Intro: A man stood writing at the post office counter one day when an older man shuffled up to him with a postcard in his hand.“Sir,” the older man said, “would you please address this postcard for me?”
The first man gladly consented, and wrote what the older man dictated to him, and even signed the man’s name to the postcard. When he finished, he extended the postcard and asked, “Is there anything else I can do for you?”
The old fellow looked at the card, thought for a moment, and then answered, “Yes. At the end, could you just put ‘P.S. Please excuse the sloppy handwriting!” I suppose we have all had to perform a thankless task. How does it make you feel when it happens? In today’s lesson we realize the importance of remembering to return and give thanks.
Prop: In Lk. 17:11-21 we’ll notice 3 important aspects of thanksgiving.
BG: 1. This event takes place during the winter of third year of ministry in region of Perea.
2. Is a great example of an individual’s commitment to thank Christ for work in life.
3. Thanksgiving as a national holiday is about more than what Brooks Simpson entitled the three “F’s” – Food, family, and football. It’s about a faith that is marked by gratitude.
Prop: Ex. Lk. 17 with me today as we learn 3 lessons re: thanksgiving and gratitude.
I. The Condition of the Lepers Wasn’t Something that Naturally Elicited Thanksgiving. Vv.11-12
A. The Illness of these Lepers Weighed Heavily Upon them.
1. Due to their Condition these Lepers lived a terrible existence.
a. There is no one here today who would have willingly exchanged his/her lot in life with this band of lepers. You may have your health concerns and I certainly would not make light of them. However, thankfully, very few of us will ever have such a disfiguring death sentence that we will carry in our bodies as these ten men did. Old Testament Law (Lev. 13:45ff) forbade their intimate contact with people in society. They often live solitary lives, isolated from others, or else they were forced to live in isolated, communal settings where all normal social barriers were removed (cf. Num. 5:1-3). It seems in this context that the lepers were made up of Jews and Samaritans. The rabbis assert that this was a divine illness sent by God on sinners (cf. II Kgs. 5:25-27; 15:5; II Chr. 26:16-23).hoveled together in unsanitary circumstances where they could see their fate in the faces of their friends.
b. Don’t think that the importance of this miracle was lost on Luke, a physician, who records this event. Both Mt.(8) and Mark (1) recorded Jesus’ healing of lepers earlier in His ministry, but here we see 10 at once, and in an area of larger Gentile populations – don’t forget Luke was writing to a Gentile to assure him of the validity of faith in Christ. Jesus Christ loved Jew and Gentile alike. We are in fact, one in Christ!
2. Determining to Give Thanks is a Choice of the Will in Life we must all make.
a. Paul tells us to give thanks in every circumstance. I Thes. 5:18 “in everything give thanks for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Now I used to wonder about that passage, and I am in no ways saying I have this mastered, nor am I consistent in it’s application. However, the fact of the matter is you and I don’t have a right to wallow in self-pity and defeatism. I think if nothing else, the individual that chooses to give thanks, even in the most difficult circumstances, is an individual who is choosing to live by faith and not by sight. He/she is a person who is choosing to live by God’s promises rather than life’s problems. Choosing to give thanks, even when we don’t think the circumstances warrant it, is a volitional act of the will to reject some unmanned determinism and fate in the universe and acknowledge that a wise and loving God has a plan for your life. Illust: A little girl’s Prayer: A little girl was being punished by eating alone in the corner of the dining room. The family paid no attention to her until they heard her pray: “I thank Thee, Lord, for preparing a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.”
b. Illust – Remember a few ago when a local Christian businessman who many of us know had a fire that caused over $500,000 in damage to his business. Now that is a stress-builder! Now I am sure that businessman would not have chosen to have life disrupted in such a fashion. However, was conscientiously looking out for employees and taking steps to recover while daily looking to the Lord to meet needs and provide. (Illust – Mike M. is one of the best examples I know of someone willing to give thanks to the Lord in even the most difficult of situations. He always reminds me of my need to do the same.)
