August 14,
2016
Luke 17:11-19 – Ten Lepers Cleansed – Jesus heals even those who are not thankful!
Luke 17:11-19 – Ten Lepers Cleansed – Jesus heals even those who are not thankful!
While growing up in Virginia, at our church
I grew up singing a catchy tune from Lutheran Book of Worship that we have
begun to use again as a Post Communion Canticle. Listen to the words from the tune:
Thank
the Lord and sing His praise; tell everyone what He has done. Let all who seek the Lord rejoice and proudly
bear His name. He recalls His promises
and leads His people forth in joy with shouts of thanksgiving. Alleluia.
Alleluia.
This canticle of praise we sang last week
after having received the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ. It is clearly not only a “Thank You” song to
God for the Gift of eternal life we have just received from the Altar, but it compels
us to tell others about what we have received.
With our singing these words we boldly are calling ourselves to joyfully
go and tell others of God’s promises with shouts of thanksgiving.
Enter our Gospel this morning. Jesus in typical Savior fashion, healed ten leprous
men, who were not allowed to enter the temple and not even darken the city
gates. Leper colonies were far outside
of the city gates, unprotected by the ‘walls’ that usually surrounded cities
and would not be visited by anyone of any status.
Yet, Jesus Christ, not only healed these
ten men, but even the one who returned was none other than a Samaritan. Remember that Samaritans were despised and
hated by Jews. Similar to today, it is a
hatred that is both along racial and ethnic boundaries. But as we know, Jesus Christ came to fulfill
God’s call and the Samaritans were included in God’s gift of salvation for all
of mankind. Samaritans were early
embracers of the Gospel as evidenced by this man who is commended by Jesus for
his faith. For Jesus says simply to the
healed Samaritan, “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
For we who come to church and give thanks
and praise two thousand years later, a clear assertion can be made that applies
to everyone. Not only the Jews who still
to this day hold that the Messiah has not come, to the Galatians who Paul wrote
one of his letters to, but also for our culture and community today. Jesus healed even those who are not thankful! This is why in the Luther’s Catechism when we
read the explanation to the Lord’s Prayer, the seventh petition states, “But
deliver us from evil.” And Jesus
definitely with the healing of this man has removed a curse from him and his
life. Now the Samaritan could go to
town, walk among the people and no longer be shunned as someone who is
‘unclean.’
Yet, in true faithful fashion, this man,
who only seconds ago was seen as unclean, after realizing he has been healed, “turned
back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His [that is
Jesus] feet, giving thanks to Him.”
He didn’t have to give thanks, but saw it as his duty to turn to the Man
Who had given him his life back and as the canticle and our text says, “Sing
His praise”. The Samaritan not only verbalized
in words, but also falling on his face he gave the praise to Jesus Christ for the
gift of grace. He didn’t have to, but
clearly felt the human need to turn and give thanks and praise.
To paraphrase Paul in Romans 8, “What then shall
we say to these things?” Simply, we are
called to give God praise as well. We
look to our world and listen to the radio, television, read in the newspaper,
the internet and even conversations on the street, we say our world is in
trouble. The election coming up, the
tragedies in Italy of the earthquakes, the floods in Louisiana, the fires in
California. Closer to home the price of
wheat or corn, the rising price of inputs like fertilizer or insecticides or
fungicides in order to do business and attempt to make a living. It appears our world may appear to be in
trouble, but I’m here to boldly proclaim we have a God Who loves us and gave
His Son Jesus Christ to free us from all that binds us.
We have only to realize that God will heal
us and God will not only heal us, but God through His Son Jesus Christ heals
even those who are not thankful. That is
the true meaning of the Gospel of Salvation.
The free gift of God given by His Son Jesus Christ and His willingness
to go to the Cross of Calvary was so we can be set free from sin, death and the
devil. This is the offer of grace for
all of mankind not just for a select few who own the biggest spreads, the best
toys or have the most.
The gift of grace is offered for everyone
from conception of life to the youngest child only seconds from being taken
from their mother’s womb to the oldest person who waits for death to come and
take them away. God offers all of
mankind forgiveness and life and salvation because of His great love for
us. It is this free offer of grace that
Martin Luther went against the teachings of 1500 years of the church in order
to insure that grace would abound. This
is the same reason we sing the Post Communion Canticle. It is the opportunity for we who not only
have received the gift of eternal life to give thanks and praise to God for His
gifts, but even for those who may not be thankful or return to God to give
thanks and praise.
Corrie ten Boom and her sister Betty were
prisoners in one of the worst prison camps during World War II. On the day of a transfer to a new camp they
read from 1st Thessalonians that speaks of giving thanks in all
things. Upon arrival in their new
surroundings Betsy encouraged her sister to give thanks for everything in their
new ‘home’.
Corrie wouldn’t, she said, ‘what do I have
to be thankful for, we have been placed in and among fleas. I can’t be thankful.’ Finally after much convincing Corrie began to
be and express her thankfulness for these new surroundings. Betsy and Corrie began many bible studies and
prayer services while held in the prison camp, and found no interference from
the guards, which out of the ordinary for the times and was a miracle for them. Not until months later did they learn why the
guards left them alone. The guards refused
to enter the barracks because of the fleas.
How thankful have you been recently for
God’s gifts given to you? If you would
go and walk the halls of most nursing homes like Good Samaritan that deal with
Alzheimers and Dementia or hospital wards that daily deal with the devastating
diseases of cancer or AIDS and even death.
We who gather here today need to be and do like the Samaritan, for we
have lots to be thankful for in our lives.
Let’s choose to be thankful to God for His gift of love, grace and forgiveness
for us and share this message with others of what Jesus Christ did for all of
mankind, especially for each of us gathered here this morning, just as the
Samaritan did in giving thanks to Jesus Christ for giving him his life back. AMEN.
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