Sermon - Trinity XIV - Luke 17:11-19

“As Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” What faith these ten lepers exhibited! They were lepers and as such they weren’t allowed into close proximity to other people, therefore they wouldn’t have ever had the opportunity to meet Jesus and hear Him preach like others had been able. They’d only heard rumors of rumors, but still their faith urged them onwards towards the Christ. 

“Have mercy on us” they cried out. This wasn’t the typical cry of a leper who was required by law to cry out that they were unclean so as to prevent anyone from coming near to them and being infected with their contagious disease. Instead, they drew near to Jesus, but at a distance, and pleaded for mercy. 

What Jesus did next was also unexpected. If you’re ill and you beg someone for mercy, you expect them to alleviate your illness. But Jesus instead directed them to “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Well that doesn’t sound very merciful or very sensical, since after all their leprosy prohibited them from going to the temple or seeing the priest. They could only go to the temple after they were cleansed, not before. Yet the lepers had faith. They trusted that Jesus’ instructions would still grant them mercy, maybe even a greater mercy than being healed. 

So by faith, without having Jesus touch them or even look at them, they were healed by Christ. I say that they were healed by faith because Jesus says so: “your faith has made you well.” By faith alone Jesus is merciful to us and He cleanses us of our our disease of sin; yet He also gives us a sober warning that if we forsake God, then our faith shall be lost and we will be clean no longer.

Jesus is merciful, He does heal those who are infected with the deadly dreaded disease of sin. By your faith, which itself is even a gift, Christ heals you and forgives you. He who shed His own blood is faithful unto us and by His blood grants us eternal life. The disease is healed, “rise and go your way” He tells us. 

You dear Christian are healed. Jesus, who journeyed to Jerusalem in order to be crucified for you, healed you of a sickness far worse than leprosy: sin and eternal condemnation. By your baptism, you were washed in His blood and given the gift of the Holy Spirit who grants you the gift of faith. You’re a baptized child of God. Be comforted, be assured, be at peace. Your Christ has done it all and you received it by faith alone.

Yet today’s Gospel lesson is filled with a word of sober warning. It’s tempting to just sit and be comfortable there in that good news. It’s tempting to become slothful and forget the instruction that Christ gives us. But there is a warning. 

When the Samaritan saw that he was healed, he “turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.” But before Jesus acknowledged this one who had returned, He said first: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Jesus looks at this man and asks him, where are the nine?

Jesus healed ten men and He certainly didn’t forget about any one of them, so when nine of them are missing, He noticed. Jesus notices those who are missing today from our assembly. Jesus knows everyone whom He’s healed through baptism and He looks at us and asks where are the nine? Jesus may not be an elephant, but He also certainly never forgets. Maybe you’ve forgotten those members who you haven’t seen here in a decade, but Jesus hasn’t. He remembers them. He cares for them. He desires that they return.

But why? Why does it matter? Writing a thank you card is nice, but it’s not that big of a deal, right? Forgetting to say thanks isn’t the problem. The problem is failing to be like the Samaritan, the problem is failing to turn back from your sin, to praise God with a loud voice, and to fall on your face at Jesus’ feet. The problem is failing to return to the feet of Jesus and listen to His voice. The problem is a failure to be in the Word of God. 

How is faith nurtured? “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God.” Without the hearing of that Word, without studying it and abiding in it, faith dies and you’re no longer cleansed from sin. But pastor, I’m spiritual I’m not religious, it’s more important to be the church than it is to go to church. 

No, that’s not true. Sure, you should be the church, in fact you are the church right now, but since you are the church you need to go to church. You need to be in the Divine Service. For here in this place the Divine serves you and strengthens you in the faith so that you may endure to life everlasting. I know this is unpopular and painful to hear, but if you separate yourself from God’s service to you, you will fall away, you will apostatize, you will lose the faith.

Pastor, aren’t you preaching to the choir though? We’re in church right now, we’re already here, what more do you want!? No, sadly enough we’re not the choir and we’re not immune from apostasy, from falling away from the faith. I’m warning you because Christ warns us. We who are here right now can fall away. Baptism and confirmation are not get out of hell free cards, it’s not once saved always saved. Just because you were baptized and confirmed here doesn’t mean you’ll be saved if you fall away. 

It’s possible for any of us to fall away! A conflict arises and suddenly you’re at odds with another member or a pastor, you stop attending church, you stop reading the Bible, you stop praying, and without hearing God’s word your faith dies. Ya know, going to church is tough, I get it. It’s hard waking up on your only day off, it’s hard getting out of bed, it’s hard missing part of the football game, it’s hard missing a couple hours of work, it’s hard dragging the kids here. We’re busy and we don’t have time, we’re busy and this is our only chance to just sit at home and unwind. It’s hard to go to church.

Wait a second pastor, you’re saying you gotta go to church and if you don’t you may not be saved! I thought church was a good work, and we’re not saved by our works! You’re right, we’re not saved by our good works. But remember that the Divine Service is not your good work. It’s not called the mundane service, it’s not called the mortal service, but this is the Divine Service where the Divine serves us.

Coming to church is unlike any other meeting we go to. It’s not like going to Rotary or Kiwanees or the Chamber, those are good things and it’s good to contribute to the community through them, but this is the Divine Service. You come here not to work and slave away, but to listen to the Word of God and be nourished in the holy Sacrament. You come here to confess your sins unto God and be forgiven. You come here to be healed from the works of the flesh that entice you away from the Spirit who gives life. 

So as God warns us against apostatizing, He also encourages us. “My son, be attentive to my words; incline your ear to my sayings. Let them not escape from your sight; keep them within your heart. For they are life to those who find them, and healing to all their flesh. Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” Like a father instructs his beloved son, so does our Heavenly Father speak to us both with firmness and mercy. He warns us not out of spite and malice, but out of love for us that we would remain in His Word, which is a spring of life that gives healing to all who suffer from sin. 

So I urge you as your pastor who cares about you and loves you, to abide in God’s Word. I urge you to read the scriptures at home everyday. I urge you to listen, to open your ears and pay attention when you’re at church. I urge you to come to Bible Study and learn God’s Word with one another. I urge you to speak with that same firmness and mercy as our heavenly Father to your children and grandchildren, husbands or wives, friends or neighbors, and appeal to them that God’s Word really does matter and you care for them and love them and want them to return to Christ. 

This is a hard uncomfortable teaching. Yet Christ’s Word of mercy and healing is never uncomfortable nor hard, for by it Christ has already done the hard work for you and earned for you a spring of life. Let us together continue to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice, praying to the Lord for mercy and the endurance to abide in His Word. 

Remember, Jesus knows all things, He is God after all, and He knew that 9 out of the 10 would fall away. Yet He was still merciful and He still healed them. He knows that we will all regularly fail to listen to the scriptures as we ought to, yet He still heals us. His love and mercy are never ending, so as many times as you fail don’t be afraid to return to Jesus and repent. If you’ve fallen off the bandwagon and have gotten out of the habit of being in the Word, it’s not too late to dust off the Bible and open your ears to God’s merciful Word. It’s not too late to turn back. Christ is waiting, patiently, to heal you more and more and welcome you into His Father’s home.