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Introduction:
Common sight in those days. Little huts outside the main village.
One walks past a hears the moans, sobbing.
If brave enough, try to catch a glimpse of those suffering.
Disease - leprosy.
Found in many forms - as today.
Some serious. Worst form - contagious.
No means to deal with it - except quarantine.
In the OT, in Leviticus 13 and 14, rules and regulations for dealing with those who had it.
William Barclay - "literally a living death"
Leprosy in worst forms - most serious of skin diseases.
Starts from small spot, eats away the flesh until the sufferer is left only with the stump of finger, or hand, foot.
Sometimes, however, because of damage to nerve in area, muscles are paralyzed.
Injuries are unnoticed.
Leads to other infections.
Most cases - treatable today.
Then not. One affected often - shocking appearance.
Cases today of people whose faces literally become hardened into leatherlike appearance, lionlike.
Walk with twisted frame.
Perhaps most terrible thing - isolation.
Aloneness.
He was to dwell alone, outside the camp.
Wear distinctive clothing.
Always announce presence.
If someone is to approach - shout "UNCLEAN! UNCLEAN!"
Don't think we can imagine that kind of life - living death.
Told there are psychological consequences - serious as physical.
Dr. A.B. McDonald writes about leper colony in Itu, says, "The leper is sick in mind as well as body.
For some reason there is an attitude to leprosy different from the attitude to any other disfiguring disease.
It is associated with shame and dishonor, and carries with in some mysterious way, as sense of guilt, although innocently acquired like most contagious troubles. Shunned and despised, frequently do lepers consider taking their own lives and some do (commit suicide)."
We have no way of comprehending.
Begins first as a white patch - removes all pigment from skin, then scab.
Leviticus had said that if it remains for just a week, then not leprous.
By 2nd week, it spreading, then serious trouble.
When chronic stage arrives (Lev. 13:46) - "without the camp shall be his habitation."
Wrenched from family, friends, spouse - from people and things you love.
Alone. Alone.
Year after year, body disintegrates, you're alone.
Can you imagine an existence where no one comes near. No human touch.
Then one day, Jesus comes.
They've heard about him.
Verse 13 says they call him by name.
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
So absolutely depressed, don't even ask for healing - just "Have mercy on us."
Take a moment to show pity.
Moment to show you still care. No one will.
They stood at a distance, v. 12 says.
They lift up their voices, ten lepers, pleading not for healing, but to be noticed.
"I'm a person, not a monster."
They call him, "Master."
Special title - almost always by disciples, followers of Jesus.
Apparently quite a bit of news has come to their camp.
Jesus is "Master"
v. 14 says, "When he saw them, he said, "Go show yourselves to the priests."
Now reason for that - priest - health inspector.
Levit. 14:2 says that he's the one that must decide if cure has taken place.
Then, what takes next demonstrates that every one of those men had faith.
Jesus didn't say, "You're cured, now go."
He just said, "Go."
And the men went.
Jesus was "Master" to all 10.
If that was me, like to see some evidence first - restore a patch of skin first.
How silly!
Go to priest!
He'll know our minds have been affected.
Give me some proper proof, then I'll act.
Jesus just says "Go."
They go.
As they went, "they were cleansed."
Before they get to the priests.
Cleansed. Whole again.
Don't think we can imagine that either.
Isolated from people for years.
In mind, count the # of years you have left.
Hating your disease.
Gazing into pools of reflection, then kicking the water, sight so ugly, grotesque.
Miserable, terrible life.
Then, healed. Whole again. "Hallelujah!" Wonderful!
Now. V. 15,
Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back (hadn't got to the priest's yet), turned back, praising God with a loud voice (can almost see that, can't we? He knows where the healing has come from) - turns back (but hadn't Jesus said - Go to the priest"?) - He must do something first.
v. 16 - "And he fell on his face at Jesus' feet. - doesn't mean he tripped over a rock - means he's adoring Jesus, worshipping Him.
He's awed by His presence, "giving him "thanks"
Then we're told he's a Samaritan - we'll see why in a moment.
READ vv17-19
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."
What a marvelous story! Modern movies could do wonders - special effects.
Wonderful music in background to heighten the joy.
One time I saw a movie on how babies are born - (when baby emerges, wonderful singing in background - really brings tears to eyes).
New babies wonderful! Healing is wonderful!
But there is something disturbing, isn't there? Even pre-school children can see it.
