Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Where Are The Other Nine?



In Luke 17:11-19 we have a picture of Jesus’ ministry to those who in their day would have their fate sealed by the dreaded disease of leprosy. To have leprosy was horrible and one would have to cry out, “unclean” and they would be socially and spiritually excluded until the day that Jesus shows up for these ten men. Interestingly enough only one man comes back to thank Jesus and He is a Samaritan. The eyes of his disciples may have easily rolled at this point as they must have been thinking, “Why does it always come back to these guys anyways?…” So, Jesus once again teaches his followers the art of what it means to be thankful, faithful and full of grace.

Leprosy as we know it today is called “Hansen’s disease” and it is when the flesh rots and falls off often starting with toes or fingers. In the Bible times, leprosy would have had a much broader definition and any type of skin disease might be deemed leprosy. So if a person had eczema or another harmless skin disease, they would have to present themselves to the priest. The priest in that day would look for certain characteristics to determine how serious the leprosy was in terms of the skin disease.

We would just go to the doctor, but in that day the priest served this function as well and would make the call as to whether someone would need to be quarantined.

Again this story like many of the miraculous accounts of Jesus pits the tax collector against the religious man, the lame man vs the spiritually lame religious leaders, the prostitutes against the rulers of the law, the parable of the wedding banquet between the invited guests and those on the streets and here the Samaritan vs 9 Jewish men.

These special people recognize their deep need of salvation and the free gift of God. There is no mistake with them as to how they got there.

This story is a picture of Jesus’ ministry – the sinners are getting in to the kingdom while the so called saints are losing out.

If we truly want to discover the miraculous, the supernatural in our lives and ministry, then we need to learn this story well.

1. Jesus demands an act of faith of his followers! v11-14

So, we have the story of the ten lepers and all 10 are outcasts, but one of them, the Samaritan as I have mentioned is an outcast among outcasts. Knowing Jesus’ reputation as a healer, these men are begging and pleading of him, but notice He doesn’t heal them on the spot.

He demands an act of faith of them. He tells them to, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.

Again it was only the priest in the OT that had that very responsibility to make that declaration.

Jesus didn’t say “You are healed”, he said, “Go, act like you are healed!” This story is a striking parallel to the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:1-14. Naaman is a military general for the Syrian army and it is his young servant girl who was an Israelite who urges him to seek out the prophet Elisha. So, what happens? Well, he is told to wash himself in the filthy Jordan River 7x.

Again an act of faith is required – just like the woman begging Jesus for the crumbs, just like the lame man who is told to take up his mat and walk.

So the ten men are told to go and they are getting healed on the way. Just imagine the conversation, “Hey man, check it out your whole face is lighting up!” “Wow, check you out, you just grew a toe!!” These guys very easily could have been making quite the commotion, shouting, screaming, hugging each other. Some of the onlookers might have thought that these guys just left the stadium and got back from either winning a great victory or seeing their favorite team win.

2. Jesus followers are quick to give credit. v15,16

Now, Jewish listeners would love to hear about this story of healing, but at the same time be completely shocked to hear that the only thankful one was a Samaritan. They thought he would be the least likely to return. They despised them and the feelings were mutual. You are probably saying I know, I know, but here is a little more background that I picked up on Samaritans.

They were a group of people that arose during the Assyrian exile when the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered. The Assyrians brought in foreigners to marry the Israelites and those who did became Samaritans. They were a distinct race and had a form of Judaism, they were seen as half breeds, ethnically impure and heretics. The relationship went from bad to worse in 141BC when the Jews gained independence and after more than twenty-five years of rebellion, Jewish rebels drive the last of the Syrians out of Judea. With the strength of Rome behind the rebellion, Judea wins formal independence: an independent Jewish state for the first time in more than four centuries. Simon Maccabeus is chosen by a popular assembly as High Priest despite his lack of qualifications by birth.

It would sound like a oxymoron to a Jew in that century to hear about “The Good Samaritan” as we have come to know the man in the story Jesus told about.

However, once again, Jesus keeps stretching his followers to teach them that God loves all people.

So, why did the other nine not come back? The culture back then was one of reciprocity so when you did a favour for someone, it was expected that you would pay it back. They would essentially say I will pay you back later as opposed to our culture when we pretty much learn to say thank you for everything. The other nine didn’t come back for possibly this reason or they felt that maybe they deserved it. Possibly they thought it was their good works or that they suffered long enough or maybe they just simply just got on with their lives.

In returning to thank Jesus this Samaritan realized there was no way that he could pay it back… the grace that God had given him and He worshipped Him. The people that get it worship Him because they know but for the grace of God….

Again we see this theme throughout Jesus’ ministry where the religious elite don’t get it, they think that they have earned so they refuse to repent, but meanwhile those who were on the margins of society, the outsiders, tax collectors and prostitutes respond to God’s free grace.


Another interesting thing to note is in Luke 17:19 there is an interesting use of language. The greek word for made you well is ‘saved’ and there is a close connection between spiritual and physical healing.

Isaiah 35:4-6

God’s salvation is not just spiritual but the restoration of man’s humanity and condition to bring restoration.

Jesus wanted to bring true restoration to creation. He brings true healing both spiritually and physically to this one leper.

This story teaches us a heart of gratitude and the story of God’s grace. It is not something that we do to earn it but to experience freely from God.

God is calling us to a grateful heart. How often do we take the gifts of God for granted…just the ability alone to come and to worship freely, enormous wealth

In one episode of the Simpsons, Bart Simpson who is about to pray sits down and says well God we paid for all this so thanks for nothing....Do we sometimes get into that mentality…I’ve worked for this, I deserve it. It is a dangerous place to be. Don’t let it die from your lips, don’t let it drain from your life. A lack of thankfulness is a root cause of burnout.

The presence of thankfulness is a concrete step in dying to self.

1 Thessalonians 5:18; Ephesians 5:20; James 1:17 – recognize God’s undeserved favour


Sometimes we may be told to go on a journey by Jesus that may seem odd to us, but our Lord is calling us to step out in faith…He’s demanding it…


Go on this journey with me…God is calling us. The 9 who were healed were, “Jesus who?’ They no longer needed him…out of sight, out of mind.

Jesus did not come to make us safe, He came to make us brave! I was listening to a speaker this week share about the great adventures He and his brothers had with his dad and the one time that he will never forget when his dad decided they were going to climb to the top of Mount Rayner. Before the last and most grueling part of the climb there was a Visitor’s Center. He decided to stay while his brothers went with his dad to the top of the mountain. All of a sudden the Visitor’s Center wasn’t so cool anymore.

When they arrived back and went home, he listened to his brother’s stories. They had them and he didn’t. He went on the trip, but he missed the adventure. That is what happens every time we decide to try to go places with God without faith.

And finally,

Don’t forget about the people God has sent you, His good gifts, how He has given you the victory to overcome obstacles and addictions…

What have you done for me lately…

Extend God’s grace to everybody no matter what… don’t despise others

While we were yet sinners Christ died for us…We are all sinners in need of God’s grace…offer it to others especially those on the outside, those on the margin of society.

The Takeaway

Jesus demands that we step out in faith with grace, see the supernatural and thank and worship Him every step of the way!!!

Faith-filled, full of grace and thanksgiving!


Questions for Discussion and Small Groups:

Who do you more easily identify with, the other nine or the one who came back? Why?

Where is God telling you to step out in faith?

Write a list of 10 things you never want to take for granted.

Can you identify a time in your life when your faith made you well?