TRINITY 14
13 September Anno + Domini 2009
"Faith Always Comes Back for Moreâ€
Luke 17:11-19 (Prov. 4:10-23; Gal. 5:16:24)
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.. Amen.
Ten young persons came to Jesus for instruction. They spent two years in Confirmation Class with Jesus' undershepherd, the pastor. They learned what Jesus had done for them, and what He continues to do for them. They were taught the importance of remaining connected to Jesus by attending church and Bible Study regularly, for Jesus promises to be with us always in the Divine Service to forgive us and to strengthen and preserve our faith by giving into us His very Body and Blood. And, Jesus exhorts us to abide in His Word, that we may read, learn, mark, and inwardly digest His Word and remain on the path which leads to eternal life.
Nine of the ten confirmands belonged to families that had been Lutheran for many generations. These nine, after completing Confirmation Class, went their way. They received the instruction as if it were some hoop to jump through and figured that they had received enough. They viewed their completion of Confirmation Class as graduation from the Christian faith, as if their salvation was now secure and they were free to live as they pleased, never having to return to the place where they were taught the faith. They took their instruction and ran, never returning to have their training, which they were taught was life-long, continued.
But, one of the ten, and he a member of a family which had not raised him as a Christian, came back on a regular basis to receive the forgiveness, life, and salvation Jesus bestows through His Holy Word and Sacraments, and to return to Jesus thanks and praise for these eternal gifts.
And Jesus asked, through His undershepherd, the pastor: "Where are the other nine? Did not all ten receive instruction? Was no one found to return and give praise to God but this one, and he from a family which had not belonged to the Church?†And He said to this young man, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well.â€
The account of the ten lepers is not included in the sacred pages of Holy Scripture to teach us about the miraculous ability of Jesus to heal people physically. Nor is it included to teach us to be grateful to God in our hearts for the wonderful things He has done for us. It is not even included to teach us that we have an obligation to return to Jesus and give Him thanks and praise. No, it is included to give us a picture of what true faith looks like. True faith does not need to be told to return to Jesus; it does so naturally. The Samaritan returned to Jesus to praise God with a loud voice not because he had received an extra dose of healing and not because he had somehow been instructed with more vigor than the other nine, but because true faith had been implanted in his heart. He could do nothing but return to Jesus, for true faith always comes back for more. True faith always returns to Jesus, its source. True faith lives and moves and has its being in Jesus.
The account of the ten confirmands is not meant to pick on young people, as if they are the only ones guilty of not returning to Jesus. Many similar accounts could be used in reference to adults to illustrate the same principle at work. We could tell an account of ten adults who came to church on a regular basis, nine of which showed forth their thankfulness and praise by giving very little to nothing in the offering plate, while the one gave all that he possibly could. Or, we could tell an account of ten adults, all of whom took an oath to make use of the means of grace regularly and faithfully, to continue to learn the Word of God for as long as they lived, and to suffer all, even death, rather than fall away from the one, true, faith, but only one of the ten showed that he had taken that oath seriously.
But, we'd rather not have this account applied to us, would we? Much better to talk about distant lepers of long ago. Much easier to rationalize that we are like the one Samaritan simply because we come to church on a regular, or semi-regular, basis. Surely, that's enough. Let's not dig any deeper, 'cause it's a little too uncomfortable to get so personal.
But, dear friends, get personal we must. Jesus doesn't see to it that the account of the ten lepers is told to us so that we can root on the Samaritan and chastise the nine Jews from a distance. He makes sure we hear this account so that we can apply it to ourselves.
Dear friends, you have been "taught the way of wisdom†and have been "led in the paths of uprightness . . . 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†(Prov. 4:11-14).
Here's the truth, my friends, whether you want to hear it or not: Those who do not keep hold of the instruction they receive from the Lord; those who do not guard the deposit of truth; those who simply go through the motions and never pay heed to the Lord's exhortation to examine themselves; those whose repentance consists of nothing more than parroting the words of the general confession at the beginning of the Divine Service each week; those who refuse to acknowledge their sins, are not sorry for them, and have no desire to amend their sinful ways are entering the path of the wicked and walking in the way of the evil.
We need to take
the Word of the Lord most seriously.
This is not a game. Do not think
that because you have been confirmed in the faith, or that because your name
appears on the membership roster of this, or any other, congregation, heaven is
yours by right. It is not. Listen to St. Paul's serious warning: "Those who do such things (practice sexual
immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy,
fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies,
and things like these ) will not inherit the kingdom of God†(Gal. 5:19-21). He is not talking to a group of heathen here,
but to people who belong to the congregations in
For who among you has not been guilty of sexual immorality? Have you really never lusted in your heart? Or what about idolatry? Have you really never put anything before God? Sorcery? Have you really never dabbled in one superstition or another (what about that rabbit's tail you used to keep on you)? Enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, and divisions? You've never held a grudge? Used your tongue to spread gossip and slander your neighbor? Been involved with others in conflict? And the list goes on.
Repent! There is none righteous; all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. You have far too often been more like the nine Jews than the one Samaritan. Your thanks and praise have often been shallow and wanting. Stop traveling down the path of the wicked and return to the Lord. Now, for tomorrow may never come!
The old adage, actions speak louder than words, is true. Do not pay lip service to the Lord, but give Him thanks and praise with loud voices for all to hear, out of truly grateful hearts for what He has done, and continues to do, for you.
For Jesus lived
and died for you - for YOU! He bore all
your sins upon the cross and crucified them there. Your salvation cost God His life. It was not cheap. It was purchased by Blood, holy and innocent
Blood, made vile and rotten by your sins.
Your Savior, Jesus Christ, gladly and willingly suffered the pain and
misery, the torture and death, you deserve at
Therefore, live in gratitude for so great a gift as this! Do not come here to Christ's Church out of some obligation or to jump through some hoop, but to receive that which you desperately need - forgiveness, life, and salvation. Come as desperately as the ten lepers came to Jesus to be healed of the disease of your sinfulness. And, follow the example of the Samaritan by returning to Jesus time and time again to stay healed and to give Him your thanks and praise.
True faith always returns for more. It never has enough. It is never satisfied this side of heaven. It always hungers and thirsts for the Word of God and clings to the righteousness that can only come through continued Communion with its Lord, Jesus the Christ. So does Jesus provide the avenue through which the most intimate Communion with Him is secured by giving unto, and into, you His very Body and Blood in the Holy Supper. Come, dear friends, and receive this Bread of Life with sincere repentance and true faith, that your lives may be marked by the fruit of the Spirit: "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control†(Gal. 5:22-23). Lord, grant this unto us all. In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name. Amen.
Now the peace of God that passes all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.