Pastor Edgar Mayer; Living Grace Community Lutheran Church; Message on Luke 17:12-19; Date: 21 October 2007

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Shameless

I read from the Bible – Luke 17:12-13: “As Jesus was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’ … “ Back then a leper was a person with an incurable disease – contageous – unpleasant – rotting flesh – and therefore these ten had to stay at a distance from Jesus – a distance of desperation.

These ten had lived a life where they knew that they were not welcome anywhere – lepers in that culture were removed to the fringe of the village – but these ten – they – still had voices. They still had some sort of hope and so they were laying in wait for Jesus and – as he was walking past – they screamed out with one voice: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” They screamed out.

And I wish – and you may agree with me – I wish that more of us would do the same. Leprosy made these men desperate for Jesus and being utterly destitute – deprived of any other self-made human resources – they had only one way to go: to Jesus, who is the Master and who had proven to be powerful even over sickness. At least that is what the lepers heard from other places.

These ten turned to Jesus – their last hope – and they were shameless in their desperation. Imagine the scene. There they were with unprepossessing appearances – unpleasant body odours – unwelcome clamor for attention – shouting in the streets. How could anyone expect – with that kind of behaviour – to be received by Jesus?

Again – I wish that we were more like them. You and I – we may not suffer from leprosy but we have our own quiet desperations. Sickness comes to us as well and then we may feel that something of a leper also clings to us. There is the rot – the unpleasant odour – that comes with failure and unworthiness. Others put us down or we may put ourselves down – knowing how we fall short in our families, friendships, work and faith, addictions and bondages. On the outside we may look nothing like a leper – successful even – but on the inside we fall apart.

Yet, we do not cry out. We are not shameless enough. Since our leprosy is not a leprosy of the skin, we feel that we are better off hiding our desperation. The thought is: “Oh, it looks like I am the only one that has problems. Everyone else seems so together.” Only that is not true. At one time or another we all struggle with life and sin and any semblance of stability – and being on top – is fragile. Maybe – if one of us could make a start and be honest and show his inner self and therefore shout out: “Jesus, Master, have pity on me,” we – the others – might hear and might fall in with the cry: “Jesus, Master, have pity on us.”

However – in the end – this is no guarantee either for all of us to be healed. There are those among us that are a little more shameless than others. For instance, they don’t care whether people look at them at worship and they don’t seem to care what others think. I remember that I was watching this one preacher on the net. During her talk she was periodically overcome with bouts of joy – and then would have this weird giggle – and carry on in other ways. I thought to myself: “What sort of preaching is that?” And then there are people in worship – even among us – that weep, raise their hands, make noises, dance or do whatever – from a certain perspective shameless in front of a decent Sunday morning congregation.

Only, even if we don’t judge them as freaks, even if we recognize that something genuine from God is going on, we may still hesitate to join in with the shamelessness and shout for ourselves: “Jesus, Master, come over here. Have mercy on me as well. Jesus, whatever these people are wanting and getting – me too!” The reason why we may not shout is – apart from pride – that often we do not see clearly. We do not understand that those that are receiving from Jesus are not receiving because deserve anything. Jesus is healing lepers and as he healed them, so will he heal you.

How many Christians are there that know in their minds that Jesus loves unworthy people but their hearts remain unconvinced. Thus, they settle for a partial healing – as if Jesus would stop half-way with his saving work –, a partial experience of grace, a partial faith which politely abstains from too much power and too much joy and too much love. Faith is accepted but not the fullness of the Holy Spirit and not his gifts. Their hearts say: “I don’t deserve this. This is for the others but not for me.” No! This is for you also. The lepers got that right when they were crying out to Jesus for mercy – which is unmerited favour from God even for them, even for you, even for me. Consequently, they were healed and not only partially. All of the sickness was cured just as God wants to pour out all of his fullness on you. Hear what the Bible says – Ephesians 3:19 – I read: “ … you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

