Reference

Luke 17:11-19

Giving Glory to God

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.”

I want to start out this morning by testing your knowledge of social norms.

  • When you are at a wedding and the bride appears at the back of the aisle, everyone ____. You recognize the significant moment, the special day for her, and the weight that is on that couple's words.

  • When a judge enters the courtroom, people stand and refer to him as "Your Honor." Because the robe represents authority, justice, and responsibility, we ought to show respect and honor that goes with his decision.

  • When a soldier comes home, people applaud. The sacrifice given demands recognition.

  • When your team scores a goal, a home run, or a touchdown, you are excited for the achievement and overcoming opposition.

  • When a great musician finishes a masterpiece, people give a standing ovation. Seeing beauty and excellence requires a celebration.

  • What about when your best friend, your homeboy, stops by? "What's up," a high five, and a punch in the shoulder. Comfort. He is not above you. He can't do anything to you. He's an ordinary guy, and you are not trying to impress him.

Those are helpful things to do, and we recognize that we respond differently to different people. So, how should we respond to God? He is altogether different from a bride, a judge, an athlete, or a musician. He is far greater than any of those, so our celebration of Him should be far greater too.

We respond to God differently because...

Our Need for Mercy from God

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.”

Jesus is confronted by ten lepers. "Leprosy" was a broad term for various skin diseases; we have more precise terms today. Some of these diseases were minor, while others were severe.

The original word means "scaly" or "flaky." It can refer to sores, eruptions, or, in more serious conditions, situations where the skin and flesh deform and nerves die. Some forms of leprosy were called "death by inches" because it was a slow, gradual, and certain death.

Leprosy was also highly contagious (Lev. 13:38–46; Num. 5:2–4), so lepers were removed from society and lived in what were called leper colonies. This is where they went to die. To re-enter society, they had to be declared clean by a priest (Lev. 14:1–32).

So, these people were sick and hurting. They were cut off from their own people, separated from both church and family. They stand at a distance because they can't come near to Jesus, and they cry out for mercy.

Mercy. This word conveys a sense of pity or compassion one would have for a person. It is often used in the context of the poor. They have no ability to help themselves, so they reach out to Jesus. It is a blessing regarded as a manifestation of compassion or favor.

The word is used when one has no right to help. If you agreed to pay me $20 an hour and I worked for two hours, you owe me $40. I deserve that. Mercy means I have not worked, and I cannot work. I do not deserve anything from you. I have nothing to overpower you with, nor any status to persuade you. I am solely at your mercy.

Why do these guys need mercy? They have no money, no power, no health—no nothing. All they have is their sickness, and they need help from the Lord. They plead for mercy from God as a beggar pleads for a few dollars.

And fortunately, our God is a God of compassion. His mercies are new every day. Just as surely as there are going to be challenges and hardships today, there is going to be mercy. You will never come to an end of God’s mercies; you will never exhaust them.

Lamentations 3:22–23 > The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning...

Think about the compassion of God. Some nameless lepers on an isolated hill call out to Him, and the Savior of the universe takes time to show mercy! Is this not beautiful? We often want a God who will strike our enemies, but we ought to remember His compassions to us, and pray that others receive His compassion as well.

He does not crush them or cast them out for their uncleanness. He sees. He hears. He answers.

Jesus simply tells them to go show themselves to the priest. In this time, priests were charged with inspecting such things and declaring people clean or unclean.

As they are going, they are healed. The text actually says they are made clean. If they are made clean, it means they no longer have leprosy. Healing is applied in the cleansing.

It is often true that you have to step out in faith to demonstrate trust or dependence on God. You have to move before you see the final result.

We all need mercy from God. Perhaps it is with our physical health, but it is certainly true regarding our sin and shortcomings. We fall short of what God commands. For that reason, we deserve His punishment.

When you are brought to the end of your abilities and someone meets you in that place, you realize you don't deserve it. You can't force them to do it. You are simply at their mercy.

