Trinity 14

 

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +

    Last week, in finishing up the story of the Good Samaritan, Jesus asked the lawyer “Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” Mercy. Mercy is the hallmark of our Christian faith and life. We who have received Christ's mercy by faith strive to show forth mercy to the people God places into our lives. Our lives revolve around mercy. But what does that mean, how does that actually play out? Well, our lesson today, the 10 Lepers, likewise revolves around mercy.

    Wait, wait, wait Pastor! This isn't a mercy story, it's the be thankful text. We get to hear this at thanksgiving and be told that we need to be more thankful like the 1 leper is. Yes, we can look at this text through a lens of thankfulness, but that's not where the story actually starts. Listen. On the way to Jerusalem, He was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a village, He was met by 10 lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Have mercy. This is a story that gets kicked off by mercy. But let's refresh ourselves on the set up. Jesus is way up north, at a border town, partially Jewish, partially Samaritan, so there's probably loads of tension and animosity there... but Jesus is hailed by one group that is united. United in suffering and misery. The lepers.

    Frankly, it's so much easier to preach this after Covid, because we can more easily understand the lousiness of the situation of these lepers. If you had leprosy, you were cast out – you couldn't come near anyone (at least anyone without leprosy), because if you did, you might give them the nasty skin disease that leprosy was. So it's isolation, being cut off. And generally you'd live off outside of town in a cave, and maybe kind people would leave food and supplies for you at a point where you can pick it up later. And that's your life until your leprosy goes away. And it often didn't. So we can understand the dire state that these Lepers are in, and we hear them cry to Jesus for mercy.

    And of course, we know that Jesus will show mercy, because that's what Jesus does. Jesus shows mercy. When He saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. This is gorgeous. The priests were the ones who could officially let someone whose leprosy somehow cleared up back into the community. Clean and unclean was sort of the priest's balliwick. And Jesus says, “Go.” And they go... while they are still leprous. They go while their sores are still out and open for all to see, but Jesus said to go and so they go. And it's only while they are walking that they are healed. Don't be too harsh on any of these lepers – they heard Jesus and they believed Him. But then there is the rest of the story. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now, he was a Samaritan. Of the 10, only one comes back to give thanks to Jesus. And Jesus notes this – Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?

    Where are the nine? My friends, we are called by Christ to show mercy. That is what it means, practically speaking, to show love to our neighbors in a sinful world. We will show mercy. We will show mercy in acts of physical service – taking care of them. We will show mercy spiritually – forgiving people, not bearing grudges – you know, avoiding the enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy sorts of the works of the flesh that Paul had noted. Putting an end to those things, showing mercy and forgiveness even to the people who want to start things up with us. This is the mercy we are called by Christ to show. And you know what? You're not going to get any thanks for it. Okay, maybe once in a while you'll get some – but quite often, in fact, more often than not, you won't get a ton. And if you want to be bitter, just do a little bit of good and then focus on how little thanks you get. It's easy to work up a mound of indignation that way. But that would be silly, because that's just your sinful flesh trying to trap you in misery and anger and from there drive you into all other sorts of sins. And Jesus knows that we have to deal with our sinful flesh – and look how we get an example of Jesus not being thanked, of Jesus being forgotten about by 9 very people that He performed a miracle for. Our mercies that we get to show aren't miraculous, they are much more mundane than that. And if Jesus doesn't get thanked, we shouldn't be surprised when we don't get thanked. Of course, we don't show mercy for the purpose of and in order to be thanked anyways... we show mercy because the other guy needs it. And if they get mercy, the job is done, mission accomplished, whether or not we get any thanks.

    So, my friends, don't let someone else's thanklessness knock you off of who you are support to be. Don't give room to resentment, don't harbor bitterness or anger, even when there might be a reason to be bitter (… a reason, as though someone didn't thank me enough is actually a reason to excuse your own sin... but that's how our flesh works). Rather, go and love your neighbor. Show mercy, and let the chips fall where they may, and if your neighbor is helped and aided, then you give all thanks and praise to God for them. Alright?

    Alright Pastor Brown, we'll behave and not complain about the lack of thanks we get... but there is one who came back! What about him? See how important thankfulness is, and I hope those thankless people hear. Yep, it would be nice. It's good to hear thank you, and do appreciate the people in your life. That's a good thing, but that's not actually the point of the text. Listen to Jesus, and note what He says, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Did you catch it? The primary thing that Jesus notes here is the Praise to God. Any thanks we might get is secondary, and rightly so, because if and when our good works shine before men, the hope is that people would then glorify our Father in heaven. The hope is that people would through us understand God's love and mercy and be brought into relationship first and foremost with God (and only then into better relationship with us). And that's what this 1 Samaritan gets – he gets a relationship with God. He gets to have a conversation with Jesus that the 9 missed out on. All 10 get healed, only 1 gets to have personal interaction with Jesus. Only 1 gets to hear Jesus say, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

    Praising God, and then hearing Jesus' say that you are free to go your way, for by faith you are well, and it will be well with you. If only there were a place where we could praise God and then hear Jesus' word of blessing. If only there was a place where we could cry out to God for mercy and hear Jesus' word of forgiveness and healing and cleansing. If only there was a place where instead of being isolated and alone in the works of sin, we could be brought together to be with Jesus and receive His gifts! Okay, did I lay it on too thick? But you get the point, right? The 1 leper basically goes to a Church service. He engages in the conversation that worship is – his prayers and praise go forth to God, and Jesus speaks His word of mercy and healing and strength to him. And that's what happens for us here, in this place. We call out to God – we confess our sins, we ask for mercy for ourselves and for others, we praise God, we thank God – and God likewise comes and speaks to us. He comes and has His Word of forgiveness spoken. He comes and teaches and comforts in His Word as it is read and proclaimed. He comes physically in His body and blood to forgive us and strengthen us. Jesus comes to you in this service to mercy you. You lavish you in mercy and love and forgiveness – and then, at the end, rise and go your way. And on your way, you'll show mercy to the people you come across this week, but it's not actually just your own mercy, it's Christ's mercy that you've received from Him and then show forth to others. And again and again, in His church, Jesus mercies you, and then again and again Jesus mercies others through you, and He mercies you through others, and it's a wondrous, beautiful thing.

    And sometimes we aren't as thankful for it as we ought to be. Sometimes we scurry off after other things when the time for worship is here, sometimes we get here but only dragging our feet, sometimes as we go we don't see ourselves as clean but still feel our guilt. That's just the reality of being a sinner, of being caught up in those silly works of the flesh and being torn by various wants and priorities and all that junk. Jesus still mercies you. Jesus still gives you your daily bread. He still strives for your spiritual health and protection. And when you are led away from temptation and back to His house, you're still lathered in mercy here. And it's better to be here, it's better to be continually receiving God's mercy here in His house – because it makes the thankless, harsh, angry world of craziness out there so much easier to deal with when you confront it with Jesus' mercy first and foremost in your mind. Jesus' mercy remains. And when we remember this, when we see this and aren't distracted away from it, praise and glory to God flows, naturally, wondrously, resoundingly. Jesus does wonderful things for you, because He loves to show you mercy. Because He loves to be with you, and He forgives you and mercies you precisely so that instead of being isolated from Him, you will be with Him, now and eternally. Amen. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit +