.

It is not how much light we have received that is the most important, but what we have done with the light we received. In the present case the Samaritan, though less enlightened than the Jews, used what he received to better advantage.

(Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J.)

5.3. A Richer Blessing

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

Now, we need to think through what's happening here.

Keep in mind that all of the 10 lepers were healed.

In one sense or another, all of them had exercised some measure of faith... in that they had left Jesus and headed towards the priests in order to be inspected.

They all had some kind / measure of faith.

So what does Jesus mean in this verse when he speaks about the faith of the man making him well?

Important - Relationship to Jesus!

The story does not necessarily imply that the other nine lacked faith; the point is rather that their faith was incomplete because it did not issue in gratitude.

Marshall, I. H. (1978).

Saving Faith leads to glorifying God

Luke 18:42–43 (NASB95)

42 And Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.”

43 Immediately he regained his sight and began following Him, glorifying God; and when all the people saw it, they gave praise to God.

Acts 11:14, 18 (NASB95)

14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.”

Application / conclusion

1. Recognize Christ's Worthiness

2. Be Certain of Your Salvation

Thankfulness is an evidence of saving faith received

The whole structure of true religion can be subsumed under three headings, three ‘G’s, Guilt, Grace and Gratitude.

3. Banish Pride From Your Life

J.C Ryle - The lesson before us is humbling, heart-searching and deeply instructive. The best of us are far too like the nine lepers. We are more ready to pray than to praise, and more disposed to ask God for what we have not than thank Him for what we have.