Reason's To Be Thankful

Reason’s to be Thankful! Text:Luke 17: 11-19

11 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. 17 So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? 18 Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”

Jesus came to where these lepers were. Isn’t it great that Christ comes to where we are! This certain village was properly a leper Colony. Ten men met Jesus who were lepers, so they stood afar off. All ten lifted up their voices, and ask Jesus for mercy. Jesus tells them to go and show their selves to the priests. As they went they were cleansed! (Healed)

As one (a Samaritan) saw himself healed he came back, fell on his face and feet, thanking and praising Jesus!

Jesus ask the question, “Where are the other 9 (Jews)?” But then Jesus tells the one to arise, go your way; your faith has made you well!

This thanksgiving we don’t need to know how to have faith for our faith; we need to remember to have faith in our God!

Leviticus 13:45-46 “Now the leper on whom the sore is, his clothes shall be torn and his head bare; and he shall cover his mustache, and cry, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ 46 He shall be unclean. All the days he has the sore he shall be unclean. He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp.

All lepers were commanded to yell ‘unclean’ and dwell alone!

The Bible say’s, they stood afar and cried for mercy unto Jesus (They lifted up their voices.)

This story remains me of another story told by Matthew of two blind men! Matthew 20: 30-35 And behold, two blind men sitting by the road, when they heard that Jesus was passing by, cried out, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 31 Then the multitude warned them that they should be quiet; but they cried out all the more, saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” 32 So Jesus stood still and called them, and said, “What do you want Me to do for you?” 33 They said to Him, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.” 34 So Jesus had compassion and touched their eyes. And immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him.

Notice, that Jesus heard their cry, and was moved with compassion and He touched them, and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him!

Which miracle took more faith on the receiving end? These two blind men or these lepers?

One out of ten came back, and worshiped Jesus! Where were the nine Jews? Maybe they just stayed Jews!

One man named Charles Brown gave several suggestions as to why the other nine never returned to give thanks. Keep in mind that these are only suggestions, but they reveal a whole lot about human nature.

• One waited to see if the cure was real.

• One waited to see if it would last.

• One said he would see Jesus later.

• One decided that he had never had leprosy.

• One said he would have gotten well anyway.

• One gave the glory to the priests.

• One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."

• One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."

• One said, "I was already much improved."

Jesus said to the one, “Arise, go your faith has made you well!” In other words, “You believing in the Son of God has made you well!”

Here’s 4 important points to remember here at this Thanksgiving season:

#1. Nine out of ten were satisfied with reaping the benefits of His power only! [They saw nothing in the power of God in Him, to attract them]!

What does the name ‘Jesus Christ’ mean to you?

Acts 10:38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.