An Act of Thanksgiving - Luke 17

 

An Act of Thanksgiving - Luke17:11

Introduction

 A woman leaving the worship service said to the minister, "I enjoyed the sermon."

"Don't thank me. Thank the Lord," said the minister. "Well, It wasn't that good," the lady replied. - Robert S. Smith, Kane, Pennsylvania, Christian Reader, "Lite Fare."

A mother picked up her 5-year-old after a schoolmate’s birthday party. As he got in the car she asked, "Bobby, did you thank Paula’s mother for inviting you to the party?"

   "Well, I was going to. But a girl ahead of me said, 'Thank you,' and the Paula’s mom told her not to mention it. So I didn't."

   A man writing at the post office desk was approached by an older fellow who had a post card in his hand. The old man said, "Sir, could you please address this post card for me?" The man gladly did so, and he agreed to write a short message on the post card, and he even signed it for the man, too.

Finally the man doing the writing said to the older man, "Now, is there anything else I can do for you?" The old fellow thought about it for a minute, and he said, "Yes, at the end could you just put, 'P.S. Please excuse the sloppy handwriting.'"

It is easy to recognize the ingratitude in these stories, and its easy to recognize ingratitude in others, but sometimes it’s hard to recognize ingratitude when its in me. The Bible is our soul’s mirror, and it gives us insight that lets us see that the Lord very definitely recognizes ingratitude and responds to thanksgiving. Turn to Luke 17 verse 11.

Lifting Voices - Luke 17:11-12

Unclean Lepers

They were stricken with leprosy, a disease, that made them outcast from society.

Leprosy was a terrible disfiguring disease that in its latter stages caused fingers and toes to drop off and the flesh to rot while the person was still alive.

Those with it were abhorrent to those who did not have the disease.

The lepers call out to Jesus for mercy. Luke 17:13 Master, have mercy on us. The word used for master here is not the word that we think of in terms of Lord, teacher or Rabbi. This word, ἐπιστάτης, epistatēs, means commander, one appointed over a task, or people or in this case disease. These lepers believed that Jesus as Messiah had command over disease, that what they read in the Old Testament about the Messiah healing their sicknesses was true. They had probably heard as all of Israel by this time had heard, of the miracles of Jesus, the Messiah. They knew if they cried out to Him in their helplessness, in their hopelessness that Jesus could heal them. He had been appointed commander of even an illness as deadly as leprosy.

Jesus hears their cry for mercy and the master of all things in heaven and in earth acts on their behalf. He shows them mercy, but not in the way we have seen before. As always, Jesus is also the master of the unexpected. He doesn’t touch their necrotizing bodies. He doesn’t anoint them with clay and spittle. He doesn’t ask them if they believe in Him. No, instead He calls back to them, Luke 17:14 “Go shew yourselves unto the priests.” This was the procedure from the Law of Moses, if a leper believed they were no longer leprous, before they were allowed to return to their families and society, a priest must pronounce them clean.

When they heard Jesus commandment, they knew, it was His promise of healing and even before they saw any proof they headed for the Temple. And Luke tells us what happened, Luke 17:14 it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

They went in faith as Jesus commanded as they obeyed there were healed. Cleaned of the death sentence written in scars and wounds and lesions, on their very bodies. The leprosy was cleansed as they stepped out in faith.

Unclean Sinners

In our natural state, we are as unclean inside as the lepers were on the outside. The Bible often uses disease, like leprosy, as a symbol of sin. Though our body may not show a death sentence, our soul does. It’s not just lepers that are far off and need mercy from the Lord. That is true of all of us in our natural state.

Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Romans 3:10-12 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

And another truth that we all share with the unclean lepers is that if we will lift up our voices and call out to the Lord, He will hear and He will heal or soul’s diseases. Like the lepers in Luke and Isaiah’s statement we are all clothed in filthy rags, our best intentions, our best acts, our greatest goodness is stained, torn and reeks of sin. Sin has marred us, maimed us and marked us as those who are spiritually the walking dead.

Illustration: Filthy Garments Changed

Look at this vision that the prophet Zechariah saw in Zechariah 3:1-4 And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to resist him. 2 And the LORD said unto Satan, The LORD rebuke thee, O Satan; even the LORD that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

In the vision Joshua the High priest of Israel after the return from Captivity, is a symbol for the nation Israel that one day will be cleansed by God’s mercy. And isn’t it also a picture for us. We stand in our filthy garments stained by sin. Satan stands by to resist the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ, and the Lord says, “I rebuke thee, Satan. My shed blood has washed them clean and they have been given new garments. Robes, white as snow, washed in the blood of the lamb!”

