Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name. - Psalm 100:4
After the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus and the disciples retreated to a Samaritan town near the wilderness called Ephraim to escape those Jews who had determined to kill Him (John 11:54). Following the proposed chronology we’ve been using as the structure for this series, while in this region He met a group of leprous men. This morning’s sermon is called “The 10 Lepers” and is recorded exclusively in the gospel of Luke.
Before we get into the message, I just want to make an observation. This Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year. Isn’t it interesting that today’s passage about the 10 lepers is about being thankful? When I was planning this series, I didn’t have the wisdom or foresight to lay it out this way. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Little things like this, which happen all the time if you pay attention, make me believe in God all the more.
I. AN ENCOUNTER (Luke 17:11-13)
On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee. As He approached the entrance of a village, 10 leprous men stood at a distance to meet Him. They cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Jesus was returning to Jerusalem to observe for the upcoming Passover celebration which was now just a few weeks away. He foreknew that He’d be arrested, tried, and crucified while He was there. Along the way, He encountered 10 leprous men who were standing just outside a village because they were not permitted to enter. I suspect these men were friends with each other, seeing that they weren’t allowed to associate with others, much like the 4 lepers who are mentioned in 2 Kings 7.
The lepers recognized Jesus and called Him by name. They knew who He was, at least in His humanity. They referred to Him as Master, acknowledging His authority and power over physical sicknesses and disease. They believed that He could cure them of their leprosy.
II. A MIRACLE (Luke 17:14)
Seeing them, Jesus instructed the 10 lepers to go show themselves to the priests. They obeyed Jesus’s command and departed. As they were going, the lepers were cleansed of their disease.
According to the Law of Moses, a person with leprosy had to be declared clean by the priest before they could rejoin society (Leviticus 13-14). This requirement was to prevent the spread of the condition throughout the community. Jesus had not yet healed these lepers, yet He instructed them to act as if He had. By way of application, the Bible commands Christians to be holy and righteous, yet our fallen nature makes this impossible to achieve (outside of Christ). Stated another way, we are to live as we will be, not as we currently are.
By faith, the 10 lepers acted in obedience to the Lord’s command. As they went to see the priests they were healed. This story reminds me of Namaan, who Elisha commanded to go wash in the Jordan River in order to be healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5). What would have happened if these 10 lepers (or Namaan) wouldn’t have gone? Would they have been healed anyway? If we want to receive the blessings God has for us, we need to obey His commands.
This was a healing miracle. Jesus simply willed the leprosy to be cleansed as the lepers acted in obedience. It was yet another demonstration of His divine identity as the Son of God.
III. AN EXPRESSION OF THANKS (Luke 17:15-19)
When the lepers saw that they’d been healed, 1 of them turned around, glorifying God, and rushed back to Jesus. He fell at the Lord’s feet and gave Him thanks. This healed leper was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Where are the other 9 men who were healed? Has only this 1 foreigner returned to give glory and thanksgiving to God?” Then Jesus told the Samaritan, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
The Samaritans were a mixed-race group that descended from the surviving Jews of the Northern Kingdom and foreigners who were resettled there by the Assyrians after its fall. After generations of intermarriage, they became a distinct people group. The Samaritans were despised and shunned by the “pure” Jews of Judea, which had formerly been the Southern Kingdom. The Jews went out of their way to avoid the Samaritans, and would even go around the region of Samaria rather than traveling through it.
Jesus met and spoke with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-26). He told a parable about the Good Samaritan who helped a man who’d been beaten and robbed (Luke 10:25-37). I am sure these encounters and stories did not sit well with the Pharisees and Jewish elites. That said, the fact that a Samaritan was the only person who returned to thank Jesus was a further indictment against the Jews.
To be fair, I am sure that all 10 lepers were thankful to be cured of their leprosy. I mean, how could you not be? Yet, only 1 of them actually returned to say thank you. Jesus was clearly disappointed by this. The lesson is that we should express our thankfulness to the Lord. We should not remain silent, lest we appear ungrateful. Praise and glorify Him openly, with thanksgiving, for the wonderful things He has done in your life and the many blessings He has given you. He is worthy!
CONCLUSION
As we close this morning, let us pay attention to the last thing Jesus said to this Samaritan. “Your faith has saved you.” Although all 10 lepers had been physically healed, Jesus’ words imply that the man who returned to give thanks was spiritually healed as well. He was washed not only of his leprosy, but also of his sin. He was declared spiritually clean by the Highest Priest of them all, Jesus Christ.
Beloved, the Bible makes it plain that repentant sinners are not saved by faith exclusively. They are saved by God’s grace, as a result of their faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). That is the picture we see in this story. When the Samaritan expressed His faith, Jesus saved His soul.
There is no greater blessing than salvation. God sent His Son, who was without sin, to take and bear the sin of mankind upon Himself and die on the cross as our substitute. In so doing, He bore the full punishment due to sinners and endured the wrath of Almighty God on their behalf. He paid the price for sin and ransomed mankind from its consequence… death. If you have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness and have been born again, be thankful. Proclaim your thankfulness. Shout it in the streets. Announce it to family, friends, and even strangers. You are a child of God!
In our upcoming message, we will read about another encounter that Jesus had on His way to Jerusalem for the Passover. It will take place in Jericho, the ancient city whose walls fell down flat before the children of Israel in the days of Joshua (Joshua 5). Have a blessed Thanksgiving this week and I will see you next Sunday.
