INTRODUCTION:
1. Luke 17:11-19.
11 On the way to
DISCUSSION:
I. The situation.
A. Jesus, while traveling to Jerusalem, passed through the areas of
B. As Jesus entered into a certain village, he met ten lepers. Several
parallels can be drawn between leprosy and sin.
1. Leprosy had brought these men to a common level.
a. The fact that one was a Samaritan implies the others were Jews.
Normally, Samaritans and Jews had nothing to do with one another (John 4:9)
Samaritan Woman. But now, these men are ignoring their racial differences and
prejudices.
b. Likewise, sin brings all men to a common level before God (Romans
3:23).
2. Leprosy made these men unclean.
a. Lepers were required to warn others of their uncleanness (Leviticus
13:45). "The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes
and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry
out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’
b. Sin makes us unclean in the eyes of God.
3. Leprosy separated these men from society.
a. A leper had to either live alone apart from society, or in a leper
colony (Leviticus 13:46). He shall remain unclean as long as he
has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be
outside the camp.
b. Sin separates man from God and his people (Isaiah 59:1-2, II
Thessalonians 3:6).
Isaiah 59:1-2 - Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it
cannot save,
or his ear dull, that it cannot hear; 2 but your iniquities have made a
separation
between you and your God, and your sins have
hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.
II Thessalonians 3:6 - Now we command you, brothers, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is
walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from
us.
II. The solution.
A. Leprosy had filled these men with despair.
1. These men had no human solution for their disease.
2. They lifted their voices, recognizing Jesus as Master and asking for
His mercy.
B. There is no human solution for the problem of sin.
1. Salvation from sin can be found only in Christ (Acts 4:12). And there
is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given
among men by which we must be saved.”
2. What can take away a person’s sin? Consider I Corinthians 6:9-11
along with Revelation 1:5.
I Corinthians 6:9-11 - Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not
inherit the
Revelation
1:5 - and from Jesus
Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings
on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
3. When we obey the gospel, we become recipients of God’s grace and
mercy (Psalm 103:8, Psalm 103:17, Ephesians 2:4, Titus 3:5, Hebrews 4:14-16).
III. The sin (ingratitude).
A. Nine of the lepers were cleansed of their leprosy but did not return
to thank Jesus.
B. One of the men, a Samaritan, returned, glorified God, fell down at
Jesus’ feet, and gave thanks (Luke 17:15-16).
1. Are we thankful for the church?
2. Are we thankful for the Bible?
3. Are we thankful for fellow Christians?
4. Are we thankful for what God and Christ have done for us? Consider
Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 7:28-29, John 10:10.
Philippians 2:5-11 - Have this mind among yourselves, which
is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who,
though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be
grasped, 7 but made himself nothing, taking the
form of a servant, being born
in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he
humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a
cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at
the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the
earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Matthew 7:28-29 - And when Jesus finished these sayings,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was
teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.
CONCLUSION:
1. At least three lessons we ought to learn from the incident of Jesus
cleansing the ten lepers:
a) We all need to be cleansed of our sin.
b) Ingratitude is a sin that we all ought to guard against.
c) God expects gratitude from every one of us.