Ten men were suffering from leprosy. Because it was a very contagious disease, they had to stand at a distance from other people. When other people would come close to them, they would shout, “Watch out. Beware. We are unclean. We have leprosy. Stay back.” The ten lepers could not come close to their families or friends. They could not enter the Temple. They could not even come close to Jesus.
This is a picture of what sin does. Sin creates division between family and friends. It even separates us from God. God is holy, and we are sinners. Like leprosy, sin brings shame, guilt, suffering, and ultimately death. We need a Savior to reconcile us with God Himself and with one another. We need a Savior from sin and death.
Normally, Jews and Samaritans would not associate with one another. They were hostile against each other. Yet their leprosy brought them together. Leprosy is what they had in common. They all shared the same misery.
In this respect, the lepers provide a picture of each and everyone one of us. We all have something in common. We are all sinful by nature. We are all broken. We are all unclean. And we all need mercy and forgiveness from God.
The ten lepers could not make themselves clean. They could not heal themselves. They were helpless. They were desperate. They heard that Jesus performs miracles. He gives sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf. Surely, they thought Jesus can heal them of their leprosy. So, when Jesus entered their village, they cried out to Jesus for help. They said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
We are no different. We are sinners. We cannot make ourselves righteous before God. We cannot repair our relationship with God by our good works. We cannot overcome death by our own strength. We heard that Jesus died on the cross for our sins and that He rose from the death. We heard that Jesus is merciful. So, cry out, “Lord, have mercy upon us!” and He does.
Jesus said to the ten lepers, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” The priests could not heal the ten lepers. The priests’ job was to examine them. If they were cleansed of their leprosy, the priest would declare them clean and would allow them to return to their family and friends. They would even be able to worship in the Temple.
When Jesus said to the ten lepers, “Go and show yourselves to the priests,” they had not yet been healed. They still had leprosy. Nevertheless, they listened to Jesus and started walking. They took Jesus at His Word. They listened to what he told them to do before they saw their healing.
This is what faith does. Faith believes in God’s Word before it sees the result. Faith does not say, “I will believe it when I can see it.” Faith says, “Jesus has spoken; therefore, His Word is true.” The world tells us to trust in what we can see and what we can feel. But we walk by faith in God’s promises and not by sight.
You may feel your sin. You may struggle with temptation. You may experience sickness, loneliness, grief, financial difficulties, family troubles, or the effects of old age. But Jesus has spoken. He says, “I love you and I care about you.” We believe that Christ died and rose again even though we do not presently see the risen Lord. At Baptism, we see only water, but faith trusts God’s promise that we have been made His children. In the Lord’s Supper, we see bread and wine, yet faith believes in Jesus’ words, “This is my body. This is my blood shed for the forgiveness of sins.” Faith trusts in God’s Word and in His many promises.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that as the ten lepers were walking, they were cleansed. They were healed of their leprosy. Jesus healed all ten of them from a distance. He did this knowing that nine would not return. This reveals Jesus’ character. He is merciful even to those who do not thank Him. The ultimate example of His mercy is the cross. There on the cross Jesus suffered and died for everyone, even for those who would reject Him.
The Gospel of Luke tells us that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. Jesus went to Jerusalem, not simply to visit the city. He was traveling to Jerusalem for a purpose. He was traveling there to suffer and die upon the cross.
The ten lepers were going toward the priests to get their normal lives restored. But Jesus was going toward Jerusalem to die. The lepers wanted physical healing. But Jesus came to accomplish salvation for both body and soul. Jesus came to take upon Himself our sickness, our sorrow, and our suffering. He came to bear our sins in His own body on the tree of the cross. He was the real Priest who would offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sin and for the sin of the whole world. He died, then He rose from the dead so that we might live; so that we may have life.
