Jump Start # 3119

Luke 17:17 “And Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine– where are they?”

Our verse is found in the story of the ten lepers. Jesus is heading to Jerusalem. He has an appointment with the cross. All along this journey to His death, He continues to do good. He heals. He welcomes. He helps. A couple of chapters later, Jesus will be heading to the home of Zacchaeus. Jesus was not so absorbed in Himself that He was blind to those around Him.

Ten lepers, likely nine were Jewish and one was a Samaritan. They would not typically be standing together, but they had no one else. Disease does not recognize nationalities, ethnic backgrounds, religion, wealth or position. The young get sick as well as the old. The important get sick as well as the common. In the account of the rich man and Lazarus, both men died. The rich man likely died in his bed in his nice house. Lazarus died outside, alone, by the rich man’s gate. Together with a problem.

Notice a few things:

First, the ten lepers all had the same need. There were standing at a distance. They could not stand close by. The disease plagued the body and crippled social interaction. Our recent times has introduced the expression, “social distancing,” or “standing six feet apart.” Long before this, lepers understood that. Couldn’t go to work. Couldn’t go home. Couldn’t go to worship. About all they could do was find fellow lepers and beg. Death was coming and they knew it all too well.

Second, they all thought that Jesus could help. As Jesus passed, Luke records that “they” cried out. It wasn’t just one, but the group. Many voices might get the attention, whereas, one voice might not be heard. Samaritans and Jews were not on the same page doctrinally. Yet, as the Lord passed through that village, Jew and Samaritan understood and believed that Jesus could help them. He had made the lame walk. He had stilled storms. He had multiplied food. He had cast out demons. He had even raised the dead. These men were without hope, until Jesus came. They cried out together. Troubles have a way of doing that. We tend to drop our differences and unite in compassion and helping.

Third, all of them were cleansed. Jesus tells them to go to the priest. The priest was the official authority to declare whether one could return to life or had to remain isolated. Go to the priest. They go. It seems as the text is written, that they were not cleansed and cured yet. It appears they were still leprous, but they believed something would happen. “As they were going, they were cleansed” is what the text tells us. Jesus helped this Samaritan as well as the Jews. As they were going, their hands and toes started feeling again. Color returned to their faces and arms. White splotches disappeared. You can just see them all standing looking at their hands, feet and arms. You can hear the shouts of joy and excitement. You can just see each of them looking closely at one another. “Look at my arms,” we can hear one of the saying. More than a disease gone, it was life that was given to them. They were cleansed.

Fourth, one of them ran the other direction. The group headed to see the priest. The Samaritan headed to see Jesus. He falls at the feet of Jesus and with loud cries, he thanks the Lord. He is so blessed. He is so happy. He is so thankful. Jesus has done what no one could do.

Then comes our verse. Where are the rest of them? Why haven’t they returned? Were they not thankful? Did they not receive what they asked for? They asked. They received. But they never gave thanks. Maybe they thought Jesus will know. Maybe they thought, we need to see the priest as Jesus said. Thanks was due, but thanks never came from the Jews. Only the foreigner, the Samaritan returned.

A few thoughts for us:

First, I wonder how many times we are in the crowd with these nine Jews? We pray. We receive. We fail to thank. We need God and He is there. We are glad things turned out well, but were we thankful? How many times have we forgotten and failed to thank the Lord. Nearly every public prayer includes the phrase “forgive us of our sins.” We say that at every worship. Yet, how rare it is to hear someone in a prayer thank the Lord for forgiving us. Where are the nine? Where is Roger? Where are you? This ought to sting us a bit.

Second, sometimes it’s the “foreigners” that remind us of what we ought to be doing. The foreigner may not be a national foreigner, but a visitor or someone not even a Christian. Maybe their comments are closer to the Lord than ours are. Maybe they are more helpful than what we are. Maybe they have a better faith and trust that we do. Somehow I do not think that group of cleansed lepers would hold a reunion the following year. Even if they did, I tend to think they would not have included the Samaritan. Cleansed, they no longer had anything in common with him. Cleansed they no longer needed his fellowship. Sometimes our attitudes lean more toward judgmental than grace. Sometimes we would rather execute justice than forgive. Sometimes we’d rather be served than serve. And, along comes a Samaritan. He may be in the fashion of a neighbor, or a co-worker, or a cousin, and he speaks more kindly than we do. He is more generous than we are. He extends an open hand while our fists are clenched. But because he is not one of us, we sometimes fail to learn any lessons. We refuse to think that he could be right in some areas. No one returned to give glory to God except a foreigner.

