Luke 17:11-19 (Page 876): at Whose Feet Do We Fall?

Luke 17:11-19 (Page 876): at Whose Feet Do We Fall?

1

Luke 17:11-19 (Page 876): “At Whose Feet Do We Fall?”

Introduction:

  • With the Bible, sometimes we’re going to miss the point.
  • We need to be prepared to make some changes to our thinking when that happens.
  • Example: “Thou shalt not kill” is REALLY “Thou shalt not murder.”
  • Dan is here to confess that he’s misunderstood this passage (a “Pinky” moment)
  1. Setting (v 11-13)
  1. “On the way to Jerusalem”
  • Jesus has been heading there since 51:9
  • Going from Galilee through Samaria to Jerusalem
  • Problem:
  • 1st account after 9:51 is by a Samaritan village and here in 17:11, Jesus is STILL “passing along between Samaria and Galilee”
  • Chapter 10, Jesus is at home of Martha & Mary near Jerusalem.
  • Now, in chapter 17, he’s back on the Samaria/Galilee border.
  • Possible solutions:
  • #1 – Jesus “zigzagged” back and forth for a year before the Cross.
  • #2 – Luke holds to a general chronological order (birth, life & ministry, death) but within that, sometimes groups events topically to better communicate the lessons (This is Dan’s choice)
  1. Samaritan/Jewish division.
  • Though Rome ruled, Galilee was largely populated by Jews, Samaria by Samaritans
  • Jews believed:
  • They were the “True Israel”
  • Samaritans were “half-breed pretenders”
  • The entire Old Testament was the Word of God
  • Yahweh could only be worshipped in the temple in Israel
  • Samaritans believed:
  • They were the “True Israel” (from the lost 10 tribes)
  • Jews were a bunch of religious snobs & pretenders.
  • Only the Pentateuch (1st 5 books) was the Word of God.
  • Yahweh could only be worshipped in the temple on Mount Gerizim (and then only on Mount Gerizim after Jews destroyed the temple)
  • Both Jews and Samaritans taught it was a sin to:
  • Have physical contact with the other group
  • Enter into their territory
  • Speak to them.
  • Explains:
  • Samaritan woman at the well in John 4
  • After Jesus asks her for water
  • John 4:9: “…How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria? For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.”
  • The insult of Jesus’ enemies: John 8:48: “…Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?”
  • Why Jews are so SHOCKED at the possibility of a “good Samaritan.”
  • The “baggage” that we see here!
  1. The 10 lepers
  • Leprosy
  • “Hansen’s disease”
  • Terribly disfiguring, horribly visible, plagued mankind for 4,000 years!
  • Untreatable until 1930’s, no completely successful treatment until 1980’s.
  • Only solution then: quarantine.
  • Leprosy in the Law of Moses – a physical and spiritual ailment.
  • Leper was spiritually unclean – touch made others unclean.
  • Leper was removed from society.
  • Exodus 13:45-46: "The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp.”
  • Leviticus 13 – Official diagnosis had to be made by a priest in the temple.
  • These particular lepers – Jews and Samaritans united by common suffering.
  • Stand at a distance (because that’s what lepers do)
  • Cry out with a loud voice (because they stand at a distance)
  1. The cry of the lepers (v. 13)
  • Only time anyone other than disciples call Jesus “Master”
  • Heard of Him, His authority, & His willingness to heal
  • Urgent request without detail.
  • Application: Isn’t it great that we don’t have to work to get Jesus’ attention or spend a lot of time explaining what’s wrong?
  • Only guy we can say “You know…” to, and He does!
  • If we can’t think of what to pray, Holy Spirit prays on our behalf.
  • Romans 8:26-27: “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.”
  1. Jesus’ Confusing Solution (v 14):
  1. Confuses us because why go to the priests?
  • Priests were the “gatekeepers” for lepers – their diagnosis meant everything (Lev. 13)
  • Priests also determined if leprosy cured & people could rejoin community (Lev 14)
  • 1st thing a healed leper would do was to go priest & be declared “clean”
  • Jews went to temple in Jerusalem; Samaritans went to Mount Gerizim.
  • Jesus is directing them to take their first step.
  1. Confuses these lepers, because they’re not healed yet!
  • A test of faith – going to the temple shows they believe Jesus will heal them.
  • They receive Jesus’ mercy through faith.
  • We are saved by the grace of God.
  • Jesus died to pay our price.
  • We obtain that grace – the forgiveness and righteousness of God – through faith.
  • Are we willing to believe.
  1. The fact that Jesus heals from a distance means the Messiah is in the world.
  • Luke 7:22-23“Go and tell John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”
  1. The Samaritan’s response and Jesus’ commendation (15-19)
  1. All 10 lepers are healed by the power of God.
  2. Yet nine head off to Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim, while one turns back to Jesus.
  3. This is NOT primarily a passage about our need to give thanks! (My “Pinky” moment)
  • The only place thanksgiving is mentioned is in verse 16…
  • But it’s used along with the word we translate “praising God” to describe how this man worships.
  • The only two verbs in vv 16-17 are “turned back” and “fell.”
  • The emphasis here is not on the style of worship, but on the location.
  • Thus, it’s not a question of “thankful vs NOT thankful” – all the healed lepers are thankful!
  • It’s a question of WHERE the worship takes place:
  • In the temple.
  • Or at the feet of Jesus.
  • Verse 17 “The other nine… WHERE?” The location is emphasized.
  1. The one leper who comes to Jesus realizes that, with Christ, the world has changed.
  • The Messiah has come.
  • The only way to approach a holy God is no longer found in Jerusalem.
  • It’s found only at the feet of Jesus!
  1. This is the fulfillment of John 4 – Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman:
  • John 4:20: “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.”
  • John 4:21: “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father.”
  • John 4:23: “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth….”
  1. The point: John 14:6:“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
  2. The one who gets it is a “foreigner;” (used to mean a “pagan” or “heathen”)
  • We’d expect this guy to be the last one to get it right.
  • But he gets it right!
  1. He didn’t need to do anything except cry out to Jesus. Then Jesus did the rest!
  2. WE don’t have to do a bunch of stuff either – just cry out to Jesus!
  • Then we can approach Jesus.
  • Then he cleans our lives up.
  1. Verse 19 – “made you well” is better translated “saved you.”
  1. The Point Of It All
  1. This is not an exhortation to thank God, but an invitation to praise God at the only place God can be found – at the feet of Jesus!
  2. We are sinners, so we cannot approach a holy God.
  3. But in Jesus Christ, He has approached us!
  4. Though we deserve death for our sin, Jesus paid the death we deserve on the cross.
  5. When we put our faith in Him as our Lord and Savior, our sins are forgiven and we are saved.
  6. The question of the day – Where are YOU looking for God?
  • John 3:3 “Truly, Truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
  • Live at the feet of Jesus!