B. Unfortunately, the Holiday Season affords each of us Special Opportunities to become even more stressed out and demonstrate terrible Behavior and Attitudes.
1. Although we fail to talk about is, this is the result of our sin. – Rom. 3:23 – “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” We all have in common a fall nature. Man isn’t essentially good and occasionally does bad. Rather, and quite the opposite, he is bad and on occasion does good. We have a lot of “takers” in society today. Many ungrateful and expect to be given even more. In a sense, gratitude is an expression of modesty. In Hebrew, the word for gratitude - hoda’ah - is the same as the word for confession. To offer thanks is to confess dependence, to acknowledgment that others have the power to benefit you, to admit that your life is better because of their efforts. That frame of mind is indispensable to civilized society.
2. Second, this can often be the result of stress. – We are very stressed-out in our society.
a. Illust – One of my worst Thanksgiving illustrations. Back in 1990, then 33yrs. old Scott Nelson, was charged w. assaulting his wife. Apparently he became enraged when his Thanksgiving turkey was not defrosted. So he went out in the parking lot of their apartment complex and threw both the frozen bird and the pie on the pavement. When his frightened wife gathered up young child to leave, he hurled the frozen Tom at the family car, breaking the windshield! Fortunately, later that day, Mr. Nelson did receive a nice warm thanksgiving dinner in the county jail.
3. Third, this behavior is often a result of unfulfilled expectations.
a. One of the biggest reasons we aren’t grateful for what we receive or have is because we have expectations of what we think we deserve. You know the best way around this? Do you know what the expectations for the Lepers were? You guessed it, death! Do you know what every person on the face of the earth, outside of Jesus Christ deserves? That’s right, death! So, when you and I receive anything at all, we should be grateful. And instead of becoming critical of others, when we think they have let us down or said something hurtful or haven’t done as we expected, could we not cut them a little grace? Last time I checked you and I both needed it. Do you have expectations placing on wife or husband? On job? On friends? On Church? Give them to the Lord.
b. You’d think that someone like Michelle Duggar, with her full household of 18 kids at home (and one adult married son), would set her bar even higher than the rest of us. But, she says, just the opposite is true! In her new blog post on the family’s website, the experienced mother says she and her husband, Jim Bob, learned early that setting expectations only leads to disaster.“As a mom I could have an expectation of a clean house (or a semi-clean house) so I can at least walk down the hallway without tripping over toys, or the expectation of a good night’s sleep of eight hours,” she writes. “Whatever our expectations are, our pastor has explained, may be way up here in the clouds, but our actual reality may be down here with what we’re dealing with, and everything in between is frustration.”So rather than setting themselves up for resentment, the Duggars take a spiritual approach to their daily hopes.“[W]e realized early on in our marriage the need to give those expectations to God – we needed to yield our right to a clean house, to a full night’s sleep, to whatever it is that we think we deserve or we should have – and say, ‘Lord, I’m not going to have these higher expectations that may never get reached,’ ” Michelle says. ” ‘I’m going to give this to you, Lord, and if you allow anything to happen, that’s good.’ ”Relinquishing their expectations, she adds, intensifies their sense of gratitude. It also allows her and husband to give their love and praise freely to each other and their large clan, because they’re not weighed down with anger or resentment over what they think their children should do or be.
C. Applic: Do you have an issue or condition in your life right now that doesn’t naturally cause you to rejoice? Why don’t you try to give the Lord thanks and see what plans are for you. Look to Christ.