Third, Jesus gave a special blessing to the Samaritan. The Lord easily could have returned the leprosy to the nine, but that’s not the way of the Lord. But to the thankful Samaritan, Jesus said, “your faith has made you well.” Couldn’t that had been said of all ten of them? They were no longer diseased. They no longer had to stand at a distance. All of them were cured. What was different? The returning Samaritan not only was well in his body, but he was well in his soul. His faith made him well. Jesus forgave him of his sins. The Lord did that many times before the Cross. And, here we find yet another lesson for us. So many times we want the prayers because of disease, and the church prays. But how many times do we think about a soul that is sick? Heal the body but lose the soul is not a good choice. Jesus came for the purpose of saving souls. Ridding the earth of disease was not the mission, intention or plans of God. Saving lost souls is what Jesus came for. This simple story ought to remind us of this. Those nine cleansed lepers would one day die. We know that. There are no people on the earth that are two thousand years old. They all have died. However, how many of them received the grace of God and were forgiven? The Samaritan was blessed with something far better than more years on earth. He received something much grander than hope here. His faith made him well. Forgiven by the Savior, he was Heaven Bound.

What a twist of fate to think that this Samaritan could be in Heaven and the nine cleansed lepers were not. Let’s keep the heavenly perspective before us. Praying for someone to be healed only to live a longer lifetime without Jesus isn’t much. It’d be far better for that person to find the Lord and die young than to live a lifetime of sin and selfishness.

Where are the nine?  What a story. What a Savior.

Roger

Jump Start # 985

Luke 17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they?

NOTE: Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We will not have a Jump Start tomorrow or Friday. Enjoy the time with your family. Be thankful. Help others.

Our passage is one that I refer to often at Thanksgiving time. It is the account of the healing of the ten lepers. There are some interesting things about what happened. They are united in a deadly disease. The one who thanked Jesus was a Samaritan. Jesus made note of that. The very mention of that fact implies that the other nine were Jewish. Jews and Samaritans had no dealings with each other. They would not be standing together if they were well. This disease has crossed lines of differences and found that the only companion a leper has is another leper. I wonder if the nine cleansed lepers ever spoke again to the cleansed Samaritan.

They were also united in crying out to Jesus for mercy. Luke tells us that “THEY raised their voices, saying Jesus, Master, have mercy on US.” They and us—together in need.

They were united in what Jesus told them to do. The Lord didn’t tell the Jews to do one thing and the Samaritan something else. They were all given the same command—”go and show yourselves to the priests.” The priest of the Samaritan would be different from the Jewish priest but they seem to be united in going together. Go and show. He didn’t say, you are healed. Go and show. They left hoping, believing and thinking something would happen. It did. On the way, they were cleansed. They were given life, hope and a future. Jesus changed them.

The Samaritan returned to Jesus before he went to the priest. He fell at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him with a loud voice. The others were on the way to see the priest. They didn’t return. Jesus noted that. It is often suggested that they were not thankful. I doubt that. They were. They were wanting to have mercy and Jesus gave it to them. They received exactly what they were asking for. Why were they not thankful? Were they disappointed? Did this mean that they had to return to family and work and they didn’t want to? Not at all. They, like us, too often, are thankful in our hearts but we fail to express it. Others do not know that you are thankful until you say it. The one leper took the time to return and verbalize his feelings to Jesus.

We need to say “Thank you.” We need to say it often. Feeling it, knowing it, thinking it, isn’t the same as saying it. The one leper took the time to return and thank Jesus.

Here is a short list that comes to my mind of folks we need to say “thank you” to:

• Our parents for the care in raising us. Many of us got a great start in life because of our wonderful parents. They sacrificed for us. They worked hard to put us through college. They took us to worship often. They set rules. They fussed over us. They made us be modest, decent, and responsible. And look at us today…we are doing great things and much of that is due to our start.

• Our God for forgiving us. Salvation is a gift. God doesn’t have to save us. He chose to. What a mess we would be in without Jesus and grace. Have you ever said, “Thank you,” to God for forgiving you? Have you ever wondered just how many times God has forgiven you? Most of us would have run out of patience on ourselves by now. Not God. He believes in you, loves you and wants you. Amazing. Doesn’t that deserve at least a verbal “thank you.” One of my favorite hymns is entitled “Thank you.”
• God’s people that continue to help us. There are those in our congregations whose smiling face just seems to make everything right. There are those in other places who have preached sermons, written cards, sent emails, shared an article, said the right thing in the right way, that pushed us, reminded us, helped us, encouraged us and kept us going. They believe in you. They won’t let you down nor will they let you quit. They support, defend, and trust you. Thank you. Thank you. Let them know that. Tell them.

