Give Thanks: "On Display" 11-27-24

Overview

Thanksgiving On Display

On the road between Samaria and Galilee, ten lepers cried out to Jesus from a distance: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us" Luke 17:11-19. Their disease was not only physical but isolating—the Law required those afflicted to live outside the camp, with torn clothes and the cry "Unclean, unclean" on their lips (Leviticus 13:45-46; see also Numbers 5:1-4; 2 Kings 7:3). When they addressed Jesus as "Master," they confessed Him as one with authority and miraculous power, and they understood there was nothing they could do to remedy their condition apart from His mercy.

Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests—the ones authorized to declare a leper clean—and as they went, all ten were healed. Yet only one turned back, praising God with a loud voice, falling at Jesus' feet in thanks. He was a Samaritan, a foreigner. Jesus' question lingers: "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" All ten were surely glad to be healed; few people receive such mercy without inward gratitude. The difference was not that the nine felt nothing, but that the one put his thanksgiving on display. Gratitude that never returns to the Giver, never bends the knee, never speaks aloud, is gratitude hidden away.

Scripture reminds us that God "has not left himself without witness," giving rains, fruitful seasons, food, and gladness Acts 14:17. That is His common grace, poured out on all. But chiefly we give thanks for His saving grace—the sending of His Son to the cross to bear our sin, including the sin of unexpressed, unoffered thanks. At Calvary, forgiveness was won even for the times we have lived like the nine.

So let us be the one. Let our gratitude be visible—on display in worship, in service, and in witness. A heart that has been touched by the mercy of Christ does not walk on in silence; it turns back, falls at His feet, and praises God with a loud voice.

Transcript

You open your Bibles, please, with me this evening to the 17th chapter of the Gospel of 2s

Luke. 7s

If you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that in the New Testament 8s

on page 70. 12s

Luke, the 17th chapter. 14s

Tonight marks the conclusion of this November sermon series in which we've entitled it, 17s

thank you notes. 23s

And all month long, we have been dipping in to just for the few of the texts that lift up 25s

the giving of thanks. 33s

You'll recall that in the first sermon we studied about giving thanks for the goodness 35s

of God. 40s

In the next sermon we studied about how God brings about in us the fragrance of Christ. 42s

It is we go about our various activities that the fragrance of Christ goes forth by God's 48s

grace from us. 56s

You took a look at a negative example of thanksgiving in Holy Scripture, a negative example in 58s

which one was thanking God as he pridefully compared himself with another. 65s

And last week we took a look at how we are to give thanks to God in all circumstances. 72s

And we can do that because of what Christ has done for us on the cross. 80s

That in all circumstances, knowing who we are through the waters of baptism, we give 86s

thanks. 92s

Well, this evening as we conclude at this series, we're going to take a look at a story that 94s

looks at 10 individuals. 101s

There's a difference between the one and the other nine. 106s

And the difference. 116s

Locally, please, at verse 11 of our text for tonight, on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was 119s

going through the region between Samaria and Gavali. 126s

As the enter the village, 10 lepers approached him, keeping their distance. 129s

In ancient day in particular, leprosy was a dreaded disease. 136s

It was an isolated disease that we see. 142s

For example, in Leviticus, the 13th chapter, we read this, the person who has the lepros disease 146s

shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled. 155s

And he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, unclean unclean. 161s

He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. 167s

He is unclean. 171s

He shall live alone. 172s

His dwelling shall be outside the camp. 175s

In numbers, the fifth chapter, it says, command the Israelites to put out of the camp, 181s

everyone who's lepros. 188s

Second Kings to seventh chapter. 192s

We read now there were four lepros men outside the city gate. 194s

Leprosy, dreaded disease, and an isolating one at that. 201s

Look, please, at verse 13 of our text. 210s

They called out saying, 216s

Jesus, master, have mercy on us. 219s

That we're there from master. 228s

It's the word that reflects an understanding that the one you are addressing is a person of authority. 231s

It's also a word that was used in association with those that they understood had miraculous powers. 238s

So here were these ten individuals afflicted with leprosy, and this incredibly isolating disease. 252s

And there is Jesus, and they understand him to be one of who is an authority, 259s

and one who can change the situation that they are in, that can heal them. 265s

And they cry out from mercy, from Jesus. 274s

They understood that there was nothing that they could do to change the situation that they were in, 282s

that they needed the miraculous touch of Jesus, the master, the authority, 290s

the one who has miraculous power. 302s

Verse 14. 309s

When he saw them, he said to them, go and show yourselves to the priests. 311s

That would have been very encouraging for the ten, very encouraging, 322s

because the priests were given the task of declaring when someone who had leprosy, 328s

that the disease had passed, and that they were now clean. 336s

And so when Jesus turns and says, go and show yourselves to the priests. 341s

That's an encouraging word for them to receive. 346s

The scripture says, and as they went, they were made clean. 352s

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turn back 361s

praising God with a loud voice. 366s

He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him, and he was a simmer. 369s

