JESUS HEALS TEN MAN WITH LEPROSY

Luke 17:11-19

Key Verse: 17:16

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

                In the past passage we learned the attitude of unworthy servant.

                In today’s passage Jesus heals ten men with leprosy. As Jesus healed the men, only one person returned to Jesus to thank him and Jesus was so sorry for the nine others who did not remember God’s grace. May God teach us our basic attitude as God’s children in the time of his mercy and grace.

I. Jesus heals ten men with leprosy (11-14)

                Look at verse 11. It reads, “Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.” This verse tells us that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem in order to die on the cross as God’s Paschal Lamb. The betrayal, the trail, the mocking, the torture and the crucifixion were waiting for him. Still, Jesus was eager to go up to Jerusalem in order to fulfill the will God for world salvation. Luke 9:51 says, “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Jesus resolutely moving toward Jerusalem; there was no retreat for Jesus and there was no digression and no retreat for him.

                At that moment, Jesus must be bracing himself for the suffering to come. What do people usually do when they are pressed? What do they do when they go through time of personal suffering or pain? Most people would become  selfish and self-centered. But Jesus was different.  As he was moving toward Jerusalem,  Jesus was mindful of ten lepers even in the time of suffering.

                Look at verses 12-13. “As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’" Jesus was passing the border between Samaria and Galilee along with his disciples. As he was going into a village, ten men met him. They were men with leprosy. They were the most pitiful and sorrowful people due to their disease.  The leprosy is a disease that is caused by a virus and it mainly attacks man’s neurological system. So the person who have been infected by the disease would not feel any pain even if one part of his body were torn off. The lepers were forced to live in a no-man’s land. And when they were passing by other normal people, they had to say, “Unclean!” “Unclean!” with loud voice covering their mouths with their fingers.

                The ten lepers were living together as they had empathy toward one another. Then one day these miserable people heard good news of Jesus. They heard that the good Jesus welcomed everyone and everybody and he healed all the sick who came to him. One day they heard that Jesus was passing by the village and a beam of hope began to shine into their souls. But they could not come near to Jesus because of their disease. They stood at a distance, and called out in a loud voice. They said in unison, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”  Their cry did not sound like the sound of man; it sound like that of wild animal, a hoarse voice. 

                What  did Jesus do for them? Look at verse 14. “When he saw them he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’”  Jesus is the Son of God and he is God Almighty. So he could heal them just by saying some words. But this time he said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” It was to help them to learn obedience, obedience to his word. We must know that obedience is the key to experiencing God’s power and his help. In John 2, Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding feast in Cana. At the time of the highest point of festival mood, wine was gone. Then Jesus asked the servants to fill the six jars there with water. When they obeyed, this time Jesus gave a harder mission. He told them to draw some water out and take it to the master of the banquet. It was a very difficult command to obey. Suppose, if the water had not been changed into wine, they would be in big trouble. Their master might punish them. However, when they obeyed Jesus’ word again, they experienced a great miracle, the miracle of changing tasteless water into tasty water.  Apostle John comments on this event in John 2:11,  “This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.” 

Also, in 2 Kings 5, there is a story about General Naaman. Naaman was a brave solder who was highly regarded by his master king of Aram, but he had leprosy. One day  being encouraged by his Israelite made servant, Naamam went to the prophet Elisha for healing. Naaman thought that if Elisha would met him, he would welcome him whole heartedly But the prophet, Elisha, instead of welcoming him, just told him to go to the Jordan River and wash his body there. It was God’s obedience test for him. At first, Naaman was so upset that he wanted to return to his country right away. However, being persuaded by his servant, he changed his mind and went to the Jordan River and washed his body. he was cured from his disease completely and his flesh became clean like that of young boy (2Kings 5:14).

                In our society, the word, “obedience” is a kind of taboo. People do not like even to hear the word, “obey.” But obedience must be learned so that we can be truly blessed by God. Through obedience, we can experience God’s power and his grace and become a source of blessing. Our Lord Jesus is the Son of God. But he learned obedience from his suffering. Hebrews 5:8,9 says, “Although he was a son, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him…”

Look at verse 14b. “and as they went, they were cleansed. As they were on the way to the priests, suddenly their rotting flesh and open sores were healed and they became whole. Now with their healed body, they could play violin and play hockey game. They even could have a dream of establishing a house church with a beautiful woman of God.

