The Thankful Leper

Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" So when He saw them, He said to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" And He said to him, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:11–19)

When ten were healed but only one returned, Jesus took note of who came back to give thanks.

A Vibrant Church Can Become Ruins

I'm glad to be back here in the States. My oldest son Ethan and I, along with a group of about 25 others from this church and Calvary Nexus in Camarillo, traveled around southwestern Turkey and visited the seven churches of Asia. In Revelation chapters two and three, Jesus wrote seven letters to seven churches, and all of those churches existed in what is now modern Turkey.

One of the most striking things we saw is that they are all in ruin — Roman columns, capitals, and great stones from buildings in places that once thrived but now do not. That part of the world was one of the most important strongholds of the Christian faith for nearly 1,500 years. All seven of the first church councils in the first thousand years happened there: Nicaea, Constantinople, Ephesus, Chalcedon. When Paul wrote to Galatia, Ephesus, and Colossae, he was writing to what is modern-day Turkey.

For roughly fourteen centuries it was a predominantly Christian nation, shaping what we hold to be theologically sound and true today. The Nicene Creed came out of Turkey. That continued until 1453, when the Ottoman Turks destroyed Christianity in that region. Constantinople became Istanbul. Today less than 2% of Turkey identifies as non-Muslim, and only a small fraction of that is Christian. 98.3% of Turkey is Muslim, with 3,300 mosques in Istanbul, many of them churches converted in the 1480s. Five times a day you hear the Muslim call to prayer.

Pray the Lord of the Harvest

People asked if it was safe. We had no issues and met lovely, hospitable people. But as we drove past so many who live in that region, it became very apparent how much they need Jesus, and what a reminder it is that a vibrant church in one generation can be ruins in the next.

Jesus said, "I will build My church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it." We know that when He returns He will find a church. But alongside the sovereignty of God is our responsibility to maintain the mission of making disciples of all nations. Those great seven churches in Asia don't exist anymore; in large part they failed to fulfill the mission God had called them to.

As we drove, I kept silently praying, "Lord, would You raise up laborers to go into the harvest." That's exactly what Jesus told us to pray — pray the Lord of the harvest that He would send forth laborers. I hope you would pray with me toward that end, that God would raise up missionaries from our church or churches we're connected to. Paul was one of the first missionaries to Turkey two thousand years ago. May we see God raise up more to do the same in our day, because a lot of people there need Jesus in a big way.

These Things Actually Happened

I love this passage, and it's not unfamiliar to us; we've looked at it before. Even the opening words are important: "Now it happened." These events recorded by Luke actually happened. Research shows most readers in our nation read fiction, and as a result we tend to think of things as fictitious. But these things are not. Luke interviewed eyewitnesses of Jesus's life and ministry and put them together for us in his Gospel and in Acts.

The awesome thing is that the life and ministry of Jesus continues to impact people's lives today. Many of you here are a testimony of that. You have a story of the impact of Jesus in your life — and just as this account of the Samaritan leper is gospel for us to read, your life becomes a gospel story too.

Sometimes we get tripped up: what am I going to share with that neighbor, coworker, or family member? It's important to know the specifics — that Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He rose again the third day, that He was seen by witnesses. We should be able to share that. But we should never neglect that the way Jesus has impacted you is itself a gospel story.

A Thanksgiving Challenge

This week, as you gather with family — some of whom may not be Christians — take some time today, Monday through Wednesday, to think: how has the life of Jesus impacted me this year? This has a twofold outcome.

First, it produces gratitude, which is exactly what this week is about. We live in a culture that now thinks Thanksgiving is about turkey, college football, and starting the Christmas shopping season — Walmart kicks it off like clockwork at 8 o'clock Thursday night. But it's about giving thanks, and we often fail to do just that. Set aside five minutes, maybe a lunch break, and consider the specific ways Jesus has impacted your life in 2018. It may stir you to greater gratitude.

Second, it helps you proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Peter wrote, "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood... His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). That would be a great thing to do on Thursday — simply share how Jesus has impacted your life.

Jesus Was Never Too Busy

As Jesus went to Jerusalem, it's clear from the Gospels that He knew He was on a mission. John tells us He knew His hour. At His first miracle in Cana, He told His mother, "My hour has not yet come"; later He said, "My hour has come." He knew exactly the timeframe and mission He was on, and nothing would deter Him.

Yet here's the awesome thing: He was never too busy to meet the needs of those who came to Him. That's both instructive and encouraging. When I ask people how they're doing, the most common answer is "busy." We can feel so busy that we miss the things God wants us to do for His kingdom, and we even justify it: "Lord, don't You know how busy I am?"

