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.
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). 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).
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).
b. Sin
separates man from God and his people (Isaiah 59:1-2, II Thessalonians
3:6).
II. The
solution.
A. Leprosy
had filled these men with despair.
1. These
men had no human solution for their disease. Consider II Kings 5:7.
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).
2. What
can take away a person’s sin? Consider I Corinthians 6:9-11 along with
Revelation 1:5.
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.
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 form every one of us.
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