10/23/2005
On Wednesday I was taking a helicopter to deliver at Camp Lejeune marine corps base. When I neared the base there were fences on both sides of the road I was traveling, and on them were literally miles of sheets blowing in the wind hanging from these fences.
On each of these sheets there were things written and drawn, such as welcome home cpl Thomas, love mom and dad. Or you’re the greatest Gunney Wilson, love David and Jesse. We missed you Pvt Allen, see you soon.
You’re my hero daddy! I love you Christina.
Each banner was made for a marine or sailor who soon would be safely home with the loved ones who made the banners.
It was a very emotional ride for me in and out of the base on Wednesday because my heart broke as I read the banners while driving past them. I cried, I swore into the air at the savages who forced America into this battle and took these brave men and women from their families and their loved ones.
I cried some more, I swore some more. Then God revealed something to me in His effort to comfort me.
I realized that there were many thankful families and friends who were soon going to be reunited that were represented by those banners made of bed sheets, but that there were about 2000 soldiers whose families and friends would never have a reason to hang a joy filled, thankful banner made of bed sheets, because those brave men and women are never coming home.
And in that moment I realized that I… have a lot to be thankful for. Then I began to count my blessings and to praise God for His mercy and His grace.
God has given me much to be thankful for!
Luke 17: 11-19
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Once Jesus’ fame had spread throughout Israel, people were seeking him out at every turn, and these ten lepers were no different, they had heard of this healer named Jesus and they wanted to be rid of their affliction.
There are many things to be learned from this passage, so let’s begin.
Read vs 11-13
11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy[a] met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
FYI… McHenry’s commentary states:
The leprosy was a disease which the Jews supposed to be inflicted for the punishment of some particular sin, and to be, more than other diseases, a mark of God’s displeasure; and therefore Christ, who came to take away sin, and turn away wrath, took particular care to cleanse the lepers that fell in his way..
The lepers believe Jesus has the power to heal them, and they want to ask Him to do just that, but if you notice in these verses the lepers act strangely. They stand at a distance and with loud voices say, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"
Now why would they do that?
Here is what Mchenry has to say about it.
They stood afar off, knowing that by the law their disease obliged them to keep their distance.
They lifted up their voices, being at a distance, and cried, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
Those that expect help from Christ must take him for their Master, and be at his command. If he be Master, he will be Jesus, a Saviour, and not otherwise.
The lepers had begun a relationship with Jesus Christ by recognizing their need for Him. They needed Him for physical cleansing.
Illustration
Right after 911 everywhere you looked signs were posted saying things like God bless America, pray for our country, pray for the victims of 911. Every church was having special prayer services, and nightly the news talked about an appeal for national unity.
You often heard things like… God is with us because we are a good people, and a good nation. We’ll recover from this because God is with us.
There were many reasons to be thankful in the midst of this tragedy.
There were an unusually high number of call offs at the WTC.
All 4 planes had very low passenger totals.
Traffic had kept many from arriving at the WTC on time.
And of course, one plane totally missed its mark.
Many Americans recognized that they needed God, and knew that God had intervened in many ways on that fateful day, just the same way the lepers knew Jesus could help them. And give them relief from their leprosy.
America needed God to get her through a tragedy, but you need God because of sin. You are born a sinner. You have sinned. What is sin? Anything you think, say, or do that God hates. God will punish you if you die before you are relieved from your sin. God promises that. He is just and holy, He will punish sin, not because He hates you, but because He hates sin.
God knows what awaits you if you die in your sin, and because He loves you, He has made a way to relieve you from your sin, and will give you relief from it in much the same way as He helped the 10 lepers.
And Jesus did help the lepers.
Read vs 14
14 When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.
Pretty amazing stuff that God can do, how about it! He sent them to the religious leaders to present themselves to be judged, more or less. This would have been a pretty scary and even demeaning thing for these lepers to do because lepers were treated with utter disgust and if they were to go to the religious leaders they would have been mocked and probably had things thrown at them by the people while the people yelled unclean, unclean at them.
The lepers had taken another step toward salvation offered to them by Jesus Christ.
They obeyed His command, and did the only thing they could do to be helped which was trust Jesus.
Jesus gave the lepers a simple command that healed them from their disease. He gives you a simple command as well.
John 3:16 says, “for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
Here’s the good news, even though you are a sinner, and face the prospects of going to hell because of it, Jesus is your way out of your sin. You can have your sin completely removed from you if you only repent of your sin, (turn from it, forsake it, leave it behind), confess your sin to God, believe in Jesus Christ and trust Him for your salvation.
What to believe? First He is God, and He loves you. He willingly came to earth, was tortured, suffered and died on a cross, taking the brutal punishment for sin that you so rightly deserve.
God took your punishment, He gave you a way out, you don’t have to go to hell because of your sin. Just as the only way for the lepers to be cleansed of their leprosy, was to trust Jesus, you must trust only Jesus as well.
In John 14:6 Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the father except through me.”
You can receive freedom from sin only by trusting in Jesus. There is no other way to have your sin removed. Being good, giving money, and trying hard will do nothing to remove your sin. The removal of sin was already accomplished at the cross of Christ.
Have you received Jesus? Are you sure? If you’re not sure, then pay close attention to the rest of the story.
Read vs 15-18
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
17 Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
Ten are cleansed, but only one comes back to thank his Master. What does this say about the other nine? I think it tells us a lot about people. I think it tells us that a lot of people hear about the Master, get all clean on the outside but are never really completely cleansed from their sins.
These are the people who spend their entire lives doing good things for others, joining churches, raising families, and respecting others but never have the guts to trust completely in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Acts 26
25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.
26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom also I speak freely: for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him; for this thing was not done in a corner.
27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? I know that thou believest.
28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.
29 And Paul said, I would to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both almost, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds.
King Agrippa missed his opportunity, he could have had it all.
By all accounts Agrippa was a good king; in fact he would have released Paul from prison if Paul had not already appealed to Caesar, who of course, had more power than Agrippa. Agrippa sensed the truth of Paul’s message, but he refused to trust Paul’s message.
Which one are you?
Are you more like one of the nine that didn’t come back? Are you like King Agrippa? Or are you more like the one leper who came back fall at the feet of and thanked your Master?
Have you trusted Jesus Christ to cleanse you from your sin? Is there going to be a banner hanging from a fence in heaven welcoming you home?
Have you trusted Jesus’ paying the price for your sin? Don’t wait another minute if you haven’t, another minute and it may be too late.
