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Sermon Resources

Date : 10-10-2010

20th Sunday after Pentecost
Theme: Thankfulness for God’s mercies
Text: Luke 17:11-19

Context: God had blessed us with all possible happiness and how often do we thank him. God should be given the first priority in our lives. God is first and rest follows, for it is written, Psalm 107: 1 “O give thanks to the lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever.”

Background of the text: Jesus on the way to Jerusalem was going along the border between Samaria and Galilee. This place between the Samaria and Galilee probably was the place where these ten lepers would have stayed. They approached Jesus for his mercy. As per the Jewish custom Jesus commanded them to go and show themselves to the priest for the acceptance in the society. Nine of them went their way but only one who was a Samaritan when saw that he was healed turn back to praise and thank God.

Key verse: v 18 “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner.”

Sermon Points:

  1. Circumstances breaks and creates barriers: The situation had brought them together. Now there was no barrier between them. They were no more Jew or gentile but only a lepers. They must have taken care of each other in times of their sufferings and disparity. Moreover we can assume that they would have prayed together and worshiped together. This happened because they realized that their strength is their unity. But when they were healed Jews went their way and this Samaritan his own way.
  2. Thank God in every circumstance: Jesus said go and show yourselves to the priests. Leviticus chapter 13 speaks that only priest can pronounce that the person is clean or unclean. It was mandatory for the rest nine lepers to show themselves to the priest because they were Jews. Without it they would not be admitted in the society. These nine lepers were so happy and curious to go back to the society, to their loved once that they forgot their past situation. They forgot that what would happen if they were not been cleansed. The problem with those nine lepers was that in the moment of their happiness they forgot Jesus, they forgot to thanks Jesus.
    The moment Samaritan saw he is healed he run back to Jesus, fell on face and thanked Jesus. For Samaritan, priest, family, friends and acceptance in the society was equally important but he placed Jesus above all.
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