Illustration: Rudyard Kipling
He lived from 1865 to 1936. He was English, yet born in Bombay, India. He wrote poetry and is the author of books like Captain Courageous, How the Leopard Got His Spots, and The Jungle Books. Who was this man? Rudyard Kipling.
Kipling’s writings not only made him famous but also brought him a fortune. A newspaper reporter came up to him once and said, "Mr. Kipling, I just read that somebody calculated that the money you make from your writings amounts to over one hundred dollars a word.”
The reporter reached into his pocket and pulled out a one hundred-dollar bill and gave it to Kipling and said, “Here’s a one hundred dollar bill, Mr. Kipling. Now you give me one of your hundred dollar words.”
Rudyard Kipling looked at the money, put it in his pocket and said, "Thanks!"
Well, the word "thanks" is certainly a one hundred dollar word. In fact, I would say it is more like a million-dollar word. It’s a small word but it has a powerful meaning. It might only have 6 letters but it gets across a message that few other words are capable of achieving.
When that little word is missing, we feel it deeply. You know what it’s like when someone doesn’t say "thanks" – you feel hurt, used, ignored, and taken for granted and you wonder why you bothered to do something for the person in the first place.
The subject of this message, obviously, is “Thankfulness.”
[READ LUKE 17:11-19]
The title for this message is “What have you done for me lately?”
When we stop to think about it, God really has done a lot for us lately – as well as in our past and will do in our future. To examine this, I want us to take notice of some striking similarities we have with these 10 lepers…
1. We have a common Affliction (v. 12)
a. A Lepers’ affliction - “…who stood at a distance”
They had to stand at a distance from Jesus. They were not allowed to come near anybody. They had to keep a distance of a minimum of six feet from other people including their family members. Furthermore, lepers were not allowed to live within the walls of any city. They were cast out and completely avoided by everyone.
As for the leper who has the infection, his clothes shall be torn, and the hair of his head shall be uncovered, and he shall cover his mustache and cry, “Unclean! Unclean!” He shall remain unclean all the days during which he has the infection; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp. (Lev 13:45-46)
Leprosy was the most feared illness in that time. The term “leprosy,” as used in the Bible, referred to a wide variety of infectious skin rashes, scales, sores, or eruptions, not just clinical leprosy as we know it today.
But as we can imagine, this was a terrible illness. The Jews saw this disease as a curse from God. Therefore, only God could heal people suffering from this affliction.
Let’s imagine this for a second or two. Imagine how these people must have felt like. I am sure that their hearts were completely full of sorrow having been banished from society and particularly from their families.
b. Our affliction
I don’t think any of us here have leprosy…
We may not have had leprosy of the skin, but we’ve had leprosy of the soul.
Physically speaking, lepers were regarded as outcasts – away from blessings, love, and acceptance.
Spiritually speaking, the same was true of us in the eyes of God apart from Jesus…
· It started in Eden:
So [God] drove the man out; and at the east of the garden of Eden He stationed the cherubim and the flaming sword which turned every direction to guard the way to the tree of life. (Gen 3:24)
· It continues to this day:
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God… (Rom 3:23)
· Listen to the words of Scripture:
Remember that you [who are now Christians] were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. (Eph 2:12)
We were afflicted with the disease of leprosy of the soul… the condemnation of sin.
· Jesus is looking for people who acknowledge their affliction for what it is. Have you come to terms with the gravity of sin’s affliction?
2. We have a common Need (v. 13)
a. The lepers’ need - “they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
The ten lepers understood that the only way they were ever going to find healing from their affliction, it would be by the mercy of Jesus.
b. Our need
There was a time when we came to that point in life where we were confronted with Jesus, the Master… and knew that He had it in His heart to give mercy to those who called on Him.
There are many people who are willing to say,
· Jesus, Master, show me a miracle!
· Jesus, Master, show me a sign!
· Jesus, Master, display your power!
· Jesus, Master, crush my enemies!
· Jesus, Master, get me out of this tight spot!
But when we lay our heads on our pillow at night – thanks be to God for His immeasurable mercy!
That is what we really needed… We could never be who we are, or where we are at in life today, if it weren’t for His mercy.
· A common definition of mercy is: “NOT getting what we DO DESERVE”
The Bible says that “The wages of sin is death…” That is what we deserve!
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ… (Eph 2:4-5)
3. We have a common Faith (v. 14)
a. The lepers’ faith - “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”
The OT Law prescribed that a person who was healed of leprosy was to go to the priest for official inspection and acclamation that the person was healed.
By obediently going on their way to the priest, the lepers were demonstrating that they had faith in the words of Jesus Christ.
Jesus didn’t reach out and touch them. He doesn’t say, “Be healed.” He tells them to show themselves to the priest. He was telling them to act as if they were healed, and they were healed.
Think about it – if they didn’t have faith in what Jesus had said, they would have probably run up near to Him and bowed and begged for a miracle. But they didn’t…
They didn’t ask for a miracle – they asked for mercy.
They didn’t question Jesus’ command, they believed it.
b. Our faith
It is one thing to cry out for mercy, but true faith is about believing the promises of God with assurance that what He has said will be done.
· For salvation:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.” (John 5:24)
· For finding peace:
"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” (John 14:27)
· For ongoing forgiveness:
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
· For fighting temptation:
No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. (1 Cor 10:13)
· For prayer: [etc, etc, etc.]
Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.(Mat 7:7)
The 10 lepers showed that they had faith because they started off toward the priest, as though they were already healed.
There is a powerful lesson to be learned here…
We are either going to have faith in God’s promises and leading in our lives, or we aren’t. Yet, we can’t expect to experience anything special from the Lord if we live our lives without faith – or with a half-hearted faith (in which we “hedge our bets.”)
James says, “…For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.” (James 1:7-8)
God may yet do something magnificent in our midst, but it will not be because of us, but in spite of us.
I’d rather be like the 10 lepers and step out in faith and believe. How about you?
4. We have a common Cleansing (v. 14b)
a. The lepers’ cleansing - “As they were going, they were cleansed.”
As they were on their way to the priests, they were fully and completely healed of their disgusting disease of the skin. It was completely made healthy again!
b. Our cleansing
· For salvation
When we put our faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, we are fully and completely healed of the condemnation of our sin.
Jesus healed their skin. Even so, Jesus heals our sin.
Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Cor 6:9-11)
There is no more that needs to be done to make you more saved than you are!
At the cross, Jesus paid it all. “It is finished!” He said. The only thing left now is to apply God’s saving grace personally to our lives through faith in Jesus as Savior, and we are completely healed.
“Jesus paid it all / All to Him I owe; / Sin had left a crimson stain / He washed it white as snow.”
· For sanctification
We know all too well that although we may be justified in the eyes of God, that we need cleansing and renewal on a regular basis. NOT FOR SALVATION – that’s was settled when we believed in Jesus. But for our SANCTIFICATION – our walk with the Lord.
Here too, we can find MERCY, in the exercise of our FAITH, to find Christ’s CLEANSING.
If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)
· Jesus is looking for those willing to accept His full and complete cleansing.
5. Do we have a common Response? (vv. 15-16)
a. The one leper’s response
“Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him.”
· He acknowledged His healing
This is the first step… He had his eyes open to the good thing that had happened to him. So often God does good things in our lives, but we never even take notice of them.
· He turned back
It might have been a bit of an inconvenience to go backwards on his journey to find Jesus. It may have been an inconvenience to part company with his only friends. Wouldn’t you have wanted to hurry up and get to the priest to make it “official”? This man didn’t.
· He glorified God openly
He didn’t keep his praise to Himself. He was a bold testimony of God’s mercy and goodness.
· He fell at Jesus’ feet and gave thanks
He gave honor and thanks to the one who rightly deserved it – Jesus Christ.
b. The nine lepers’ lack of response
It is amazing that the other nine lepers didn’t return to Jesus to give Him thanks for what Jesus had done!
· Have you ever wondered why only one healed leper returned to thank Jesus?
I guess we’ll never really know… but here are nine suggested reasons why the other nine did not return:
1. Maybe one waited to see if the cure was real.
2. Maybe one waited to see if it would last.
3. Maybe one said he would go see Jesus later.
4. Maybe one decided that he had never had leprosy in the first place.
5. Maybe one said he would have gotten well anyway.
6. Maybe one gave the glory to the priests.
7. Maybe one said, “Jesus didn’t really do anything. All He did was tell me to go…”
8. Maybe one said, “Any rabbi could have done that.”
9. Maybe one said, “I was already getting better anyway.”
Excuses…
c. Our response?
Illustration: Ironside’s Dog
In his book “Folk Psalms of Faith,” Ray Stedman tells of an experience H. A. Ironside had in a crowded restaurant. Just as Ironside was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited his to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer.
When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, “Do you have a headache?”
Ironside replied, “No, I don’t.”
The other man asked, “Well, is there something wrong with your food?”
Ironside replied, “No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat.”
The man said, “Oh, you’re one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!”
Ironside said, “Yes, you’re just like my dog. That’s just what he does too!”
Funny how we can sometimes be like that man’s dog too, huh?…
Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! (Rom 7:24)
Conclusions:
1. God can be thanked and praised regardless of circumstances. (vv. 15-16)
The leper came back praising God despite his unsolved problems. Job, family, friends, home, etc… So can we in all circumstances. Focus on the belief that God is bigger than the problem and is present right now in the middle of it.
2. God has a heart for all people (v. 16b)
Notice the leper who gave thanks was the Samaritan. The other nine were apparently Jews, just as Jesus was.
Yet, the only one that was thankful and accepting of Jesus was the “foreigner.”
In a way, this story serves as a parable – it foretells how the Gentiles would accept and thankfully receive Jesus Christ, while the Jewish people, by and large would reject Him.
He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name. (John 1:11-12)
3. Ingratitude grieves the heart of God (vv. 17-18)
Can you not sense the disappointment in Jesus’ words here?
There shouldn’t be any doubt that when we are unthankful, it grieves the Lord.
4. There is a difference between being healed, and being whole. (v. 19b)
“Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.”
10 were healed, but only 1 was made well, which is far more important than being healed.
The point made here is that unless gratitude is a part of our nature, we can’t be whole people. The other nine were merely healed. If ingratitude is more deadly than leprosy, they were in worse shape than before. Only one came back and was made well – He was made whole.
I want to encourage you to take some time right now to think about your relationship with God. Ask…“What have you done for me lately?”
Now take some time right now in prayer to thank God for all that He has done!
