Luke 17:11-17

Where do we find a lesson that applies to us in today’s gospel reading? Leprosy isn’t exactly something we see on a daily biases. We do not have camps outside of town where these people are forced to live and we do not require them to cry out “UNCLEAN, UNCLEAN” if they come close to us. Do we no longer have lepers in our society or are we just better at hiding them and their disgrace?
As He entered the village he encountered 10 lepers who cried out, “Jesus, Master have mercy on us.” It is interesting that these men knew exactly who Jesus was. They were not just calling out to a passerby for alms rather they knew of Jesus and His power to heal and they desired Him to have mercy upon them.
The term they used to address Jesus here is the word “epistates” in Greek. It means teacher, master, or lord. They only other people in Luke’s gospel who use this Greek term fro Jesus are the disciples. Therefore this story is about discipleship.
They cried out in unison! These men were united in their sickness and suffering. The text doesn’t tell us right away that only one of them is a Samaritan. Because of the specific location of this story, as described in the opening lines of the passage, people who lived in this area were either Jews or Samaritans. So if one was identified as a Samaritan it would serve to reason that they others were not Samaritans. And if they were no Samaritans then they were in fact Jews. So the cultural divide between them had broken down due to their common affliction. There is no difference between a leprous Jew and a leprous Samaritan; they were simply lepers.
When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. In this time in history only the priests at the synagogue had the authority to proclaim a leper healed. This authority was given to them under the law.
Notice it says “as they went they were cleansed.” God’s grace is freely given, this most certainly is true, however it was in their response to Jesus command that they were healed. They could have just as well of laughed at Him knowing that there was no human cure for their disease, but then I venture to guess that their healing would not have come. So it was through their response in faith to do as Jesus commanded that their healing came to be.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. One of them praising with a loud voice, I imagine it was the same loud voice that he was using to praise God as the one he used to cry out for mercy. He returned to Jesus and fell on his face at Jesus’ feet. This man no longer had a use for the law to proclaim that he was healed. Rather he recognized that he had been healed by Jesus not his own righteousness and adherence to the law. What is also important her is the phrase “when he SAW.” When I was writing my sermon I was trying to deceiver the difference between the nine that did not return and the one that did. The one who returned SAW. What is it that Jesus says, Luke 10:23, “Then turning to the disciples he said privately, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see!” Seeing is a theme in this gospel. Seeing means that a person’s eyes have been opened to the reality of who Jesus really is, the seeing person has faith. This is confirmed when Christ says to the grateful man, “And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
What about the other nine? Where are they? Are they not grateful? Jesus asks about them he says were not 10 cleansed? Notice Jesus did not say healed rather he said cleansed. They were not only healed of their sickness they were cleansed of their sin. It was common in this time to believe that these men had this sickness because of some sin they had committed. There for their healing was proof of the forgiveness of that sin.
But where were they? My guess is that since they were Jews and they were now healed the cultural boundary between them and the Samaritan had returned. What’s more they sought to comply with the law and have themselves declared clean so that they could be restored to their righteous place in society. They were still looking to the law for their righteousness because they did not see as the Samaritan did that the cleansing came as a gift from the righteousness of Christ and not through the law.
Oh but there is more. This parable of the ten lepers comes directly after the parable of the unworthy servant form last week. Both are instructions in discipleship. For those of you who were here last week you will remember that the parable of the unworthy servant tells us that when we do as God has commanded us to do, not to expect any reward. For we are not gaining righteousness with God by abiding by His commands we are simply doing what is expected of us. SO what of the other nine lepers? Perhaps they knew all along that their disease was not from some sin that they had committed. Perhaps they thought that God owed them their healing. They were wrongfully stricken with this disease so justice demanded that they be healed. For those of you who were here last week, does God ever owe you anything or are his gifts and blessings pure grace?
Gratitude to Christ for the gift of faith and salvation is a sign of the proper response in faith. Gratitude and humility may be the purest measure of a person’s spiritual condition and faith. There are those who have been cleansed in this world who believe that God owed them. They claimed it and named it. The prospered because God promised them they would and He Owed it to them. They can unsin what is clearly called a sin in the Bible, after all God made them that way and he owes it to them, they deserve to be happy and indulge their sinful desires. I am telling you these people are the other nine these are people of a false gospel.
How does this story apply to us today? Jesus is still cleansing people every day; first and foremost at their baptism. Some respond in faith and gratitude some take the gift for granted and feel that it was owed to them by God.
In this story we are the lepers. We may have not been plagued with a physical element but I most certain that we are plagued with filthy minds and spirits. Well, at least I have. But Jesus cleansed me and for that I am eternally grateful and I will spend the rest of my days pointing to the grace and righteousness of Christ for my cleansing and salvation. Join me in pointing that finger where it belongs; pointing to the gospel and the righteousness of Christ for our justification. But looking to the law as a guide, as a task master if you will, one that tells us how we should live our lives in a way that honors God. Jesus said the law is summed up like this, love one another and I have loved you.
Let us pray, Lord Jesus Christ we are sorry that we have taken you gifts and blessings for granted and we humbly ask for Your forgiveness. Continue Father to remind us that we must continue to rely upon You alone for our ever breath. Continue to love and bless the devoted disciples seated before me this day, and continue to bless our congregation and may we always remember that we are blessed to be a blessing to your creation and that we are not blesses because You are in debt to us. We ask all of this in the precious name of You Son Jesus Christ Amen.