Few things evoked unmitigated fear and near national panic as the image, you see in front of you. Known by some as hemorrhagic fever, this deadly disease is better known as Ebola. All eyes were on Texas in the Fall of last year (2014) when a patient, Thomas Eric Duncan, carried the lethal virus from West Africa to Dallas while visiting family here. The 42-year-old Liberian was first admitted to the emergency room of Texas Health Presbyterian but no one knew he was infected with Ebola … yet. It was several days later on a Sunday, when he was in the process of treatment for Ebola that two health care professionals also contracted the disease. One health care worker, who was later diagnosed with the disease, even traveled by plane to the north part of the United States, setting ablaze fears. Sadly, within a few short weeks, Thomas Eric Duncan passed away on October 8, 2014, despite some of the best efforts of medical professionals.
Series Introduction
Have you ever been so desperate that you’ve said, “God, I need a miracle!”? Miracles are supernatural events that offer hope and healing to people in need. Inside the pages of the Bible, these supernatural acts often go by three names … Miracles are concentrated in the gospel narratives and Acts in the New Testament. And in the ministry of Moses and Elijah and Elisha in the Old Testament.
1) Signs – some act of might and power that points to God’s hand and His power; The second name miracles often go by is the word…
2) Wonders – the word is frequently used in the Gospels to describe people’s reaction to miracles. People are amazed or astonished.
And the third name you’ll see is this…
3) Miracles – the most common name is simply a miracle. God shows off His divine power, if you will. And there’s no greater concentration of miracles anywhere than in the life of Jesus, the Christ. He walked on water, gave sight to the blind, and called storms with a motion of His hand. I am one to stand and say, “I believe in miracles. I really do.” We started this series on Easter with the resurrection, we’ve examined Jesus’ feeding the 5,000, and we have witnessed controversy over Jesus’ healing in His day. Today, we finish off our study by seeing ten men experience supernatural healing at once.
“Will any one of you who has a servant plowing or keeping sheep say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come at once and recline at table’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare supper for me, and dress properly, and serve me while I eat and drink, and afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? 10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’”
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 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. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:7-19)
Again, Miracles are supernatural events that offer hope and healing to people in need. But few people were feeling hopeful a year ago when several cases of Ebola were being reported in the United States. With the World Health Organization estimated some 22,000 suspected cases of the disease and some 9,000 deaths, mainly abroad, … we were even beginning to feel the emotional impact of the disease here at home. The panic of seeing people carted away in plastic body bags by medical professionals in yellow hazmat suits scared even Donald Trump. The billionaire expressed his views that the United States border should be closed to doctors and missionaries working with Franklin Graham’s Samaritan’s Purse who had contracted the disease while serving “the least of them.” The ancient disease of leprosy is another world away for most of us – until something like Ebola visits us.
What is Leprosy? While you can still find leprosy in underdeveloped nations of the world, but it’s largely forgotten. Leprosy was a disease of despair where few could help. The term for leprosy in the Bible can be a wide range of skin conditions in modern medical terminology. But seeing the ten men from our story were essentially like seeing ten men climbing out of their very own graves. Seeing these men were to see walking lesions, swollen areas of the skin, or untold nerve damage. Again, we have little way of connecting back to the ancient fears other than seeing our reaction to Ebola just a few months ago. Fear spread so greatly that even airline stocks began to decline and people began wearing sanitary masks for fear of coming in contact with Ebola. Eric Williams, who was running from Congress in Dallas, advocated a citywide “no-contact” policy – no handshakes and no hugs. Even public schools began closely monitoring their students.
Lepers were required to keep themselves at a distance from other people. They were banished from involvement in local society. The law prescribed that when they came near a town or a village, they were required to cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’, lest anyone inadvertently came in contact with this dreadful disease. They were social outcasts.
There’s no telling what the compassionate Donald Trump would say if he’d met them rather than Jesus ?. Jesus confronted these fears and this deadly disease in the most remarkable of ways. Today, I want you to believe in miracles by believing and obeying in the One who performs miracles.