This gives hope to all who have fallen short—to all who have no power to heal themselves. If you run to Jesus, He will have mercy on you.

God Deserves Praise from Us

This passage is not ultimately about how to get Jesus to heal you or hear your prayer. It is about giving God the praise He deserves. In this passage, ten lepers are healed, but only one returns to give God glory.

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.

All ten were healed, but only one guy turned back. He was on his way to do exactly what Jesus said; he was obeying Him. Jesus said, “Go show yourself to the priest.” The priest would declare them clean, and they could finally go back into the community! But this man recognizes he has received something incredible, and his very first act is to give thanks. To worship.

The others wanted to get certified and get right back to life. They wanted to grab their documentation and go see their families. They wanted to return to work. They had kids dependent on them and bills to pay. They wanted to pick up a Grande double-shot from Starbucks.

He fell on his face at the feet of Jesus. When was the last time you bowed to someone? When was the last time you put your face at the feet of another? This doesn’t seem to be a man who just had a minor rash healed. It is someone whose life has been spared. Jesus delivered him from something he was completely powerless to change.

You might ask: Where is your self-respect? Your dignity? You don't fall at someone's feet. That is declaring you are below them, that you are at their mercy. He is humbling himself, but his humility is based on reality. He really is under Jesus. Jesus really is greater than he.

He lifts a loud voice. He is not worried that the people in front of him might hear him singing off-key. He is not worried about other people at all. Gratitude simply wells up.

The others failed to do this. Jesus asked three rhetorical questions:

  • Were not ten cleansed?

  • Where are the other nine?

  • Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?

Perhaps they didn’t have time for a church service; they had to get to work. And it’s not like Jesus explicitly ordered them to come back first. Did He really say to come back? It felt unnecessary to them.

It may have seemed unnecessary, but it really is our first duty. In relationships, you can act completely according to the letter of the law but still fail in your primary duty. Should I have to tell you to say thanks? Should I have to tell you what I like? Should I have to tell you to come see me?

True faith and worship inherently involves praising—that is, glorifying—God (cf. Luke 5:25; Acts 12:23).

To glorify, exalt, or praise means to acknowledge someone for their high and exalted status, or to enter into a state of glory and celebration. We have all praised and exalted something this week.

The other nine had a knowledge of God. They had an experience of God. They had even stepped out in obedience, representing a real degree of faith on their part. But it would seem that they fell short of what God truly called them to. We all fall short, but here, something was fundamentally missing.

  • The text seems to distinguish between ten being cleansed and one experiencing something much deeper.

  • The miracle happened on the road, but worship happened at His feet.

  • The point is not just what happened on the road, but what happened at Jesus' feet and in the man's heart.

  • Ten men wanted healing; one man wanted Jesus.

  • Nine were restored in body. One was restored in body and heart.

  • The greatest miracle in the story may not be cleansed skin—it may be a changed heart.

  • Nine received the gift. One returned to the Giver.

It is a warning that one can experience God’s work of grace and yet still fall short of receiving salvation. Ten lepers were healed. All cried to Jesus. All were heard by Jesus. All were healed by God. All were familiar with the religious practice of going to the priest. Yet, not all gave God glory.

Like the seed that fell upon the rock in Luke 8:13, they received Jesus’ “word with joy … but … only believe[d] for a while.”

One can experience God’s work and even His physical healing but fall short of salvation—and this final state may, in fact, be worse than the first (cf. Luke 11:24–26). Those nine lepers might one day be able to say: “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets. You even healed us!” But they will be turned away (Luke 13:26–27). Luke’s readers are instructed to make certain they identify with the leper who persevered.

Jesus says something to the Samaritan that He does not say to the others: "Your faith has made you well [saved you]." They all experienced a physical healing, but only this one is said to have received salvation and a deeper, spiritual work of God. All experienced a work of God. All could say they called out to Jesus. All could say they were heard by Jesus. All could say they obeyed Jesus. All could say they were healed by Jesus. But only one could say he worshipped Jesus. Only one was granted eternal salvation.

He received something far greater than physical healing.