The only way we can find mercy.

The only way we can be made clean and whole it to do as the lepers did that day, “Master, have mercy on me!”

We must believe that He is able and we must believe that He is willing to forgive and cleanse. And that is exactly what His word says, Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.”

We must cry out in repentance, seeing our filthiness and then step out in faith to receive our salvation. When you take the first step, you will find His salvation.

Remember the lepers outside the gate of Samaria when the city was under seige. They couldn't go in for they were lepers and they couldn't leave because the enemy was camped outside the city. Finally, one to the leper asked the others, "Why sit we here till we die?" They quit sitting and walked into the camp of the enemy and God did a miracle.

Today, many are doing just that, sitting there until they die, both physically and spiritually.  Just sitting while the leprosy of sin eats away at their soul, heart and life. Just sitting while the leprosy of sin scars and disfigures their spirit. Just sitting there until they die, both physically and eternally. Don’t wait, don’t let the leprosy of sin claim another day of your life. Call out and step out, Salvation comes after that first call of repentance and step of faith.

Usually, the stories of healings stop right about here. What greater climax of a story could there be? As they walked as Jesus had commanded them, they were healed. Amazing, as all the miracles of Jesus were and are. Yet, this story doesn’t end with us watching the joyous lepers leaping and running toward the Temple. Look at vs. 15

  Loudly Glorifying - Luke 17:15-16

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

One of Ten

Now we come to the real reason Luke included this story of healing. Many lepers, blind, deaf, mute, lame have been healed by this the third year of Jesus earthly ministry. If they came to Jesus and sometimes even if they didn’t come to Him, He healed them.

Jesus’ healing of disease fulfilled Old Testament prophecy and showed the Jesus was the anointed One of God, He was the Messiah for “no other man ever did miracles like these.”

Matthew 12:22-24 Then was brought unto him one possessed with a devil, blind, and dumb: and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David.

But Luke’s purpose in telling us of this healing isn’t about another miracle or about the Pharisees’ rejection of the One they knew was the true Messiah. His purpose begins with this one who come back, this one Samaritan who falls at the feet of Jesus and gives glory to God in a loud voice of thanksgiving.

Only one came back, only one fell at Jesus feet and said thank you for cleansing me. All ten were healed but only this Samaritan came back to glorify God with his thanksgiving.

Isn’t it interesting or perhaps, revealing that these 10 lepers had faith enough to be healed but 9 of them lacked the gratitude needed to come back and give thanks to the One who had returned their lives.

One commentator I read said, “Gratitude is even rarer than faith.” – Wycliffe Bible Commentary. That is astute, not to mention convicting.

The Tithe of Thanksgiving

So I need to tell you that this sermon is actually about tithing. I know you just thought we were going to talk about thanksgiving, get a good meal and go home.  Now that we got you in here, its time to get down to the nitty-gritty.

Actually, the verses in Luke 17 are about a tithe. We often talk of giving a tithe but I doubt most of us have thought about being a tithe, but that is what the Samaritan leper was on this day. He was a tithe of thanksgiving, one out of ten, who came back and gave thanks to the Lord.

If you are a Christian, a child of God, a citizen of heaven, then you have put your faith in Jesus who died for you. You have called out for mercy and like these lepers you were saved. Yet, I wonder as I read God’s word here, if my faith too often stops at salvation and does not always continue on to full thanksgiving.

I have to also ask myself as I think of this story, "Would I have been in the 9 that went on or world I have been that tithe of thanksgiving that came back and fell at Jesus feet.  

The Bible makes it very clear that thanksgiving is worship, sacrifice and service to God

Psalms 69:30  30 I will praise the name of God with a song,
and will magnify him with thanksgiving.

Psalms 95:2 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving,
and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalms 107:22 22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving,
and declare his works with rejoicing.

Life without thankfulness is devoid of love and passion. Hope without thankfulness is lacking in fine perception. Faith without thankfulness lacks strength and fortitude. Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road. - John Henry Jowett (1864-1923)

Paul succinctly states the Christian ideal life in Colossians 2:6-7 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

Paul is saying that thanksgiving is the capstone of the Christian life, we should abound in thanksgiving, I want to be that tithe of thanksgiving and I want my thanksgiving to be modeled after this Samaritan leper. Who didn’t care what the rest of his companions were doing, where they were going or what they were thinking, He returned to the One who had given him new life and fell at His feet thanksgiving that glorified God. Is there any other place than at the feet of Jesus where thanksgiving can best given?