Sermon Preview
An Act of Faith
The Real Meaning of Miracles
Picking Jesus’ Brain
1. An Act of Faith
Again, I believe in miracles. I really believe in miracles. Miracles expand our horizons, transform our perceptions, and open our minds to the amazing wonder of God. And certainly, they touch our hearts. But the question is – Do you believe in miracles? Experience can’t answer if miracles are possible. We think if only we could experience a miracle with our senses – sight, taste, smell, hear, and touch – then we’d believe. But seeing isn’t believing. For if some were to see a miracle, they would only conclude they’d seen an illusion. And history alone can’t tell us if miracles are possible. Some feel if they study history and observe all the evidence-based on strict historical inquiry, then they will be able to decide if miracles are true. But historical studies alone will not break down the essence of miracles into a mathematical equation. No, history cannot tell us nor can experience alone tell us.
L. R. Scarbrough was an early president of the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, located just over in the South part of our city. Years ago, he was preaching about Jonah being swallowed by a great fish. Later when he was home, Scarbrough’s little son asked a straightforward question. “Daddy, do you really believe that a fish could swallow a man and keep the man alive inside for three days and three nights?” The wise father replied, “Son, if God could make a man out of absolutely nothing to begin with, and if God could create the first sea creatures from absolutely nothing, don’t you think He would have the power to make a fish that could swallow a man and keep him alive for three days and nights if He wanted to?” The little fellow replied, “Well, if you’re going to bring God into it, that’s different.”
If we know in advance that miracles cannot happen then we no matter what we see, we will not be convinced. Only faith can tell truly answer if miracles are possible. God is not bound by the laws of nature because there really are no laws of nature. What men call the laws of nature are in truth the laws of God that nature must obey. It is truly an act of faith.
2. The Real Meaning of Miracles
There is meaning in the miracles of Jesus. Every parable Jesus spoke was a miracle of instruction and every miracle Jesus performed was a parable for instruction. When Jesus encountered these ten lepers, they called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” (Luke 17:13b) Obviously, Jesus’ reputation and his marvelous ability to heal had already preceded Him in every corner of Israel. So when these lepers learned that Jesus was coming to their neighborhood, they rushed to the edge of the city to await his presence. When they saw him in the distance, they lifted up their voices to ask for mercy.
Again, there is meaning in the miracles of Jesus.
Two Healing Acts Compared
If you take a minute to compare this healing of the ten lepers with an earlier miracle in Luke 5 where Jesus healed one man of leprosy, you’ll find two interesting differences.
Difference #1
“While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” 13 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him.” (Luke 5:12-13)
Note that in the earlier miracle, Jesus touches the man up close. But in our story, He speaks to the men from a distance – see verse 12. Lepers’ problems were not mainly their physical problems. Remember, Lepers were unclean. Lepers couldn’t be touched. Lepers were far away. Lepers couldn’t have relationships.
Difference #2
Jesus tells the unnamed man in Luke 5 to go see a priest after his healing. But in our story today, Jesus calls on these ten men to go see the priest in verse 14 before they are healed. In both times, Jesus ordered these men to follow the command from the Old Testament book of Leviticus 14 where a priest was to examine the cured men: “And he charged him to tell no one, but ‘go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.’” (Luke 5:14) corresponds to Luke 17:14. These men’s healing happened on their way to the priest. Jesus’ versatility with people is amazing. “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.” (John 6:26)
Imagine a man who is rich and powerful. Yet he is old and will soon leave his legacy of millions to someone. He has only two potential heirs, a niece and a nephew. The niece and nephew often have their rich uncle over to their houses for dinner. They fawn over him, cook for him, and seem to enjoy the funny stories he tells. Now here is the uncle’s problem. Do his young relatives really enjoy being around an old man like him? Would he get a pillow for his back and a second piece of homemade pie if he were as poor as the niece and nephew? Do they love him for who he is, or for what he has and for what his money can do?
This man wants to be loved for who he is. If the love is real, he will have little problem sharing what he has. Real faith in believing in Jesus Christ no matter what. Let me show you.
