In the biblical account from Luke 17:11-19, ten lepers are cleansed by Jesus, but only one Samaritan returns to thank Him, highlighting the theme of gratitude. The document emphasizes that we often overlook God's blessings in our lives and fail to acknowledge Him for the good we receive, which mirrors the ingratitude of the nine lepers. It calls for a daily practice of thanksgiving, recognizing that acknowledging our blessings helps fortify our faith and connection to God.

1. Return To Thank God
IBBC Bangkok Thailand
November 20,2022
Luke 17:11-1911
And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the
midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten
men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus,
Master, have mercy on us. 14
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves
unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15
And one of
them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17
And Jesus
answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18
There are not found
that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy
way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
Introduction:
Leprosy was a disease inflicted by God upon those who transgressed his laws. It was a divine
retribution, a visitation of providence for evil thoughts and evil deeds. It was called the " finger
of God." Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing. We are not exactly sure what Biblical
leprosy was. Whatever it was, once a person caught it, it was considered incurable, and those
diagnosed with leprosy were banned from society.
Leviticus 13:45-46 45
And the leper in whom the plague is, his clothes shall be rent, and his
head bare, and he shall put a covering upon his upper lip, and shall cry, Unclean, unclean.
46
All the days wherein the plague shall be in him he shall be defiled; he is unclean: he shall
dwell alone; without the camp shall his habitation be.
Leprosy was incurable, leprosy was disgusting, leprosy was revolting. Leprosy was considered
proof that you were the vilest kind of sinner. If you had leprosy, you actually watched your
body rot away. Your fingers, your ears, your nose dropped off. You died a slow and painful
death, cut off from society, cut off from family and the only friendships you had were others
like you.
These guys had a lot to be thankful for: the horrible disease that had made them outcasts has
now been healed. Only this Samaritan came back to thank Jesus, praising God for the blessings
he had received that day. Those nine who went on their way never really considering what
God had granted them that day and never taking the time to say thanks for His blessings.
Thanksgiving is something that should be done on a daily basis, not just once a year.
Like the Samaritan we need to turn back and thank God. Why??
I. Our need is great
Luke 17:11-1311
And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the
midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12
And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten
men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus,
Master, have mercy on us.

2. In those days, lepers were unclean. In Leviticus 13:38-46 we read instructions concerning this
disease. Being diagnosed with leprosy meant that they had to separate from Jewish society
and withdraw into a colony of other lepers.
- Lepers lost contact with their families
- Lepers lost their jobs
- Lepers had no hope
- Lepers could not kiss their children
- Lepers could not enjoy family celebrations
- Outcasts
- Alone
- Impoverished
Because of their desperate need, these lepers cry out for MERCY.
This word reflects the desperate situation of the lepers. They truly had no hope.
Spiritually - in the Bible, leprosy represents our sinful condition. There is no cure.
Like leprosy, sin spreads slowly and takes over the entire body. It kills what it touches.
Like leprosy, sin robs us of the pleasures God intends for us to have. Sin separates us from
others. One of the most devastating results for a Jew was that leprosy prevented them from
offering sacrifice in the Temple. Leprosy separated them ceremonially from worshiping God.
In a similar way, sin completely separates us from God. We are all lepers! We are all in
desperate need for Christ’s mercy.
II. God’s mercy is greater than our need
Luke 17:14 14
And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests.
And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
Jesus sends the lepers away. “Go and show yourselves unto the priests.” At the moment of
Jesus’ instruction, the men were still lepers. No physical change had yet taken place. But, in
faith, the men obeyed. As they began to walk to the priest, they were healed. Jesus always
required faith on the part of the person who asked for healing. There is an indication that they
demonstrated at least some measure of faith because they did what Jesus told them to do.
As they went, they noticed that Jesus indeed did heal them! These lepers experienced God’s
grace! Everyone here today has experienced God’s grace.
Our health, God’s daily provision, medical care, beauty of creation. Maybe you have not been
healed of a life- threatening diseases, but you have been given life to enjoy!
2 Corinthians 12:9 And he said unto me: My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the
power of Christ may rest upon me.
Illustration:

