1. Lord! Have Mercy!
Being Thankful for God‟s Mercy
By Samuel E. Ward
For text version: cbckck.blogspot.com

2. Introduction
Before we approach the main text for
study, let‟s look a situation that provides
evidence that Jesus‟ disciples would
need a lesson in showing mercy if their
training was going to be complete. As
will be observed, they had not developed
the merciful frame of mind that Jesus
thought necessary for those who would
be ministering the gospel after He had
ascended to His Father.

3. Luke 9:51-56 (NIV2011) 51 As the time
approached for him to be taken up to
heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for
Jerusalem. 52 And he sent messengers on
ahead, who went into a Samaritan village to
get things ready for him; 53 but the people
there did not welcome him, because he was
heading for Jerusalem. 54 When the
disciples James and John saw this, they
asked, “Lord, do you want us to call fire
down from heaven to destroy them?” 55
But Jesus turned and rebuked them. 56
Then he and his disciples went to another
village.

4. Luke 10-16 contains the record of Jesus
intensifying His training of the disciples, as
well as His teachings on discipleship,
dealing with growing opposition, end times,
calls for repentance, parables concerning
the kingdom of God and other topics.
In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus uses the story of
ten lepers to teach about showing
compassion, exercising mercy, being
thankful for mercy received, and seeing
God‟s answers to our prayers as
opportunities for God to receive praise. We
divide the narrative into seven parts, the
first being . . .

5. I. The Journey of Jesus
(Luke 17:11)
Luke 17:11 (NIV2011) Now on his way to
Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the
border between Samaria and Galilee.
As Jesus went, He continued to
minister to whomever would listen and
healing all who would accept His mercy.
It was both His nature and mission.

6. Acts 10:37-38 (NIV2011) 37 You know
what has happened throughout the
province of Judea, beginning in Galilee
after the baptism that John preached—
38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth
with the Holy Spirit and power, and how
he went around doing good and healing
all who were under the power of the
devil, because God was with him.

7. II. The Plea from Ten Lepers
(Luke 17:12-13)
Luke 17:12-13 (NIV2011) 12 As he was
going into a village, ten men who had
leprosy met him. They stood at a distance
13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus,
Master, have pity on us!”
It is appropriate to pray for mercy, Psalm
6:2.
Psalm 6:2 (NIV2011) Have mercy on me,
LORD, for I am faint; heal me, LORD, for my

8. III. The Granting of Mercy
(Luke 17:14)
Luke 17:14 (NIV2011) When he saw them,
he said, “Go, show yourselves to the
priests.” And as they went, they were
cleansed.
Definition of “eleos”: "mercy; kindness
or good will toward the miserable and
afflicted, joined with a desire to relieve
them"

9. Note these biblical principles
concerning mercy:
A. It is God‟s desire to show mercy,
Isaiah 55:6-7.
Isaiah 55:6-7 (NIV2011) 6 Seek the LORD
while he may be found; call on him while
he is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake their
ways and the unrighteous their thoughts.
Let them turn to the LORD, and he will
have mercy on them, and to our God, for
he will freely pardon.

10. B. It is God‟s desire that we show
mercy, James 2:12-13.
James 2:12-13 (NIV2011) 12 Speak and
act as those who are going to be judged
by the law that gives freedom, 13
because judgment without mercy will be
shown to anyone who has not been
merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment.

11. C. It was the inward act of mercy that the
Pharisees had neglected in favor of the
outward worship found in rituals,
Matthew 23:23-24.
Matthew 23:23-24 (NIV2011) 23 “Woe to
you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You give a tenth of your
spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have
neglected the more important matters of the
law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You
should have practiced the latter, without
neglecting the former. 24 You blind guides!
You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

12. D. It is God‟s desire to reward mercy,
Matthew 5:7.
Matthew 5:7 (NIV2011) Blessed are the
merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

13. IV. The Return of One Leper
(Luke 17:15-16)
Luke 17:15-16 (NIV2011) 15 One of them,
when he saw he was healed, came back,
praising God in a loud voice. 16 He
threw himself at Jesus‟ feet and thanked
him—and he was a Samaritan.