After the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus and the disciples retreated to a Samaritan town near the wilderness called Ephraim to escape those Jews who had determined to kill Him (John 11:54). Following the proposed chronology we’ve been using as the structure for this series, while in this region He met a group of leprous men. This morning’s sermon is called “The 10 Lepers” and is recorded exclusively in the gospel of Luke.
Before we get into the message, I just want to make an observation. This Thursday we celebrate Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday of the year. Isn’t it interesting that today’s passage about the 10 lepers is about being thankful? When I was planning this series, I didn’t have the wisdom or foresight to lay it out this way. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Little things like this, which happen all the time if you pay attention, make me believe in God all the more.
I. AN ENCOUNTER (Luke 17:11-13)
On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through Samaria and Galilee. As He approached the entrance of a village, 10 leprous men stood at a distance to meet Him. They cried out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
Jesus was returning to Jerusalem to observe for the upcoming Passover celebration which was now just a few weeks away. He foreknew that He’d be arrested, tried, and crucified while He was there. Along the way, He encountered 10 leprous men who were standing just outside a village because they were not permitted to enter. I suspect these men were friends with each other, seeing that they weren’t allowed to associate with others, much like the 4 lepers who are mentioned in 2 Kings 7.
The lepers recognized Jesus and called Him by name. They knew who He was, at least in His humanity. They referred to Him as Master, acknowledging His authority and power over physical sicknesses and disease. They believed that He could cure them of their leprosy.
II. A MIRACLE (Luke 17:14)
Seeing them, Jesus instructed the 10 lepers to go show themselves to the priests. They obeyed Jesus’s command and departed. As they were going, the lepers were cleansed of their disease.
According to the Law of Moses, a person with leprosy had to be declared clean by the priest before they could rejoin society (Leviticus 13-14). This requirement was to prevent the spread of the condition throughout the community. Jesus had not yet healed these lepers, yet He instructed them to act as if He had. By way of application, the Bible commands Christians to be holy and righteous, yet our fallen nature makes this impossible to achieve (outside of Christ). Stated another way, we are to live as we will be, not as we currently are.
By faith, the 10 lepers acted in obedience to the Lord’s command. As they went to see the priests they were healed. This story reminds me of Namaan, who Elisha commanded to go wash in the Jordan River in order to be healed of his leprosy (2 Kings 5). What would have happened if these 10 lepers (or Namaan) wouldn’t have gone? Would they have been healed anyway? If we want to receive the blessings God has for us, we need to obey His commands.
This was a healing miracle. Jesus simply willed the leprosy to be cleansed as the lepers acted in obedience. It was yet another demonstration of His divine identity as the Son of God.
III. AN EXPRESSION OF THANKS (Luke 17:15-19)
When the lepers saw that they’d been healed, 1 of them turned around, glorifying God, and rushed back to Jesus. He fell at the Lord’s feet and gave Him thanks. This healed leper was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Where are the other 9 men who were healed? Has only this 1 foreigner returned to give glory and thanksgiving to God?” Then Jesus told the Samaritan, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
The Samaritans were a mixed-race group that descended from the surviving Jews of the Northern Kingdom and foreigners who were resettled there by the Assyrians after its fall. After generations of intermarriage, they became a distinct people group. The Samaritans were despised and shunned by the “pure” Jews of Judea, which had formerly been the Southern Kingdom. The Jews went out of their way to avoid the Samaritans, and would even go around the region of Samaria rather than traveling through it.
Jesus met and spoke with a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:1-26). He told a parable about the Good Samaritan who helped a man who’d been beaten and robbed (Luke 10:25-37). I am sure these encounters and stories did not sit well with the Pharisees and Jewish elites. That said, the fact that a Samaritan was the only person who returned to thank Jesus was a further indictment against the Jews.
To be fair, I am sure that all 10 lepers were thankful to be cured of their leprosy. I mean, how could you not be? Yet, only 1 of them actually returned to say thank you. Jesus was clearly disappointed by this. The lesson is that we should express our thankfulness to the Lord. We should not remain silent, lest we appear ungrateful. Praise and glorify Him openly, with thanksgiving, for the wonderful things He has done in your life and the many blessings He has given you. He is worthy!
CONCLUSION
As we close this morning, let us pay attention to the last thing Jesus said to this Samaritan. “Your faith has saved you.” Although all 10 lepers had been physically healed, Jesus’ words imply that the man who returned to give thanks was spiritually healed as well. He was washed not only of his leprosy, but also of his sin. He was declared spiritually clean by the Highest Priest of them all, Jesus Christ.
Beloved, the Bible makes it plain that repentant sinners are not saved by faith exclusively. They are saved by God’s grace, as a result of their faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). That is the picture we see in this story. When the Samaritan expressed His faith, Jesus saved His soul.
There is no greater blessing than salvation. God sent His Son, who was without sin, to take and bear the sin of mankind upon Himself and die on the cross as our substitute. In so doing, He bore the full punishment due to sinners and endured the wrath of Almighty God on their behalf. He paid the price for sin and ransomed mankind from its consequence… death. If you have trusted in Jesus for forgiveness and have been born again, be thankful. Proclaim your thankfulness. Shout it in the streets. Announce it to family, friends, and even strangers. You are a child of God!
In our upcoming message, we will read about another encounter that Jesus had on His way to Jerusalem for the Passover. It will take place in Jericho, the ancient city whose walls fell down flat before the children of Israel in the days of Joshua (Joshua 5). Have a blessed Thanksgiving this week and I will see you next Sunday.