3. – Roy Campanella was one of the first African Americans to play in the US Baseball Major
Leagues. In a distinguished career he won the Brooklyn Dodgers Most Valuable Player award
many times, and in 1955 was in the team that won the World Series. But in 1958 his career
was cut short after a car crash left him a quadriplegic. After he was injured, he spent a lot of
time in the Institute of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in New York City. One day he
stopped to read a plaque on one of its walls, and for someone who was so blessed with such
athletic gifts, it resonated deeply within him. It said:
I asked God for strength, that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn to humbly obey…
I asked for health that I might do great things.
I was given infirmity that might do better things…
I asked for riches that I might be happy,
I was given poverty that I might be wise…
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of others.
I was given weakness that I might feel the need of God…
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life that I might enjoy all things…
I got nothing I asked for, but everything I had hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am, among men, most richly blessed!
Brethren, how truly blessed we really are! The Bible teaches that our trials are actually
blessings in disguise! God help us to stop pitying ourselves and realize how truly blessed we
are!
III. Give thanks to whom it is due
Luke 17:15-16 15
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a
loud voice glorified God, 16
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was
a Samaritan.
The Bible does not record how far they had walked before being healed. However, only one
man returned to thank Jesus for the healing. Ten lepers left celebrating their deliverance from
this disease, but one returns to thank God. This is the point of the entire story. Only one of the
lepers glorified God for the blessing that was done. We can imagine them deliriously happy,
rushing home to embrace their wives and children, to announce their healing. But only one of
them postponed his return home and took time to give thanks. This is where I see many of us
today. We like the good things that we get in this world, but we do not associate them with
the gracious hand of God. We think that we deserve them, or that we have earned them. We
forget that we are poor lepers, desperate and without hope. And we go off on our merry way
enjoying the things that God gives us but never pausing to worship God as the Source of these
good things. Do we recognize and acknowledge God as the giver of these good things and
worship him?

4. a. Take time to pause and consider your blessings
Our schedules are so hectic and so full that we just don’t take the time to consider our
blessings. How many times do we get so busy, and fail to take time to consider the blessings in
our lives? We are poor managers of our time that we never consider giving thanks. We have
let our lives spin out of control and actually fall controlled by circumstances instead of doing
the best we can despite the circumstances. One of the main problems is that we have difficulty
in establishing priorities. We just don’t understand why our life is always in turmoil.
We need to consider that giving of thanks is one of the most important things you can do and
pretty soon, everything else will begin to fall into place. Don’t fail to give thanks.
b. Don’t just see the difficult things but the things that benefit you
We would probably be surprised at how the blessings outnumber the difficulties.
*A story is told of a man who was lost in the woods. Later, in describing the experience, he
told how frightened he was and how he had even finally knelt and prayed. Someone asked,
“Did God answer your prayer?” “Oh, no,” the man replied. “Before God had a chance, a guide
came along and showed me the way out.”
IV. Give Thanks When Others Ignore God’s Grace
Luke 17:17-1917
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the
nine? 18
There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19
And he
said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
The nine went on their way, they were simply pre-occupied with their enjoyment and their
plans to go and be with their families once again.
Have you ever wondered why only one healed leper returned to thank Jesus?
Here are some suggested reasons why the other nine did not return:
- Maybe one waited to see if the cure was real.
- Maybe one waited to see if it would last.
- Maybe one said he would see Jesus later.
- Maybe one decided that he had never had leprosy.
- Maybe one said he would have gotten well anyway.
- Maybe one gave the glory to the priests.
- Maybe one said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."
- Maybe one said, "Any rabbi could have done it."
- Maybe one said, "I was already much improved."
By dwelling on the fact that only one in ten came back, Jesus is telling us very plainly He
wanted the thanks. He wanted them to see beyond the miracle to the miracle worker.
Like the thankful leper, let’s remember how much God has blessed us and be thankful for all of
these blessings.
Conclusion:
WHAT IF?

5. What if God couldn’t take the time to bless us today because we couldn’t take the time to
thank Him yesterday?
What if God decided to stop leading us tomorrow because we did not follow Him today?
What if we never saw another flower bloom because we grumbled when God sent the rain?
What if God didn’t walk with us today because we failed to recognize it as His day?
What if God took away the Bible tomorrow because we would not read it today?
What if God took away His message because we failed to listen to His messenger?
What if the door of the church was closed because we did not open the door of our heart:
What if God would not hear us today because we would not listen to Him yesterday?
What if God answered our prayer the way we answer His call for service?
What if God met our needs the way we give Him our lives?
May God help you to thank God in all things in your life; to thank Him daily in your prayer
time; to thank Him all during the day for all of His blessings in your life; and to express
gratefulness to people, as well as God, for their contributions in your life.
Invitation:
If there is one sin that is most prevalent today, it is the sin of ingratitude. God does so much
for us. Our indebtedness to him is enormous and yet we rarely or at least infrequently offer
thanks for what he has done. In fact, most professing Christians don’t even offer thanks over
their meals much less offer thanks over all that God does in their lives.