In a sense this applies to all of us. Everyone here could dare to receive more from Jesus. Three months ago Pastor Peter Steicke and a team from the Paravista Lutheran church in Adelaide were on a mission trip to Uganda. At the end of one service there were still more people lining up to receive prayer when out of the corner of his eyes Peter saw another man with a stick. He inquired about this man and was told that he was blind. His name was Michael. Peter felt led to pray for him and ask God to heal this man. Through the translator Peter checked whether anything had happened in response to his prayer. Michael said that he could now see shadows. “Oh good. Thank you, Jesus.” Peter prayed again. This time Michael said that he could make out fingers. After that much success – still partial but greater than at any other time – Peter thought that now was the time to pray for the man to receive faith. When he told the story, he said: “Michael’s eyes went from nothing to shadows to fingers. God’s done enough. I was not going to press God for any more.”

However, he had this feeling that Jesus at one time placed mud on a blind man’s eyes and maybe now he should do the same. Later Donna – a team member – shared the same impression with Peter. She said: “This may seem really really wacky to you and if you think so, forget that I’ve ever said it but I’m reminded that at one time Jesus put mud on a blind man’s eyes.” Well – she didn’t have to say any more. God had confirmed the same impression with both of them. Thus, they acted out the plan and Peter told Michael: “Don’t open your eyes until we have wiped off the mud.” They used some wet wipes and then – Peter says that he will never forget the look on Michael’s face. It wasn’t happiness. It wasn’t excitement. It was total utter astonishment at being able to see. Michael was healed from his blindness.

How wonderful this was for him and how wonderful this was for fellow-Australian Lutherans. Peter says: “To say that we were gob-smacked, overwhelmed, amazed … is an understatement.” Wow! What is God up to even among us Lutherans? And yet – and here we come back to the point of this story – wasn’t Peter so much like the rest of us? He struggled to dare more. He struggled to be shameless and ask for complete healing. Twice he prayed and as a result Michael’s eyes went from nothing to shadows to fingers which Peter politely accepted as everything that God was prepared to give on that day. He felt that God had done enough and therefore he was not going to press God for any more.

How many times have we felt the same – not wanting to press God for any more? Only God does invite our pressing – our persistence – our passion in our need. Jesus was not offended that the lepers shouted to him. He was not offended that they wanted complete healing and not only a partial cure. You and I – and please hear this – do not be satisfied with a partial healing, a partial experience of grace, a partial faith which politely abstains from too much power and too much joy and too much love. Do not just receive faith but delve into the fullness of God – the fullness of the Holy Spirit and his gifts – the grasping of how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ (cf. Ephesians 3:18) – for you. When someone next to you is shameless in their worship and shameless in their taking from God, join that person. Be encouraged by that person. Say – or rather shout: “Me too, God.”

Then this is what happened next according to the Bible – Luke 17:14-19: “When Jesus saw the ten lepers, he said: ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked: ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’”

What a disappointing end to the story. As the lepers went, they were cleansed but then only one leper had the decency to return and say “thank you” for his healing. The other nine didn’t bother which drew this remark from Jesus: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Before – in their sickness – all of the lepers shouted shamelessly in the streets but now – in their wholeness – only one manages to do the same in shameless praise. He came back – so the Bible reading – praising God in a loud voice – filling his lungs with air and shouting the praises of God in the streets – throwing himself at Jesus’ feet. God healed him. He praised God and Jesus was pleased with him.

Why do you think that the other nine did not return and thank Jesus? And making this personal: Why do we so often do the same – fail to give thanks? I have an idea of what might have happened. The lepers were cured and they rejoiced – greatly – for a while – but then – maybe even on that very day of their healing – further worries, new needs and the next concerns soon swallowed up their joy. Where would they sleep that night, since they could no longer go back to the leper colony? Their parents might have lived out of town. Should they attempt to get there before nightfall? What would they do for food tomorrow? Lepers were beggars but they were no longer lepers. Where would the money come from and who would employ them?