Bethel ChurchJanuary 25, 2015

DeeperPastor Dan Reimer

At Whose Feet Do We Fall?

Luke 17:11-19

  1. Setting: Jews and Samaritans
  1. Jesus’ odd command: show yourselves to the priests.
  1. The Samaritan’s response
  1. The Point of it all: worship God in Christ!

Deeper

USE THIS GUIDE to help reinforce this week’s message with actions!

This is an exercise in becoming more like Christ!

Here’s how it works:

During the message: Take notes on the front page.

At home: Thoughtfully work through the study guide alone or with a friend.

With your Life Group, Family, Spouse, or Friends: Talk through the highlights of the study guide.

Caution: Your best results will happen when you gain enough trust with your group to become totally transparent. Work towards this goal, or you’ll find these exercises to be largely meaningless!

Additional Help:

  1. There’s a free podcast for group leaders or members with advice on small groups and extra info on each week’s study guide. Find it next to the online sermon post at or search the iTunes store for “Extra Dirt”.
  1. Our pastors and elders would love to help you work through any difficult questions that may arise during your study. If your group can’t help you fully understand the ideas you’re studying, please give us a call at 308.532.7040.

Discussion Guide

Knowing Each Other

Can you think of a time when you misread a person or situation, which led to an awkward conversation or encounter? What did you do when you finally saw things as they really were?

Understanding the Word

Would you agree that each of the lepers plays a part in their own healing? Why/why not?

How do you feel towards the nine who went and didn’t come back to worship Jesus? Why do you think it’s significant that Luke tells us the only one who returned to worship Jesus was a Samaritan?

Once the Samaritan has thanked Jesus, he sends him on his way. What might we learn about the proper place of ‘worship’ in our lives from this example?

Was there anything in this week’s message that struck you as particularly important or challenging?

Connecting with Scripture: In Spirit and In Truth

Read John 4:16-26 carefully, jotting down any important notes or thoughts below. Once you finish, go back and read it again. (Read the passage in another translation if possible.)

The Samaritan woman wanted to know the “right” way to worship. Do you see this attitude played out in modern Christianity? (Explain)

If we are in Christ, we have the Holy Spirit living in us. How does this make you feel about your times, places, and attitudes of worship?

We often talk about the “in spirit” part of verse 24. What do you think Christ meant by worshipping “in truth,” and how might this relate to Jesus being the Messiah who will “tell us all things” (v. 25-26)?

Bring it to Life

The Lepers could not approach Jesus because they were unclean, but they shouted from a distance anyway. Does this encourage you to pray more even when you feel unworthy? Why/why not?

Do you ever prioritize the ‘act’ of worship over having the right heart in worship? What are some signs that might indicate we’re doing this?

Do you sometimes get the idea in your head that God is more ‘present’ in church than elsewhere? What about these passages we’ve studied would contradict such an idea?

In what ways do you stop to give thanks to God and worship Him for His goodness and provision to you?

For the Bold

Choose one way to worship God (whether in song, prayer, etc) each day this week. Set yourself a reminder next Sunday to bring a heart of worship to Church with you!

Pray Together

Top View