Jesus healed all ten lepers, but how many returned to say “thank you”? Only one returned to Jesus and he was a Samaritan. He saw that he had been healed. What does he do now? Where does he go? He turns around and goes to Jesus. When he arrived, He fell at Jesus’ feet. Why? Because He recognized who Jesus was. Jesus was not merely a miracle worker. He was God in the flesh. He is the real Priest. He was the true Temple and He is the perfect sacrifice for sin.
Notice what the Samaritan did. First, he turned around. Then he praised Jesus with a loud voice. Then he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet. Finally, he gave thanks to Jesus. All of these actions demonstrated his faith in Jesus. First, there is faith, and then there is the fruit of faith. His faith revealed itself in his turning, praising, falling down, and giving thanks.
So also, in your lives. First there is faith in Christ, then there is the fruit of faith. Your faith reveals itself by trusting in God and His promises. You receive His gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. Then you live a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The mercy you receive from Christ bears fruit in mercy toward one another.
The Samaritan not only teaches us what true faith looks like, he also teaches us the true meaning of thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is not merely good manners. It is not merely teaching your children to say, “Thank you.” Thanksgiving comes from the heart. Thanksgiving is the fruit of faith. God gives; faith receives; and faith responds with thanksgiving and praise. We do not perform good works in order to earn God’s favor. Rather, God first gives His gifts freely. We receive these gifts and we respond with gratitude.
This is the pattern of the Divine Service this morning. We confess our sins. God forgives us in Christ. We hear His Gospel preached. We receive His gifts. Then we respond with praise and thanksgiving.
The Lord’s Supper illustrates this pattern. The Greek word Eucharist means “thanksgiving.” The early church called the Lord’s Supper the Eucharist. Why? In this meal we receive the true body and blood of Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Then we give him thanks. After the Lord’s Supper, we will have a prayer thanking God for this salutary gift.
The problem with the nine lepers was not simply that they forgot to say “thank you.” They failed to return to Jesus. They failed to turn around and acknowledge Jesus as the Son of God. They received the gift of healing, but they failed to return to the Giver. They got what they wanted and went on with their lives. They were more interested in the gift of healing than in the Giver. They wanted health, but they did not follow Jesus.
But the Samaritan understood that the greatest treasure was not merely that he is healed. The greatest treasure was Jesus Himself. True faith recognizes that every good gift comes from God. True faith recognizes that God’s greatest gift is forgiveness and salvation through Christ alone.
This is important for each and every one of us. How easy it is for us to desire God’s gifts more than God Himself. We pray when we need something. But when we receive what we want, we forget about God. When we have plenty, we ignore God and His Word. But we need Jesus not only when we are sick but also when we are healthy. We need Jesus not only when we are suffering but also when life is comfortable. We need Jesus every day because our greatest need is the forgiveness of sins. Jesus is our righteousness, our life, our Savior, and our Redeemer.
Finally, Jesus said to the Samaritan, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has saved you.” Jesus did not say, “Your thanksgiving has earned salvation.” He says, “Your faith has saved you.” Faith saves because faith has Jesus as its object. Faith does not look inward at the strength of our own believing. Faith looks outward to Christ alone. Faith receives the salvation which Christ already won for us on the cross. Again, faith saves because it clings to Jesus, as our one and only Savior.
The nine received their healing and went away. The Samaritan received healing and went back to Jesus. He returned to Jesus because he knows that Jesus is his source of life and every blessing. That is what we do. We come back to Jesus here in His house Sunday after Sunday. Why? Not because Jesus is merely a means to an end, but because Jesus is our Savior. He is our source of life. He is our righteousness.
So, by God’s grace, always look to Jesus. Trust in Him. Cling to His Word and to His many promises.
Jesus said to the Samaritan who was healed, “Arise, go your way.” In other words, go home to your family and friends. And when he went home, he could not but tell them that Jesus healed him.
So also, “Arise, and go your way.” After the service this morning, go to your family and friends. Be faithful in your vocation and employment. Do well in school. Live out your lives with faith in Christ and with love toward one another. May others see Christ in you. God grant this. Amen.