You've got ten with leprosy, isolated from the community, with the dreaded disease. 379s

All ten are healed. 389s

They have been made clean and one, it says, one returns to give thanks. 392s

Hmm. 410s

So if you compare the one to the nine, what label might you put on the nine? 414s

What label? 428s

Because we gather tonight for our annual PIEFEST in what a great, great designation and title that is, isn't it? 433s

I was reminded of the story of the woman who decided to make a PIE for her neighbor. 443s

She made it from scratch. 449s

She brought it over to her neighbor. 452s

It was warm right out of the oven. 454s

She brought it to her neighbor and then neighbor was just so surprised. 459s

And she was taken back and she said, oh, oh my dear, thank you. 464s

Thank you for this. This looks wonderful. 471s

And you made this for me. 475s

I can't believe I don't have a words to thank you. 478s

Thank you for this PIE. 482s

Well, the woman that had made the PIE saw how much it had affected the woman, so she decided 487s

that she was going to make her a PIE every week. 493s

And so next week, she brought a PIE over to the woman and the woman, 499s

answers the door and she says, oh my, this is wonderful. 505s

Thank you for the PIE. Thank you. 510s

Week goes by. 515s

Woman brings another PIE to her neighbor. 518s

Woman answers the door and woman gives you the PIE. 521s

And the woman says, thank you. 526s

Thank you. 530s

Now the week goes by. 533s

Woman brings another PIE to the neighbor. 536s

Knocks on the door, the neighbor answers. 539s

She gives her neighbor the PIE and the neighbor says, 544s

you're a day late. 549s

Well, another week goes by. 556s

Woman makes the PIE. 559s

She brings it over to her neighbor. 561s

Knocks on the door, neighbor answers the door. 565s

She gives her the PIE. 568s

Woman says, thank you, dear. 571s

But you might want to try to add a little bit more sugar next time. 577s

And if you just wouldn't bake it so long because the last couple of PIEs, 583s

they've been a little overdone around the edges and the crust is just too crunchy. 589s

And you know, a different filling would be nice. 595s

Well, another week goes by. 602s

Woman making the PIE as she had several appointments. 605s

So the day that she normally brought the PIE over past, 609s

and then the next day passed. 612s

And then the next day she started to get into her car 615s

to go to another appointment. 620s

And the lady she was giving the PIE's to was watching through the window these days. 622s

And when she saw her neighbor get into the car, she walked out on her porch and she said, 628s

hey, where's my PIE? 635s

Now, what label would you put on there? 641s

What label would you put on there? 646s

Ungrateful. 651s

Ungrateful. 654s

Scripture tells us, verse 17, 657s

then Jesus asked, we're not 10 made clean, but the other nine were are they? 663s

Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? 672s

Then he said to him, get up and go on your way, your faith has made you well. 678s

Got the one and the nine. 692s

The one gives thanks and the one gives praise and the nine don't. 696s

But with the nine, ungrateful? 703s

Well, certainly when they were healed by Jesus and they knew the origin of their healing that it was 710s

Jesus, the one that they cried out to his master. 716s

Certainly they were grateful for that. 721s

I mean, who wouldn't be thankful that that dreaded disease that isolating disease had now 724s

halved them and they were made clean. 730s

I mean, who wouldn't be? 733s

Who wouldn't be grateful for that? 734s

I want to put the best construction on it. 739s

Maybe they were so excited to go and tell their friends what had happened. 743s

But to see that they were ungrateful for the fact that they no longer had lack of mercy? 748s

They must have been thinking to themselves, how wonderful this is. 756s

I'm so thankful that it happened. 761s

What's the difference though between the one? 763s

And the nine, the one put his thanks giving on display. 768s

That was the difference. 782s

The one put his gratefulness 787s

on display. 794s

Acts the 14th chapter says, 799s

Yet he has not left himself without a witness in doing good, 803s

giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons and filling you with food and your 809s

hearts with joy. 814s

That's the common grace of God. 817s

That's the grace that he bestows on all of us. 820s

That common grace reign and supply that common grace. 824s

But chiefly we thank him for his saving grace. 832s

For that's even far greater than his common grace. 841s

His saving grace is what we chiefly give him thanks for. 845s

The grace shown in sending his son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to the cross, 850s

who bore all of our sin, 856s

including our sin, 860s

of not putting our gratefulness on display, 864s

of not putting it on display in worship. 873s

And service and witness. 878s

It was all paid for by the gracious act of Jesus on the cross 887s

where forgiveness was one. 894s

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, 903s

praising God with a loud voice, he prostrated himself at Jesus' feet, 912s

and thanked him. 921s

The one and the nine, let's be the one. 925s

Let's be the one in our stories, 942s

putting our thanksgiving on display. 950s