Now go with me to verse 17 and the perspective shifts from the lepers running into Jerusalem and the leper at Jesus feet and now we see the event from the eyes and the heart of Jesus.

Looking For Thanks - Luke 17:17-19

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Ten lepers healed; One made whole

What a glimpse into the heart of our Savior. As he acknowledges the Samaritan giving thanks at His feet, He looks down the road and the other nine are nowhere to be seen. Jesus says, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”

We don’t know how long it was after Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests, but somewhere on the road to the Temple, they were healed. When that happened nine just kept walking, I’m sure they were glad they were healed. I don’t think we should be so harsh as to say they were not grateful and didn’t say a prayer as they rushed to the Temple. But only this Samaritan, this stranger as Jesus puts it, came back to thank the One who had given mercy to him.

We can almost hear the heart of Jesus cant we? “There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.” Only one? Only one?

Then Jesus speaks directly to the healed Samaritan and listen to his words, “Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.” This Greek word for whole, I had no problem memorizing in college, σώζω sōzō; to save, heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be whole.

Just as I can’t be sure of the attitude of the other nine, I can’t say that they didn’t believe in Jesus as Savior of their souls as well as their bodies, but I can say that Jesus looked down on this one and said, “your faith has made you sozo, whole. He came and gave thanks to the Savior of his body and his soul. The newer translations all say, your faith has made you well. Maybe they’re right though that was also true of the other nine. I like this translation much better in the KJV, your faith has made you whole, your faith, expressed by your thanksgiving has made you complete, whole.

The other nine were healed but this one was healed and made whole through his act of thanksgiving.

Will I be The One in Ten?

Well, what can take home with me from this passage of scripture?

First, be a tithe of thanksgiving. No matter what everyone else is doing you go back and thank the Lord.

Second, your thanksgiving should be active.

 Be active like this leper turning around and go back to find Jesus. Your thanksgiving should be apparent, it should move you. It should bring you to church, it should motivate acts of kindness and gifts of sacrifice. The old cliché is that Christianity is a not a spectator sport, well that definitely includes giving thanks.

Finally, others should see your thankfulness. Look at us over 2000 years later and we are still taking note of the thankful Samaritan who returned. Our thanksgiving should make others take note. They should see it, So, Pray and give thanks before you eat a meal, anywhere and everywhere. Reach out to others with a kind word and a word about the Lord. Join in our community outreaches, welcome new movers from our new movers lists.  Actively serving the Lord through His church is actively thanking the Lord for your salvation.

Our biggest problem in the church today is this vast majority of Sunday morning Christians who claim to have known the Master's cure and who return not [at other times] to thank Him by presence, prayer, testimony and support of His church. In fact, the whole Christian life is one big "Thank You," the living expression of our gratitude to God for His goodness. But we take Him for granted and what we take for granted we never take seriously. - Vance Havner in The Vance Havner Quote Book.  Christianity Today, Vol. 31,  no. 17.

Remember what Jesus said after accepting the Samaritan’s thanksgiving.  Your faith, the faith expressed through and in thanksgiving, has made you whole.  

Count Your Blessings

While on a short-term mission’s trip, Pastor Jack Hinton was leading worship at a leper colony on the island of Tobago. A woman who had been facing away from the pulpit turned around.

"It was the most hideous face I had ever seen," Hinton said. "The woman's nose and ears were entirely gone. She lifted a fingerless hand in the air and asked, 'Can we sing Count Your Many Blessings?' "

Overcome with emotion, Hinton left the service. He was followed by a team member who said, "I guess you'll never be able to sing that song again."

"Oh Yes, I will," he replied, "but I'll never sing it the same way."- The Pastor's Update (5/96).  - Fresh Illustrations for Preaching & Teaching (Baker), from the editors of Leadership.

Conclusion

As we close our service today, this is the question you must answer today, on Thanksgiving Day and truly everyday of your life. Am I in the nine walking away or am I the one, that tithe of thanksgiving, who returns and gives thanks?

Some of us today need to simply give thanks to God. Some need to do it by calling out in faith for mercy and trust Jesus to save us. Give Him your heart, life and soul as a thanksgiving offering. Some need to humble themselves before God and commit themselves to leaving a life of thanklessness and live our life so that others can see our thanksgiving to the One who saved us. Or perhaps, we just need to take time this morning to truly glorify God with our thanks. How long since your sincere faith with thanksgiving has made your whole?