Text: Luke 17:11-20, Leviticus 13:44-46
Luke 11 And it came to pas, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that as they went they were cleansed. 15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 1 7 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. 20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:
Leviticus 44 He is a leprous man, he is unclean: the priest shall pronounce him utterly unclean; his plague is in head. 45 And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean. 46 All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
I. Leprosy IS A Type Of Sin
God shows leprosy to be a type of sin and the sinner
We see how utterly horrible, putrefying, deadly, and destructive that sin is to the human race and humans
The Leper was to be brought to the Priest, who was a type of Christ; so the sinner is to be brought to Christ
If the plague is turned white, and "DEEPER THAN THE SKIN" it was leprosy - Sin is not a SKIN problem! It's a heart problem (Le. 13:3)
The Priest could not go by feelings but by the WORD OF GOD in declaring LEPROSY! (The preacher must do the same with sin!)
If the plague stayed stationary it was leprosy, if it spread it was LEPROSY (Lev. 13:5-6); Sin never stays stagnant it always SPREADS!
Leprosy was called a PLAGUE, not a disease; Man's sin is a PLAGUE, it is not a disease or psychological, emotional issue - its SIN
"It is LEPROSY" - Leprosy was a KILLER, Sin KILLS!
The Priest was to LOOK ON it and declare the state of leprosy; The Gospel PRONOUNCES man's problem as SIN!
The Church has redefined it as other things!
The smallest amount of sin in intolerable with God (Lev. 13:25)
There was a patient inspection of the infected; The Lord made a difference between sin and infirmity (Lev. 13:41).
II. The Leper is a TYPE OF THE SINNER
Garment was to be TORN - Type of insufficiency of man's righteousness to be accepted by God
Head Bare - No protection from the judgement of God
Covering on upper lip - "unclean, unclean" - when a person confesses salvation by ANY OTHER MEANS other than CHRIST and the CROSS they are saying "UNCLEAN UNCLEAN"
Defiled - SIN DEFILES
Unclean - SIN DESECRATES
Alone - SIN SEPARATES a person from their loved ones! - There is a loneliness to it
Without the Camp - Separates from God!
The Garment - Priest was commanded to show patience in judging the garment and the man
We are MORAL LEPERS in the tender patient wise and loving hands of a HEAVENLY HIGH PRIEST
TO the spiritual mind, we recognize we are all LEPERS!
III. Jesus meets 10 Lepers who stood afar off and cried MERCY
This was his LAST trip to Samaria, Galilee and Jericho; A warning to America about our visitation!
The Law stated lepers had to be 100 feet away from all others
17:13 - "Have Mercy on US" - Same as Bartimaeus
He says "Go show yourself to the Priest" signifying cleansing for only a cleansed leper was to show himself to the Priest
As they went they were CLEANSED
1- left cleansed, ONE turned back (A Samaritan - hated by the Jews) and comes to Jesus to Thank Him)
This one was a type of the Gentile church who after Israel's unthakfulness for Christ, was engrafted into the covenant of Salvation that was "of the Jews"
IV. Where are the NINE?
17:16 Falls down on his face and thanks Christ and "he was a Samaritan" - those out side the church are usually more thankful from those of the covenant!
There is NO partiality in the Gospel!
Jesus performed 10 times the miracles in Israel than he did in Samaria yet it was the Samaritian that was most grateful!
Israel showed no thanksgiving whatsoever - ungrateful, unholy
The church has become ungrateful! America is ungrateful!
Humanity is ungrateful!
Luke 17:18 - "There are NOT FOUND" means Jesus is seeking those not just wanting healing, but those who will PRAISE HIM!
He GAVE GLORY TO GOD!
V. The Purpose of Mankind and the Church is to PRAISE AND GIVE GLORY TO GOD!
We are to GIVE GLORY TO GOD; the Church gives little glory to God
We are created to PRAISE GOD! The book of Psalms which is earth's first song book is by and large one Praise to God; The last five Psalms open with PRAISE; 146:1, 147:1, 148:1, 149:1, 150:1
We must always be THANKFUL for what He has done! We can never repay what God has done; our praise is our sacrifice
Our Praises affect the Spirit world; blasphemies, profanity, doubt and unbelief in effect PRAISE SATAN - 'they are praising me'
Praises make a statement that God is VICTORIOUS in all things; Lev. 26:8
The returning LEPER was not just healed, he was made whole; he receied eternal life
Many seek Christ for healing but they don't want His requirement to follow him into eternity! One out of 10!
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