For Luke, true faith—the kind that leads to salvation—is intimately connected with glorifying God. It is also tied to experiencing the mercy of God, particularly as it relates to the forgiveness of sins.

Sometimes my team scores and I shout, and the kids look at me like, “What are you doing??” Sometimes I hear a classic guitar introduction like "Sweet Child O' Mine," and I start shaking my head and playing air guitar, and my wife just stares at me. She does not share in my exact joy. When we truly come to know the depth of mercy Jesus has had on us, we can't help but want to praise God.

Worship is why we sing songs each Sunday. Passages like this are the exact reason. It is a chance to lift up a loud voice to God. It is a chance to say, "God, I am coming back to You."

I believe worship is deeply glorifying to God. If you find yourself uncomfortable with the singing portion of the service, I want to encourage you to challenge yourself in this area.

I believe there is something fundamental to our nature that is expressed in what we choose to celebrate. Emotions are essential to who we are as humans, but like many things, they can get suppressed, ignored, stifled, criticized, disfigured, and bent. However, holding back your emotions is like blocking a river; it will only work for a time before the pressure builds.

But I also want to say that our emotions can be disordered by idols, just as our lives are disordered by idols. What that means is we weep for the wrong things, we get angry at unimportant things, we grieve for the wrong things, and we remain completely unmoved by the things that should move us.

“Gratitude is testimony with a voice.”

Big Idea: Jesus shows us undeserved mercy, and we gratefully respond by glorifying God.

3. Glorify Him With...

  • A loud voice in church.

  • Bowing down before Him.

  • Giving your whole life to Jesus—your worship, your heart, your possessions. All of it.

  • Declaring His goodness with a loud voice.

  • A Testimony of Praise

The gift that Jesus gives to us must be received. This man received it. He received and welcomed it with faith, trust, pursuit, and celebration. When you realize what you have been given, and the One who offers it to you, you can't help but return to worship Him. You worship Him with your whole heart.

Mark 5:19 > “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.”

Psalm 105:1–2 > Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his name; make known his deeds among the peoples! Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wondrous works!

Renvelation 12:11 > And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony...

We have been praying about how we can be a light to others in our community. We have not felt led to adopt a single specific ministry or need—we partner with many. Instead, one of the things we feel led to do is share the light and life of Jesus directly with those who are hurting and longing for hope. We believe a powerful way to do that is simply by sharing how God has worked in our individual lives.

Over the summer, we want to encourage everyone to write out their testimony and share it with someone.

KEEP THESE ON ONE SLIDE IF POSSIBLE

Questions to Help Write Your Testimony:

  • What did God do in your life?

  • What was your life like before God moved? (Be specific where you are able).

  • How did the work and promises of Jesus change your life? (Jesus is the Savior and hero of the Bible, so our testimonies should point clearly to Him and His work for us).

  • How did God draw you into a closer relationship with Him? (What sins, behaviors, or beliefs did you repent of, or how did God bring you to a place of trusting in and submitting to Him?)

This leper might say: “I was hopeless and lost, and I cried out to God for mercy. He spared my life. It wasn't just physical healing that I needed; I needed to know the source of life and hope. I became a worshipper of Jesus and found true salvation.”

Do you see what He has done, and will you celebrate Him? Sing to Him. Give Him loud words of praise.

  • In the Church.

  • In your attitude in life.

  • In your witness.

We want to grow in being worshippers, and in this passage, there is a direct connection between being a worshipper and being a witness. A witness is simply someone who points others to the glory and greatness of God.

If you are a Christian, it means Christ has done something undeniable in your life.

Discussion Questions

  1. How does understanding God’s mercy toward us change the way we view our sin, our salvation, and our relationship with Him?

  2. What do you think kept the other nine from coming back? What keeps people (or you) from glorifying God today?

  3. What does the Samaritan’s response teach us about true worship, gratitude, and humility before God?

  4. What is one specific way God has shown mercy or worked in your life recently? How can you share that testimony with someone else this week?