II. 2nd Do you Realize that Ingratitude Towards God is Nothing New. Vv. 13ff
A. The Healing of the Lepers was an Opportunity to Praise God.
1. This Supernatural Healing of the Lepers was Something Only God could do.
a. v. 13 – from a distance these Lepers saw hope coming in the person of Jesus Christ. Most likely they stood near the edge of the village, unable by law to enter into the population. This was do or die time for them. All of the rumors and stories they had heard would either be true or false. But they had to know and they had to know now! There were no clinics no treatments no sanitoriums to offer hope for their debilitating and often terminal affliction. And so they call out: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
b. Realize that this miracle took place at a distance, at least several feet. It was ceremonially unclean to touch lepers. Jesus simply spoke to the lepers and told them to follow the demands of the OT Law and go and show themselves to a priest. The priest were not only religious leaders they were the first of line of defense in public hygiene. And through the spoken word of Christ, not through touch nor even through a command of healing, Jesus causes healing in the lives and bodies of these individuals to take place. Let me tell you, that cry those lepers made is the same starting point every individual must begin at if going to be saved.
2. The Healing in the Bodies of these Lepers Required something on their Part.
a. Jesus spoke to these lepers and told them to present themselves to the priests. And so they went, even before they experienced God’s healing. That’s what you call faith and obedience! Listen, there were no other options available to them. They had heard powerful stories of Christ’s healing and if He told them to go and show themselves they would. And as they began to walk new life began to course through their veins! Illust – When I was a kid like tv show “Incredible Hulk” – from comic books – Scientist Bruce Banner would get knocked around by someone and then next thing know metamorphisis would begin, Hulk would appear and thump on bad guys, break down doors, damage drywall and overturn small foreign cars! That was fictional. Now think about how these 10 felt when health and life began to be restored to their bodies!
b. This allows us a spiritual application for our lives as believers. We can listen to the voice of Christ. We can have faith in what He wants to do in and or us. We can even act on that faith, and yet, like the majority of the lepers, we can still lack gratefulness to God! Look over your life. How grateful are you to God? How grateful have you been for God’s people and their help in meeting your needs?
B. The Majority of the Blessed Lepers Never Returned to Demonstrate their Gratefulness.
1. It is the Positive Action of One Man that Sets the Stage for Learning a Lesson about the other Nine.
a. I suppose that is really the upsetting part of this story. Nine people who should have known better (Jesus identifies them as Jews), walk on w/o returning to demonstrate gratefulness whereas one man, a Samaritan, despised by the Jews as unworthy imposters and spiritual reprobates,
b. Its common practice for pagans to neither thank nor honor God with their lives or His Law. Rom. 1:21 – “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks; but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened.” Illust – Elton John stated years ago that if had it in his power he would ban all organized religion because it opposes his lifestyle choices. Now I am not “picking on Elton” but rather demonstrating how interesting it is that God’s creation, man, thinks he is wiser and more knowledgeable than the Creator! (I suppose this is more common in our own lives than any of us wish to admit. Also, isn’t it interesting how only certain people or groups get the undesirable title of being “intolerant” when actually everyone is?)
2. Many Experience God’s blessings but only a precious few take the time to demonstrate Gratitude.
a. Illust – My father told me a very simple phrase that I’ve realized gained importance the older I’ve become: “Saying thank you doesn’t cost a cent but its value is worth millions.” If you can’t demonstrate gratefulness to man, it is rare that you will be able to demonstrate it to God.
b. Again, I like the phrase that Dr. Luke focuses on: v. 16 “And he was a Samaritan.” – Luke, a Gentile, is writing to Theophilus (Lk. 1:3) a Gentile, showing him how a Samaritan –half-breed could respond with praise and thanksgiving to God and be accepted by Christ. The saving message of Jesus Christ knows no boundry, be it racial, national, ethnic, nor economic. Beware of having preconceived notions of how certain people will or will not respond to the call of Christ in their lives. Simply put we don’t know.
