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Uncommon Thanks
Luke 17:11-19 (NKJV)
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.”
The preacher came over to visit unexpectedly. Wanting to make a good impression, the lady of the house instructed her little daughter, “Please run and get that good book we all love so much and bring it here.”
The daughter tottered off and then returned in a minute with triumph on her face, and the Sears catalogue in her hands!
This story is quite the epitome of our human nature, which is to ask, ask, ask. And in this case, as with most children, this little girl’s choice of reading material was a book full of material things of which she had made a wish list, and not the Book of Spiritual and Physical things in which we need to make our focal point.
It is the Bible, not material possessions which will bring teach us what response that God is looking to receive from us.
That response is, Uncommon Thanks!
Jesus expresses concern in (vs. 18) “was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner (Samaritan)?”
2) Differences between the Jews and the Samaritans.
· Jews & Samaritans hated each other
· Jews would go to great lengths to bypass Samaria on a Journey
· Even thought they had common roots in their heritage they preferred to feel as if they had nothing in common.
Some things brought these 9 Jews and 1 Samaritan together.
What was it?
a. Their common affliction. (Leprosy was the most feared illness in that time.)
vs. 12 tells us that these 10 lepers “stood at a distance”
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.
Lev 13:45-46
“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.”
They suffered together in the agony of their affliction
b. Their common need for mercy.
(They) called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity (mercy) on us!” (vs. 13)
c. Their common faith.
· They must have heard of the authority and healing power of Jesus.
d. Their common cleansing.
vs. 14 tells us, “And as they went, they were cleansed”
Even though these 9 Jews and 1 Samaritan had so many common experiences that had pulled them together across generations of prejudice and pride. – Something at the last separated them again!
Something pulled this 10 member gang of lepers apart. What was it?
In vs. 18 Jesus proclaims –
“Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
· The word foreigner that Jesus used here is the same word that was inscribed on the wall of the temple to describe those who could not enter! This gives us great insight into the faith of this Samaritan!
· He took Jesus at His word and began a journey to see the priest – a journey that he could have never finished!!!
· The priest would have never seen this man…they would have considered him to be worth less than a stray dog!
After the healing
-The 9 Jews still had the priest to go to so they could be declared clean.
-The 9 Jews still had the law to fulfill so they could be considered good Jews
· The 1 Samaritan had not where to go to but back to Jesus!
Jesus was the source of his healing.
Jesus was the one who had shown him the mercy he did not deserve.
This foreigner had no desire to go back to his previous false religion.
The Samaritan religion lacked the power to heal him.
The Samaritan religion had failed to show him mercy
· This Samaritan only wanted to go one place… BACK TO JESUS!
We can presume a lot of things – but the greatest cause to separate this Samaritan from the 9 Jews – was his Uncommon Thankfulness!
There were some powerful results of the Samaritans uncommon gratefulness.
1. He touched Jesus!
vs. 16 “He threw himself on Jesus’ feet…”
· Out of the 10 who were healed this Samaritan was the only one who got to touch Jesus!
2. Jesus made him well.
vs. 19 “Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you
well.”
Some Bible scholars say…
“The word “well” is from the same word that is used in the New Testament to describe salvation.
There are some striking similarities between this story in Scripture and ourselves.
a. Our common affliction has brought us together – Sin.
– It is an affliction that brought us together – because we have all suffered from it.
– It is a disease that has contaminated each of us and caused us to be outcast from the family of God.
– It is a disease which is fatal to the soul no one can cure it. **Except, the Great Physician.
The Bible says, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
-We have all shared in the affliction of sin.
· BUT THERE IS ONE THING THAT WILL SET US APPART FROM MOST OTHERS….
An Uncommon Thankfulness!
1. Those who are sincerely thankful get to experience the joy of touching the heart of God.
2. Those who express an uncommon thankfulness to the master are the ones who experience cleansing of sin – and get to experience the Joy of being made well! If anyone has a reason to be Uncommonly Thankful – It is us!
Altar:
1) Have you had the faith to call out to Jesus for a cleansing from sin?
Or are you still alienated in the camp of sin – living a hopeless life?
2) If you have experienced the Cleansing of the Lord, how often do you return to fall at His feet and touch Him with your thankfulness?
IF YOU HAVE FAILED TO BE UNCOMMONLY THANKFUL – IT IS THANKSGIVING SEASON – NOW IS THE TIME TO BEGIN LIVING WITH UNCOMMON THANKFULNESS.
