Where Are The Nine?

Where Are The Nine?

Luke 17:11-19
"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?"

INTRODUCTION:

1. Luke 17:11-19.

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.”

DISCUSSION:

I. The situation.

A. Jesus, while traveling to Jerusalem, passed through the areas of Samaria and Galilee.

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;
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 kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, 10 nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. 11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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,  who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 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.