The story of the ten lepers is an illustration of Jesus’ parable just before it: “So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.’” (Luke 17:10) They say, “Jesus, do something for us.” Do you know what He does? Look what he does. He says, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” The priests were the health officers of the community. They were the ones who could declare somebody a leper and therefore in this legal condition, or they could also declare the leper clean and no longer a leper and take off the social sanction. When you ask the lepers to go the priest, it’s sort of like saying to a blind man, “Throw me the ball.” You’d say, “We asked for you to have mercy on us, and you’re sending us off to the health officer in this condition? You want to make us a laughingstock? Maybe they’re going to slap some other sanctions on us. This is crazy.” But they obey. They had no proof they had been healed, nevertheless, they were to head off toward the priest. It was on their way to the Temple that they were healed.
A servant is somebody who obeys everything he or she is told. Jesus is getting that point across. The mindset of a servant is if you only obey when you understand why, you won’t be cleansed. It’s an act of faith.
Do you have faith? Faith is the currency of the kingdom of God. You won’t get anywhere with counterfeit money at your nearest bank or in God’s kingdom. Faith isn’t a form of magic that enables us to control nature or gets God to our bidding.
Faith’s Three No-Nos
1. Don’t Settle for Sign-Demanding Faith
Instead, surrender yourself. Don’t settle for sign-demanding faith. Don’t try to tell Jesus What to Do Don’t dictate terms to the King.
2. Don’t Settle for Secondhand Faith
Don’t settle for secondhand faith. Four steps to experiencing Him for yourself:
1) Hear His Word – you need to know what the Word says for yourself
2) Believe His Word – join with the ten lepers and walk to the Temple before you see proof;
3) Obey His Word – Do exactly what the Scripture tells you;
4) Do No More Than His Word – Rest with full confidence in what He’s told you.
Don’t Depend on Someone Else’s Experience with Jesus
3. Don’t do Self-Centered Faith
Instead, center your life on Christ. Don’t settle for self-centered faith. Instead, faith is your personal trust in Jesus. Now, all ten men had a certain level of faith but only one man REALLY understood… If you are obeying Jesus only when you can understand it and only when it pays off for you… … then that isn’t obedience at all. If you obey only when you understand, then you are partners with Jesus and not servants to Jesus. A servant is somebody who does everything. A servant is somebody who makes no conditions. Don’t you see? What if the lepers had just sat there and said, “I’m sorry; I will not obey until I feel like I can. I’ll obey if first you cleanse me.” The strength came to them in the doing.
Faith in Christ is itself a mighty miracle.
3. Picking Jesus’ Brain
Jesus asks three questions that cause us to be driven to see why this one man responded the way he did: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18)
Luke earlier noted that Jesus is walking along the border between Israel and Samaria. It’s at the border that the racial hatred between Samaritans and the Jews was felt, touched, and known by everyone. Right here, at the border, Jesus says it was only a Samaritan that was healed. Jewish people like Jesus would go way out of their way to travel around Samaria Here were ten men, all of whom were lepers. They were joined together by their dreaded disease. Had they been normal, they would have hated one another. One of the things that’s interesting about Samaritans is the Samaritans had a different religion (see John 4). The Samaritans had a temple in Gerizim. The great controversy between Jews and Samaritans was where was the real temple and who were the real priests. When the Samaritan leper was leaving and was told by Jesus, “Go to the priest and go to the temple and get yourself forgiven, cleansed, readmitted…” …the Samaritan would have asked himself, “Okay, which one? The Jewish one? Which one?” And suddenly he gets it. Why does he come back? He’s grateful, I know, but why does he come back? Jesus told him to go to the temple. Jesus told him to go to the priest. Is he being disobedient? No, he gets it. Jesus is the ultimate Priest.
Jesus is the ultimate Temple. Jesus is the place you get your forgiveness. Jesus is the One. If you understand that … Jesus says, “If you have just a smidgen of understanding of what I did for you in the gospel, you have all you need.