• And a personal one for me, thank you our readers of Jump Starts. So many of you have dropped me emails, nearly every day now, with expressions of warmth, love and encouragement. Who would have ever thought that this little thing I write each morning would have touched so many hearts. I feel that you, the readers have helped me more than I have ever helped you. I have been reminded that goodness is still out there. People do care. Honest and good hearts are making a difference. Our hearts have been brought together over sad news such as the death of friends and we have rejoiced with happy news like a wedding. Our list of readers continues to grow every month. I am amazed. You have touched my heart deeply and I would invite each one of you to my house for Thanksgiving but I think that would make my wife a bit frantic about where we would sit everyone. Thank you. Thank you for reading, sharing and believing in the goodness that I have tried to express in these Jump Starts.

Thank you. Say it. Express it. Show it. Mean it. Live it.

My thanks to you,

Roger

Jump Start # 226

Luke 17:17 “Then Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they?’”

  Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem. He has an appointment with the cross. As He passes through a village, a group of ten leprous men, from a distance, raise their voices and beg Jesus for mercy. Jesus tells them to present themselves to the priest. He are cured of leprosy. As they go, one stops. One returns and falls at the feet of Jesus and gives thanks. Luke tells us that he was a Samaritan. The rest go on to the priest to get clearance to return to society and to their lives. In a statement of reality Jesus asked, “Where are the nine?”

  The very fact that a Samaritan is among these lepers tells you the serious condition they were in. Jews do not associate with Samaritans. But here, all that is dropped. There is no one that will associate with them expect fellow lepers. A contagious, usually fatal disease that meant isolation from all people, except other lepers. They stood at a distance. Family members would drop food off, ring and bell and leave. The future for lepers was bleak. Toes and fingers lost feelings. Often they would break a bone and not realize it. Infection followed. The numbness spread. Open sores, whitening of the skin were common among lepers.

  It is impressive that the Lord had the most important event on His mind, His death at Calvary. This is the reason why He came. Yet we find Him still helping others, all along the journey to Jerusalem.

  The healed Samaritan is the poster child of thankfulness. He returns. He falls at Jesus’ feet. He thanks and glorifies God. His life has been saved. Death has been pushed back. He can return to his family, his job and his life. He will again be shunned by the Jews, but he is so thankful for a second chance.

  Being thankful is more than just a feeling. It is more than getting what you want or a happy feeling. It is important, as illustrated in this passage, to return and thank the person who helped you. Thankfulness needs to be spoken—you must say it.

  Now, are we to think that the other nine were not thankful? In other words, were they complaining, now I have to go home and have to go back to work. Never. They shouted for Jesus to have mercy on them and He did. They wanted to be healed and they were. How come they didn’t thank Jesus?

  Could it be that they were doing what Jesus said, going to the priest? Could it be that they thought, “He knows. You don’t have to say it”? Could it be that they were so excited, like a child at Christmas, that they failed to stop and thank? There may be many reasons we could come up with, but the fact that nine didn’t return and thank Jesus, caught Jesus’ attention. He noticed. He knew. How does that make a giver feel? You go out of your way to help someone and they don’t even say ‘thank you.’ You feel used and taken advantage of. Think Jesus felt that way?

  All of this tells us that we need to be thankful, and we need to say it, especially to God. Your life may be in a valley right now. You may feel like you have been slapped in the face by hard times and unfairness, but you have life, you have a God who loves you, you have been blessed. There is much to be thankful for.

  At the end of this section, the thankful Samaritan is told by Jesus to “Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.” Wasn’t that true of all of the ten lepers? Possibly. But, possibly, this one Samaritan received something the others didn’t , forgiveness of his sins. It is one thing to be well in the body and to have the leprosy cured, it is something else to be well in the heart and to have forgiveness extended. He received a cured heart and body.

  There is no price that you can put on forgiveness. There is no where else you can receive it other than in Jesus. What a gift it is. It is not earned, deserved nor something that God has to do. He doesn’t. It is something that changes your present and changes your future.

  Paul said, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” (2 Cor 9:15). Have you told God that? Today, would be a good day to start.

Roger