Overflow With Thankfulness

Overflow With Thankfulness

Luke 17:11-19  11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”


God Is Gracious Toward All
It was understood in Jewish culture, if a person had become a leper that it was a punishment for some particular sin and also implied that God was displeased with that person.

They met Christ as he entered a certain village. They were a secluded group that was not to have contact with anyone but other lepers. They were a community of outcast, and were to remain as such.

They stood afar off, knowing that because of their disease they were obligated to keep their distance. They were to shout out unclean as people were to pass them by.

We find this group of ten lepers crying out something other than unclean. They are lifting their voice asking Jesus to have mercy upon them.

How many of you know that God hears our plea for mercy?

The bible says that everyone has sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. In a sense, we are like the leper in that we are impure and must also cry out to him that is pure. So, that he will save us.

As the lepers, we realize there is no one else who can make us whole. There is no one else by whom we can obtain mercy.  We too should come to the Lord Jesus Christ with a humble approach and ask for mercy for our lives.  To test their obedience Christ sent all ten lepers to the priest, to be inspected by him. They did know they would be cured along the way they were simply instructed to show themselves to the priest.

Now, the law was that a leper could only show himself to the priest once the leprosy had been cured. Keep in mind they had leprosy when Jesus issues the command.

It was indeed a test of their faith. Perhaps they had heard of all that Jesus had done throughout their region. Though he had not healed them the way they thought, they knew if they walked in obedience to what He was telling them that they would indeed receive what they had asked for.
As they went, they were cleansed, and so when they were looked upon by the priest, he gave them a certificate from that they were clean. God gave graciously to all ten of the lepers.

A Thankful Heart Honors God
When he saw that he was healed, instead of going forward to the priest, to be declared clean by him, he turned back towards him who was the Author of his cure. He wanted to give him glory even before getting his certificate of being clean.

He appears to have been very sincere and affectionate in his thanksgivings: With a loud voice he glorified God, acknowledging the healing had come from him; and he lifted up his voice in his praises, as he had done in his prayers,

What if our thanksgiving overflowed at a higher level than our prayers?
lifted their voices- To speak in a loud tone, cry out
loud voice- with great effort of the affections and emotions of the mind.

The loud voice implies that his mind, emotions all that he was were affected by what Jesus did for him. That is why he begins to proclaim his thankfulness.  How many of you can say that your mind, your affections, your emotions have all been impacted by what Jesus has done for you.
Those that have received mercy from God should publish it to others, so that others may praise God too, and learn to trust in him

He fell at his feet, put himself into the humblest reverent posture he could, and gave him thanks.
We ought to give thanks for the favors Christ bestows upon us, and we ought to be speedy in our praise and thanksgiving, and not delay them.

Christ took notice of this Samaritan. Though he who was a stranger to the people of Israel he was the only one that returned to give glory to God.

Proud People Don’t Say Thanks
“Where are the nine? Why did not they return to give thanks?”
They were so concerned about their certificate stating their cleanliness they forgot to praise and thank the one who made them clean.

How often in life are we more concerned about our achievements and personal goals rather than giving thanks to the one who made those goals possible?  His message is clear; ingratitude is a very common sin that plagues us all. Of the many that receive mercy from God, there are but very few that return to give thanks.


Romans 1:21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

We will not be a people that is too prideful to say thanks.