Only 1 man is thankful! One out of 10. Not good percentage.
Disturbing. Luke wants us to be disturbed by this.
These men that we had once felt so sorry for - now we don't feel so sorry for them.
If we could meet them on the road, and talk to them, we would say, "Hey, don't you know who healed you? Where's your manners? Are you still so self-centered to forget to praise God and tell the Lord thanks?"
We'd be angry. If one of them was my kids and they behaved like that!!
They had faith. But no gratitude.
Why didn't they come back?
I don't know their stories.
Charles Brown suggests these 9 reasons for each of them.
1. One waited to see if the cure was real.
2. One waited to see if it would last.
3. One said that he would see Jesus later.
4. One said that he never had leprosy.
5. One said that he would have gotten well anyway.
6. One gave glory to the priests.
7. One said, "Oh well. Jesus really didn't do anything."
8. One said, "Any Rabbi could have done it."
9. One said, "I was already much improved."
These are the suggestions to try to make these 9 more like us.
I think they are already too much like us - like us in our time and culture of
just forgetting to say thanks, or seeing no need to say thanks. To be grateful.
Then the Lord absolutely shocks us further when he says, "One who came back, wasn't even a Jew - foreigner. Samaritan. Not even one of God's people.
Why is it that God's people are sometimes the least thankful?
Israel, blessed again - turned their back on God.
Then, church today, how thankful are we?
- Think you can answer that concretely right now -
- In your prayers, last 7 days, how many times did you ask for something?
- How many times did you say, "Thank you."
By and large - most of us not a grateful people.
We're a "Help me" people. "Have mercy on me" people!
We're a "Bless me" people. A "Give me" people.
And then He gives and gives and gives to us, and we turn and walk away.
And then if we need again, we ask again.
How ungrateful are we? We should be ashamed.
We've turned God into our private Santa Claus, and forget that He is the Creator and Sustainer of the Universe.
He is not our Divine Servant.
Like passengers on ship, Lady Elgin, - crowded passenger steamer - just off the shore of Lake Michigan - near Evanston, Illinois - floundering there in a storm near beach.
A student, Edward Spencer, at a nearby college, saw a woman clinging to some wreckage out in the breakers.
Threw off his coat, swam out in heavy waves, brought her back to land in safety.
In fact, this student did that 16 more times - managed to rescue 17 persons, till he collapsed from exhaustion.
Never fully recovered from the exposure and exertion of that day.
Died a few years ago in California at the age of 81.
In the written notice of his death, one paper said that not one of those 17 persons ever came to thank him.
We are surrounded by ingratitude.
In fact, Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Tim. 3:2, "In the last days, there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to parents, UNGRATEFUL!.."
Paul is saying that one of the marks of our age - ingratitude.
Some said that if you want to find gratitude, place to look for it is in the dictionary.
That's the only place you can be sure to find it.
Businessperson said, "People are ingrates. Took me 61 years to find out. I have 175 employees, men and women. At Thanksgiving, I sent them 175 choice turkeys. Only 4 thanked me. 2 Thanked by note. And 2 said, "Thank you" when they chanced to meet me in the hall. I've decided to never again go out of my way to be nice again!"
Wonder if the Lord ever feels that way?
I am convinced that most of us, myself included, either aren't aware - or have forgotten - what God has given us.
Precious gift of His Son to die for us.
Ephesians 2:1, "When you were dead, made you alive"
All of us deserved to spend eternity separated from God, but God in His mercy saved us.
Do we thank Him for that? Do we praise Him for that?
One of the reasons we're together, I believe, is just to praise God for what He's done.
Time of celebration. Time of thanks. Terrific time.
You can't thank without being happy.
If we'd thank more, we'd smile more, come to worship more.
He has given us so much. Did you ever stand on a hill and watch a beautiful sunset?
Fantastic explosion of colors.
We need to applaud God at those times.
Stand on solid earth, breathe air in our lungs and thanks Him!
In fact, Paul goes as far as to say in 1 Thess. 5:18, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God concerning you."
I know we don't take that one seriously.
Usually we complain in all circumstances.
When you're sick, give thanks? Yes.
Tired? Yes
Poor? Yes.
Thing aren't going your way? Yes
Bad day? Yes.
That's what it says. Literally.
Person tried that one time. He missed their plane, stranded for hours.
Then he remembered that verse, and so he decided to give thanks.
Thought he would try it.
Do you know what happened?
As he was waiting the extra time in the airport, he saw there in that lobby a lost brother that he hadn't seen for years.
God's working. Hasn't forgotten you. Give thanks!
Preacher in Scotland, one time, famous for his prayers from the pulpit.
Always found something to thank God for. Even in bad times.
One stormy morning, one of members was overheard telling someone else, "The preacher will have nothing good to say on a wretched morning like this."
But then he began the prayer, "We thank thee, O God, that it is not always like this."
When you look at those apostles, every letter just overflowing with that joyful, thankful tone to it.
Romans 7:25, "Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
1 Cor. 15:27, "Thanks to God, who gives us the victory."
2 Cor. 2:14, "Thanks to God who in Christ always leads us in triumph."
Eph. 5:20, "Always and for everything, give thanks."
Thankful man is the joyful man, always.
After WWI, famine sweeping through parts of England, and disease.
Martin Rinkhart buried so many of his friends from the plague, wrote the hymn, "Now thank we all our God."
Could you do that?
From depths of despair, be thankful?
Mark of our age is ingratitude.
But the mark of God's man or woman is thankfulness.
That's how to identify him.
Are we thankful for each other? Do we say, "I couldn't survive without you. I'm glad you're my brother in Christ, sister in Christ? Thank you.
Are you kids thankful for your parents?
I know you think they are too tough on you sometimes, but it's because they love you.
Are you thankful for them? Do you tell them?
Listen again, The Lord God, the Creator of the Universe, who designed and knows how we function best, He says, "BE THANKFUL IN EVERY CIRCUMSTANCE."
I kind of think that the one leper who came back, had even in his leprous condition, long before healing had taken place, had found things to be thankful for.
Make it a habit!
May have to work at it for awhile.
Be thankful. Express your thanks.
Breathe thanks.
You'll live longer - less stomach ulcers along the way.
Even improve your business, one fellow says.
A department store one time sent out ad, promising $5000 to the one who had best answer to "How can my business be most speedily and surely improved?"
Lots of letters, long answers from economic students.
But winner - sent his answer in on a postcard.
"Tell your clerks to say, 'Thank you."
Like what Nick Saunders said about what to do at family devotionals or around the table before a meal.
Have each member pray, giving thanks for something haven't thanked God in awhile for.
Try it at home. You'll esp. enjoy the answers of your kids.
In Romans 1:21, Paul explains the present human condition, widespread unbelief, "For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God, or give thanks to him."
We take so much for granted, don't we? And never give thanks for it.
Even for something as simple as the human touch.
You may have heard about the boy in America named David, the "bubble boy."
He was born without an immune system.
When he was 12 he had a bone marrow transplant to correct the deficiency.
Until then, he had spent his entire life in his plastic bubble in order to prevent any exposure to germs, bacteria, or the viruses that could kill him.
He lived 12 years without ever knowing human contact.
When asked what he'd like to do when he was released from his protective bubble, he said, "I want to walk barefoot on grass and touch my mother's hand."
Are we thankful for those simple things?
Few years ago, divorced woman had one son to raise by herself.
She was poor, couldn't afford a lot, but she wanted her son to have the best.
Loved him.
Raised him through difficult adolescence, sent him off to prestigious University in East coast of America.
Got two jobs to help pay for his education.
Just before day of graduation, she caught a ride back East with a friend.
Wanted to surprise her son, be there at graduation.
As son walked across the stage to receive diploma, his eye caught his mother sitting in audience, ugly, torn dress, hair not quite as neat as it could be. Afterwards, his mother tried to work her way through the crowd to get to her son.
She saw him ahead and then as she was getting closer to him, she overheard a conversation between son and friend.
"I bet your mother's proud of you today!"
Boy said, "I don't have a mother."
When she heard that, she walked away.
Bible says in 2 Cor. 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake, he became poor, so that by his poverty, you might become rich."
Do we know that? Do we thank Him? Thank Him for what He's done for us?
Let's be a grateful people. Tell others how much he has done.
Invitation to Christ.
Maybe you need to come today and say, "Lord, I thank you for how you've loved me, for what you've done for me.
Now, I'm ready to give you my life in return. I repent of my past. I want to be buried with Jesus in baptism and have my sins washed away forever.
I want to become a new creation, as You have promised I can be.
And then I will spend the rest of my life in serving you and thanking you.
Won't you come? |
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