14. Praise and thankfulness is the right
response of those who have received
mercy, Hebrews 13:15.
Hebrews 13:15 (NIV2011) Through Jesus,
therefore, let us continually offer to God
a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that
openly profess his name.

15. Isaiah was moved to praise God for
His mercy and compassion toward Israel.
Isaiah 63:7 (NIV2011) I will tell of the
kindnesses of the LORD, the deeds for
which he is to be praised, according to all
the LORD has done for us— yes, the
many good things he has done for Israel,
according to his compassion and many
kindnesses.

16. V. The Rebuke of the Nine
(Luke 17:17)
Luke 17:17 (NIV2011) Jesus asked,
“Were not all ten cleansed? Where are
the other nine?
It would seem that there should be as
much praise and thanksgiving in our
prayers as there are requests.

17. VI. The Notice by Jesus
(Luke 17:18)
Luke 17:18 (NIV2011) Has no one
returned to give praise to God except this
foreigner?”
Note some examples in the gospels
where the outcasts of society were more
prone to be thankful for God‟s mercies
than the so-called “righteous.”

18. A. The Pharisee in contrast to the tax
collector, Luke 18:10-14
Luke 18:10-14 (NIV2011) 10 “Two men
went up to the temple to pray, one a
Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11
The Pharisee stood by himself and
prayed: „God, I thank you that I am not
like other people—robbers, evildoers,
adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
12 I fast twice a week and give a tenth of
all I get.‟

19. 13 “But the tax collector stood at a
distance. He would not even look up to
heaven, but beat his breast and said,
„God, have mercy on me, a sinner.‟ 14 “I
tell you that this man, rather than the
other, went home justified before God.
For all those who exalt themselves will
be humbled, and those who humble
themselves will be exalted.”

20. B. The accusers in contrast to the
adulteress, John 8:2-4, 7b-11
John 8:2-4, 7b-11 (NIV2011) 2 At dawn he
appeared again in the temple courts,
where all the people gathered around
him, and he sat down to teach them. 3
The teachers of the law and the
Pharisees brought in a woman caught in
adultery. They made her stand before the
group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this
woman was caught in the act of
adultery...

21. 7b [Jesus said to them] “Let any one of
you who is without sin be the first to
throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he
stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go
away one at a time, the older ones first,
until only Jesus was left, with the woman
still standing there. 10 Jesus
straightened up and asked her, “Woman,
where are they? Has no one condemned
you?” 11 “No one, sir,” she said. “Then
neither do I condemn you,” Jesus
declared. “Go now and leave your life of
sin.”

22. VII. The Commendation of the
Faith
(Luke 17:19)
Luke 17:19 (NIV2011) Then he said to
him, “Rise and go; your faith has made
you well.”
“Fresh faith remembers the mercies
received from God and gives thanks.
Stale faith takes it for granted and God is
denied His praise.”

23. Conclusion
God will continue to be merciful even
to the ungrateful as He patiently waits
and gives them opportunity after
opportunity to accept His mercy and
grace in Christ. But it does have an
expiration date—either our death or
Christ‟s return--whichever comes first.

24. 2 Peter 3:7-9 (NIV2011) 7 By the same
word the present heavens and earth are
reserved for fire, being kept for the day of
judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
8 But do not forget this one thing, dear
friends: With the Lord a day is like a
thousand years, and a thousand years
are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in
keeping his promise, as some
understand slowness. Instead he is
patient with you, not wanting anyone to
perish, but everyone to come to
repentance.

25. The question remains as to whether
you will be counted as among the
thankful or the thoughtless.
Romans 1:21 (NIV2011) For although
they knew God, they neither glorified him
as God nor gave thanks to him, but their
thinking became futile and their foolish
hearts were darkened.

26. Surely Christ is worthy of our
thanksgiving and praise. Let us not be
neglectful in offering it.
Revelation 4:11 (NIV2011) “You are
worthy, our Lord and God, to receive
glory and honor and power, for you
created all things, and by your will they
were created and have their being.”