II. “Where are the other nine?” (15-19)

                However, we must know that to receive God’s grace is one thing and to remember God’s grace is another.

                Look at verse 15. “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.” On the way, they found they were healed. Then they became  so much excited. But in this time of excitement and happiness, one man remembered Jesus’ grace and returned to him to thank him. As he had returned to Jesus, his voice was trembling and drops of tears were dropping from his eyes.  He said, “Lord, Jesus, thank you!” many times.

                Look at verse 16. “He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” This man’s thanks to Jesus was  deep and genuine. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet. Throwing himself at Jesus’ feet was an act of his utmost thanks to Jesus. It was also an act of accepting Jesus as the King and the Savior.  Here from this man, we learn that as God’s children, we must remember God and thank him in the time of his grace and help.

                Of all things, to remember God’s grace is hardest thing to do for a man to do. Sinful men hardly remember God’s grace and thank God. When we read John 5:1-5, for example, there is a pool named Bethesada. There were a great number of disabled people lying there---the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed, because they believed that the first one who jumped into the pool when the water was stirred would be healed.  And there was a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. This man stayed in one place because no one helped him out. Jesus saw this man and had compassion on him. Jesus healed this man by saying, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” At once the man was cured and picked up his mat and walked away, without saying, “Thank you, Jesus”. The day Jesus healed this man was a Sabbath. When the Pharisees asked this man about  how he was healed on the Sabbath, in order to save his life, this man reported Jesus to them.

However, there are God’s people who remember God’s grace and thank God. And because of their thankful spirit,  they please God.

                When we read the Bible, we find many people who pleased God by thanking God in any and every situation. And Paul was one of them. Paul was a man of great intellect and passion. And he used his intellectual power and passion in order to serve the Lord’s word. This Paul also suffered much in the course of serving God’s mission. Yet, he always thanked God. Once, Paul went to Philippi with Silas in order to preach the Gospel there. One day Paul converted a witch-girl, who made her owners rich. But this girl lost her magic power because of Paul. Then the owners brought gangsters and beat Paul and Silas and put them in prison at night. What then did Paul and Silas do at that time? They did not complain or murmur. Instead, they were full of thanks. In the prison, they sang hymns in deep thanks for the privilege of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus at Philippi. This Paul says In 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.”

                In the Bible Joseph was known as man of thanks. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob. One day, because of his brothers’ jealousy he was sold to an Ishmaelite caravan for 20 silver coins. In Egypt, he was sold as a slave to the king’s captain of the guard, Potiphar.  But when Potipha’s wife saw Joseph, she was attracted by Joseph’s handsome appearance and tried to seduce him day and night. And when Joseph refused her, she became revengeful and made Joseph put in a prison with false accusation. Joseph cried so many times in the prison. But still he believed that God was with him and thanked him from his heart.  Then the Immanuel God finally raised him as the Prime Minster of Egypt to save many lives. This Joseph tells his brothers in Genesis 50:19-21, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don't be afraid. I will provide for you and your children." And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.”

                However, the best example of remembering Gods’ grace can be found in our Lord Jesus. While living on earth, Jesus thanked God his Father all the time. Jesus thanked God even before crucifixion. It was the night of the Last Supper. In just few hours Jesus would be arrested, tried and crucified. At that time, his disciples were still now mature and even one of them would  betray him. But still Jesus was thankful to God. When he shared the bread with them, Jesus gave thanks. When he shared the cup with them, he again thanked God and offered his body to God as a ransom sacrifice for the sin of the world with thanks (Mt 26:26-29). May God grow us into a man of thanks and a woman of thanks following the footsteps of our Lord Jesus.

                Look at verses 17-19.  “Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”’" Jesus was so sorry for the nine men who forgot God’s grace. But he was greatly comforted by a man who came back to him to thank him.