Do we see ourselves in these questions? Pastor Peter Steicke and his team had an amazing time in Uganda – opening the eyes of blind Michael – but how soon does the sense of excitement evaporate? Back home one is back to the grindstone of another church council meeting, raising children, skeptical queries from colleagues, making ends meet, … Thus, we forget – so easily – what happened.

Here at Living Grace we are no different. This year brought so many gifts – a new heart for mission (Hopevale, Wandoan, Buderim, Kingaroy, South Africa, Latvia), sacrificial giving, eye-opening revelation through the Experiencing God course, more and more people receiving a powerful infilling with the Holy Spirit, we’ve had a few healings (food allergies, lump disappeared), inspiring worship services, venturing into the prophetic, getting excited about what lies ahead, ... – yet are we grateful? Do we remain grateful?

Look at the dynamic. One example. I may say: “Oh, God, if I only was able to speak in tongues, then this would make such a difference to my faith.” But then the gift of tongues comes and it makes almost no difference – to the regularity of prayer or the frequency of worship attendance. No sustained shouting of God’s praises! Instead, we may even let frustration reign: “God, I thought that this gift would be different. Shouldn’t I feel more? Am I doing it right? When and where does God want me to use it? This is all too hard.”

The same frustration and despondency can come with anything from God. Instead of looking at how far God has brought us, we moan and complain: “Yes, God, we had a few healings but the other service we prayed and you seemed to do nothing. Yes, God, last Sunday another person received saving faith but what about the thousands of others who are still lost in our city?” This does not impress God. Further worries and new needs and unanswered questions must not swallow up our joy. God can be trusted with everything and Jesus said with justification: “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Jesus’ words are convicting us this morning. At least they are convicting me.

Consider our position. Have we not all received the greatest ever – seemingly impossible – completely precious – healing that any human could wish for and that for free? The lepers were only cleansed of leprosy but we – those of us who have put their faith in Jesus Christ – we have been cleansed from sin and from the power of the devil. We had a sickness unto death in eternal hell but we have been healed to a life of glory and light in eternity. God says in the Bible – 1 Peter 2:21-25 – I read: “ … Christ suffered for you … ‘He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, had made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree [on the cross of his death], so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed … “

Every single day of this short life on earth we have reason to do what the one leper did, that is: come back to Jesus with gratitude and praise God in a loud voice – filling our lungs with air and shouting the praises of our God in the streets. And in response to any potential despondency the Bible instructs us further with these words – 2 Corinthians 4:16-17: “ . we do not lose heart … for our … momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.” This is our position and there is nothing wrong with what we have.

One last point! God deserves our praise and he commands our praise but it is us who suffer the most when we neglect gratitude – when we fail to go back and do not say: “Thank you.” Hear the ending of our story again – Luke 17:14-19: “ … The one leper threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him … Then Jesus said to him: ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’” The grateful leper received further words of grace from Jesus: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Many a time we are pleased with saving faith and the prospect of eternal life. We are pleased that somehow we have religion covered and a measure of grace seems to be in the bag. Thus, we may feel that we are free to concentrate more on whatever else is going on in our lives. Business takes over and hobbies and we do not necessarily see the need of returning with faithful worship and active participation in the kingdom of God. But that means that we are missing out. With Jesus there is always so much more. He meets you in your praises with more words of grace. The Bible says – Lamentations 3:22-23: “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning … “ New every morning! There is something new with God every day – a new day of his love and commitment – a new day of wonder and thankfulness.

Why not learn from the lepers? First – you and I – like them – be shameless in your need. Be desperate for Jesus and shout out to him from across the street: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!” Then receive your healing and – like the one – return with shameless praise shouting in the streets – filling your lungs with praise: “Jesus, Master, thank you. Thank you, Jesus.” And as you have returned, you are at the right place to hear more from him. Amen.