Remember Mary and Martha. Martha was busy and went to Jesus passive-aggressively — "Tell my sister to help me." Jesus didn't; He told Martha, "She has chosen the better part, and you are worried about many things." I find myself more in Martha mode than Mary mode. But Jesus never overlooked the needs of those seeking Him out. When you come to Jesus, His door is never closed with a sign that says, "I don't have time." Hebrews says we can come boldly before His throne of grace to obtain mercy and grace in our time of need.

The Avoided and the Overlooked

So He entered a certain village, and ten men who were lepers met Him, standing afar off. We're not told which village — somewhere between Galilee and Jerusalem, perhaps Samaria. Between Galilee in the north and Jerusalem in the south lay Samaria, where the Samaritans lived. They were connected ethnically to the Jewish people but were hated by them, and Jews often skirted that region — kind of like I try to go around LA when driving to Santa Barbara because of the traffic.

Leprosy in the first century was a terrible disease and effectively a death sentence. They didn't understand how it was transmitted or how to treat it. The best they could do was move sufferers outside of society. A leper could not go into the city, the marketplace, the synagogue, or the temple. He was cut off from family and could only be with other unclean people. If he came near a clean person, he had to cover his face and cry out, "Unclean! Unclean!"

So these were the overlooked and avoided of society. But Jesus doesn't miss them or avoid them. In one of the most striking pictures in the Gospels, He reaches out His hand and touches a leper — which no one would do. That's instructive, because there are people we tend to overlook or avoid, and those are often the very people Jesus wants to reach through us. And it's encouraging, because some of you have felt like the avoided, overlooked outcast — but Jesus did not avoid or overlook you.

A Prayer of Faith

They stood afar off and cried with loud voices, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" The first point: those who are hopeless are unashamed to cry out after Jesus. We live in a culture that highly values self-sufficiency and looks down on people in need, so we feel we can't possibly ask for help. But these men knew they were totally helpless and hopeless, and so were absolutely unashamed to cry out.

Their cry is a prayer of faith with three components. They acknowledge His person — "Jesus." They acknowledge His position — "Master," literally Lord. And they acknowledge His power — "have mercy on us." Without realizing it, they prayed according to the pattern of the Lord's Prayer: Father (His person), hallowed be Your name (His position), give us this day our daily bread and forgive us (His power).

James, the half-brother of Jesus, wrote that "the prayer of faith will save the sick" (James 5:15). These men offered that prayer without holding back. They called out with abandon, and Jesus loves to hear the prayer of faith. When we are self-sufficient and "dignified," we feel we can't call out for help. But they were hopeless, helpless, and in need of Jesus.

Faith That Obeys

When Jesus saw them, He said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." Point two: Jesus sees and answers those who call to Him in faith — both then and now. Perhaps they had heard rumors of other lepers Jesus had healed, and trusting He could help, they called out.

Why did Jesus send them to the priests? In Leviticus 14, instruction is given to the priests concerning leprosy. The priests diagnosed whether a person had it; if so, the person was immediately separated and outcast. But they also recognized that if someone was ever healed of leprosy, that was a divine act — from God. Healings from leprosy are rare in Scripture; we read of Naaman the Syrian, but few others until the time of Jesus. So whenever Jesus healed a leper, He sent him to the priest, who would have to ask how it happened. The leper would say, "There's this man named Jesus — He healed me," and the priest would have to acknowledge the power of Jesus and receive an offering of thanksgiving as Moses prescribed.

These ten had enough faith to call upon Jesus and enough faith to follow His command. Point three: faith in Jesus must produce obedience to Jesus. The amazing thing is that "as they went, they were cleansed." As they obeyed, they were healed.

We are saved by grace through faith, not of works, lest anyone should boast (Ephesians 2:8–9). But as we trust in Jesus, it changes the way we live — that change is repentance. You're not saved by obedience, but obedience and good works indicate that you actually trust Him. It's like the man who jumps out of the plane: the act proves he believes the parachute on his back. James said, "Faith without works is dead." Jesus asked, "Why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do the things which I say?" (Luke 6:46). These men called Him Master, and their obedience proved they believed Him to be Lord.

Only One Returned

"And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan." All ten had faith to call out. All ten obeyed His command. But only one returned to praise Him — just one in ten.

