Have you ever stained your clothes? I have a notorious habit of spilling food on myself. It doesn’t matter how careful I am I somehow get something on my clothes. Usually it is food sometimes it is paint, sometimes oil from cooking, but it is all attracted to my clothes. Now if I don’t see that stain or choose to ignore it, the stain might come out a little bit or fade over time, but it never goes away. The only way to remove a stain is by bringing something to it that can remove it. Apparently, I am not the only one because there are advertisements for tide pens, spray and wash, and detergents that get out even the toughest stains.

Sin is mankind’s stain. You were born with it Psalm 51:5 and the longer you live the more you keep making it worse. The problem is that there is nothing you can do to remove it. There is no amount of washing, no amount of good deeds that will remove sin from you. You are unclean, you are stained, you are a sinner.

These 10 lepers in the gospel reading had the physical effects of sin showing for everyone to see. They were cast out away from the town not able to mix in with society because of their uncleanness. Those of us who show wrinkles, have graying hair, have scars, and have no hair also show the visible signs of sin. These are signs of death, that mankind is no longer immortal because of sin. Some of you may not have the outward signs of sin, but are just as much infected. You too are in the same boat as these lepers. In sin, you are outcast from the presence of God.

Then Jesus comes, the man who is born without sin, heading toward Jerusalem. What is the significance of going to Jerusalem? Is this just some regular trip? No, Jesus heads to Jerusalem for these very 10 lepers. He heads to Jerusalem for all mankind. He heads to Jerusalem to finally remove the stain of sin that has plagued mankind since Adam. This for you, the catechumen, the one who is receiving training in doctrine and discipline. It is for you to understand the miracle in light of Christ’s sacrifice.

In the Gospel, the 10 lepers shout “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” The unclean are asking for mercy. They see their plight and know that they cannot enter back into civilization or life without being clean. They call on Jesus to have mercy on their situation. Hopefully, this too reminds you of our liturgy. What is it that we ask for before we start the divine service? There is confession and absolution. Here you ask for mercy. You cry out to Christ just as these 10 lepers did. You confess your uncleanness to Him. These 10 lepers see Christ and see a way to be healed. They have hope, they have hope in Christ that He will be able to do something for them that they cannot do for themselves. You also as you came this week burdened down by your sin look to Christ because He is the one, the only one who can remove that burden from you.

Jesus sees the lepers. He sees them in their state. He sees them as the unclean outcasts, but He also sees them as they were meant to be. He too sees you with your sin. He sees you and has compassion on you. He sees you for what you are meant to be and wants to make it right. This is why Christ was going to Jerusalem, this was why Christ was going to the cross. He sees you and He knows you.

So what does Jesus do? Jesus responds to the lepers. He responds with a command. He tells them to go. He tells them to show themselves to the priests. This command accomplishes a couple of things. First, it shows that Christ is in complete agreement with the OT law. He, Christ fulfills it perfectly.
He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. So telling the lepers to go see the priests and offer a sacrifice was pointing to how you would be clean. That Christ as He heads to Jerusalem is going to be that sacrifice. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.
Lastly, the lepers going to the priests is also to announce the One who does make the unclean clean is here. The Messiah has come. The Savior of the world is here.

A parallel for you is after you come to church to make your confessoin and receive absolution what do you start. The divine service. Before, confession and absolution was done before Sunday so that as you go to His divine service, you go clean, you go forgiven. Just as the lepers are told to go to the priests you go to His divine service. They went to hear God’s Word and to make the sacrifice for what Christ had done for them. Here you hear His Word and you are reminded of the sacrifice that Christ made for you so that you know you are clean.

Now in the Gospel reading this is very important. One of the lepers sees that they are clean, and instead of continuing on to see the priests he turns back praising God and fell at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. This man falling at Christ’s feet is a sign of worship. This now cleaned leper recognizes Who is there. He recognizes that Christ is Lord. For thanks was to be given to God, and this man recognized that God was no longer in the temple but here in the man Jesus Christ. He understands that Jesus Christ, God, Emmanuel, is with us. This is where true worship happens. Where do you run to when you are healed? Where do you run to when you are forgiven? The divine service! This is where Jesus is! Here He is in His flesh and blood in the Lord’s Supper. What do you do when He comes to you in His flesh and blood? You give thanks! The nunc dimittis! You give thanks because you know this is where Christ is and He has made you the unclean clean with His blood.

The Gospel is amazing because not only does one leper come back, but the man who comes back is a Samaritan. The significance of this man being a Samaritan and being made clean is very important. Remember where Christ is going? He is heading to Jerusalem. Is He heading their just for the jews? No, Christ is heading to Jerusalem for the Samaritan. He is heading there for the gentile and He is heading there for you. He goes to Jerusalem just like the Gospel shows to heal not just the Jews, but everyone. His healing is for the whole world. His sacrifice covers all people and all nations. Here letting the hearer know that the one who turns back is a Samaritan shows that the Gospel, the Good News is for all men. It is for those that think they are not good enough to receive grace. It is for those who think they can never be loved. Christ loves them, Christ died for them too. Christ is the only one who can make the unclean into the clean. He takes the foreigner, He takes the leper, He takes the sinner and through His death and resurrection makes them children of the Most High God.

The Gospel isn’t over because Christ after the man comes to give thanks to Christ asks the man three questions. “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except the foreigner?” These questions show what is to happen to the Jews. The chosen people reject Christ not seeing Him for who He is and it is the foreigners that benefit from it. It is you and me the Gentiles who now praise Him because His sacrifice was for all. Also, here in Christ’s questioning of the Samaritan He states that He is God. Jesus says “give praise to God” This is to show that Christ is the 2nd person of the Godhead. That He is declaring His divinity while taking on humanity.

Lastly, God tells the healed Samaritan leper “Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well.” Rise and go… you too after the Lord’s Supper pray that as you leave this place that you go with faith in Him and fervent love toward one another. You can leave here in hope and peace. You can continue on your trek through the wilderness knowing that God is with you, that God abides with you. You can go in faith that God has made you clean and in turn can share that with your neighbor knowing with full confidence that He is with you and He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Christ also says “Your faith has made you well.” The Samaritan’s faith was in Christ, the God/man, that He the Messiah, the Savior is here. His faith was in the fact that he could not save Himself, but only Christ was the one who could do it. This is what you have faith in. This is why you are here today because you know that is He and He alone that can take your burden, that can take your sin and separate it from you as far as the east is from the west. He alone is the Way in which you can be cleaned. He alone is the how you can receive new life. He alone is the truth that by His sacrifice you have been healed. Your faith is in Christ, He alone is what your faith is built upon and it cannot be shaken.

SDG

Pr. Daniel Holm

Luke 17
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he 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.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 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. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Prov 4
10 Hear, my son, and accept my words,
that the years of your life may be many.
I have taught you the way of wisdom;
I have led you in the paths of uprightness.
When you walk, your step will not be hampered,
and if you run, you will not stumble.
Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;
guard her, for she is your life.
Do not enter the path of the wicked,
and do not walk in the way of the evil.
Avoid it; do not go on it;
turn away from it and pass on.
For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;
they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.
For they eat the bread of wickedness
and drink the wine of violence.
But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,
which shines brighter and brighter until full day.
The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know over what they stumble.

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.

Gal 5
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.