C. Applic: Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersby illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him. Our Daily Bread February 20, 1994
III. Gratitude is Beautiful and Powerful and Attracts the Attention of Christ. vv. 17ff
A. The Beauty of this Story Hinges on the Grateful Response of One Man to the Work of Christ.
1. Seeing that the Master had healed his ailment, the former Samaritan leper returned with Praise and thanks.
a. The lepers had to act in faith on Jesus' pronouncement that they were cleansed although their skin was still diseased (cf. Lev. 13:14 and II Kgs. 5:8-14). Acting in faith, regardless of what sight or experience tells us is still the means by which Christ leads His children today.
b. . Illust – As we enter into the Christmas Season one of the benefits we have is good commercials. Some of my favorites are the ones produced for Hallmark. I especially liked the one that first aired 5-6 years ago. Where crusty old professor is wrapping up things in office and woman in 30’s or early 40’s comes and thanks him for inspiring her. Asks what has done with life and she tells him she has become a teacher (as though that’s the only honorable profession.) Everyone gets that Hallmark “warm fuzzy”. Well, certainly gratitude is uncommon and noticeable. How do you suppose the thanks of the one man made Christ feel? Wonderful I suppose. Illust – This week I received cards on two different occasions expressing gratitude for ministry I demonstrated to the associated families. Gratefulness is always appreciated and rarely expressed.
2. Think about some of the numerous Examples of Jesus’ Own Gratitude
a. Certainly Jesus was fully God, but also fully man. And while on earth lived as a man. Example for us. If ever was a man who didn’t “need” to be grateful it was Jesus. Yet he modeled this as well.
b. What were some of the items Jesus thanked His heavenly Father for? 1. Necessities of life – Jn. 6:11,23 – Feeding of the 5,000 – Thanks emphasized. Easy to take common things of life for granted. 2. For answered prayer – Jn. 11:41 @ the raising of Lazarus before comes out. Illust – Last Saturday pm called Mabel Jones to let her know what would be announced in am about property sale and price. I did it out of respect for Mabel as senior member of Good News (and shut-in)and her long desire to see GNBC have a building. When I told her the news she let out a war whoop and then began to cry, thanking God. c. He even thanked Father for the cup at Seder supper which represented His own blood. That’s why we can choose to thank God even in hard times.
B. How would you’ve responded to the work of Christ?
1. Would you have responded in gratitude to Christ?
a. These 10 lepers had come to Jesus, these ten had called upon Jesus, these ten had been cleansed by Jesus, but only one of the ten came and clung to Jesus (v.16) Leprosy is a lot like sin: It causes us to be separated – not from people, but more importantly, from God. It makes us unclean. We cannot come close to God. We have nothing good in ourselves to approach God we must plead for His mercy. Illust: I knew a dear old Christian woman in Ireland by name of Sybil. Sybil had an older brother, George, who enlisted in an Irish Regiment in the British Army in WWI. The family were devout Christians and as a sergeant, George had plenty of opportunity to demonstrate Christianity to soldiers. In Autumn of 1917 regiment was part of the offensive which became Battle of Passchendale. Many men were frightened. George boldly witnessed and read Bible to men encouraging them to trust Christ and then went over the top. Family received awful telegram: “Missing, presumed dead.” Never saw brother again. No grave marker, one of countless 1000’s died without burial. Yet, not end of the story. Several years later, man, Bertie, would show up at door of the Thompson cottage in Co.Wicklow. Bertie in George’s unit. Before went over the top that day accepted Christ. When war concluded, Bertie returned to Ireland where became an evangelist, gratefully telling others about Jesus Christ for the rest of his life.
b. v.19 b - “Your faith has made you well”: well = sozo Greek for saved, more than just cleansed. Faith evidenced in thanking God and falling at Jesus feet. 10 cured of physical disease, only 1 cured of both physical and spiritual disease; 10 had felt need meant, only 1 had real need met; 10 got what they wanted, only 1 got what God wanted; 10 got healed, only 1was made whole. See, you can be the proverbial “picture of health” on the outside of your body, and be rotten in the inner man. More than physical healing, man needs spiritual restoration that comes through salvation in Christ.
2. Are you an individual whose gratefulness would attract the attention of Christ?
C. Applic: When was the last time you told Jesus Christ how very grateful you were for all He has done in your life?