Charles Spurgeon, sometimes called the prince of preachers, said the number of those who pray is greater than the number of those who praise. We know that's true. When polled by Gallup, Pew, or Barna, the vast majority of Americans say they pray. They may not address their prayers to Jesus or to the Father; some pray to "the universe" or "the cosmos." But over 80% of Americans pray — and yet how small is the percentage that praises? Spurgeon also said we should chide ourselves that we offer so much more prayer than praise.

In this passage, ten lepers trusted Jesus for healing, ten followed the religious ritual, ten said with their words that they trusted Him, ten received a healing. But only one returned to praise — and he was the foreigner, the non-religious outcast of the group. The religious men did the religious thing; the outcast did the pious thing, falling at Jesus's feet to give praise.

God Acknowledges Gratitude and Ingratitude

Jesus answered, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?" Point four: God acknowledges both gratitude and ingratitude — and the fact that He acknowledges ingratitude is frightening. Malachi 3 says God keeps a record of those who speak praises of His name. He acknowledges when we praise Him, and He acknowledges when we don't. In Romans 1, one of the hallmarks of unbelievers is that "neither were they thankful." Gratitude and praise are an indication of true faith.

This is challenging. We may go to church, give, serve, perform religious rituals, and pray — but the question is whether our lives are characterized by gratitude and praise for God. If they're not, perhaps Jesus keeps record, as He did here.

Every week we gather to sing songs of praise. God has called us to this: "that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9). This once-leprous Samaritan humbly praises Jesus, laying at His feet in total, abandoned humility for the glories of His grace.

Wholeness for Those Who Praise

Jesus responded, "Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well." But here's the interesting thing — this man is already healed. Yet Jesus seems to give him an additional blessing, something greater than physical healing. A clue is in the King James Version: "Your faith hath made thee whole." Not merely healed, but whole. This man trusted Jesus for healing, obeyed His command, returned to offer praise, and in his praise received a greater wholeness. Point five: Jesus brings wholeness to those who praise the glory of His grace.

So don't miss the blessing God has for you — not just in church attendance, not in religious ritual, not even just in trusting Jesus, but in praising the glories of His grace. Some of you don't have the best voice; some wives are nudging your husbands right now. But Scripture doesn't say offer a good-sounding praise song — it says make a joyful noise.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, people cried, "Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!" The religious leaders told Him to silence them. Jesus said, "If they keep silent, the rocks will cry out." I don't know what rocks would sound like, but your voice is probably better than that. We need to make a joyful noise.

In a few minutes we'll stand and sing the praises of Jesus loudly. I'm convinced that as you become more comfortable singing His praises in the gathering of the saints, it becomes easier to share His praises outside in the world. Do you feel embarrassed to share your faith? It starts with singing the praises of Jesus among the saints; the more comfortable you become there, the more comfortable you'll be in your community. The early disciples in Acts 2 might have wanted to keep things quiet, but Jesus pushed them into the public, even into other tongues. As we do, Jesus brings a greater blessing of wholeness to our lives.

Why We Give Thanks

There's a remarkable amount of peer-reviewed scientific research showing how gratitude increases the experience of happiness. We live in a culture full of people pursuing happiness and wondering why they aren't happy — because they aren't thankful and haven't considered how blessed they are. If you sat down and considered your blessings, you might realize how happy you are.

Why do we give thanks? Six quick thoughts: first, it acknowledges God's greatness. Second, it testifies of God's goodness. Third, it glorifies God's grace. Fourth, it amplifies God's glory. Fifth, it exalts God's throne. And sixth, it invites God's blessing. So this week, take some time to consider how the life of Jesus has impacted you this year. It will stir you to thankfulness and remind you to proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Closing Prayer

Jesus, in talking about gratitude and thanksgiving, I want to publicly thank You today. Through the Apostle Paul You said You desire that we lift up holy hands and give thanks. So we stand in Your presence, Lord, and give thanks for Your grace. None of us would be here receiving Your salvation if it weren't for Your grace; none of us deserve it. You have freely given us Your grace and mercy, and we praise You.

Lord, we live in such a beautiful place, and sometimes we forget that until we go somewhere cold and rainy and remember how blessed we are. Thank You. I thank You for my wife, my kids, my family, and this church. You've blessed us greatly. Stir us, Lord, to proclaim Your praises in gratitude and song, and also to proclaim them to our neighbors, coworkers, friends, and family who have yet to know the glories of Your grace. It is so evident in the Scriptures that our joy increases as we proclaim Your praises. So may we be a joyful church that makes a joyful noise for Your name's sake. In Jesus' name we pray, and all God's people said, Amen.