BUT WHERE ARE THE NINE
L UKE 17
Text: Luke 17:17
(Luke 17:17) "And Jesus answering said, Were there
not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?"
Introduction:
In our text ten lepers are healed but only one returns
to give the Lord Jesus the proper thanks for his healing
touch upon them.
Upon this lepers return, the Lord asks two questions.
Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?
If you figure it out percentage wise, only one out of
ten, or 10% came back to thank Christ for what He had
done. Let’s not be guilty of being part of that 90% who
do not give Him thanks and glory due His name.
Notice
1. THE CONDITION OF THE MEN (VS 12)
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(Luke 17:12) "And as he entered into a certain village,
there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood
afar off:"
Leprosy pictures sin in a person’s life or an individual
before salvation.
A. They Were Diseased
Luke 17:11-12
11
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:
B. They were defiled.
1. Lepers had to cry out Unclean in the
presence of others in order that they
might be warned of defilement.
Leviticus 13:3
3
And the priest shall look on the plague in the skin of the flesh:
and when the hair in the plague is turned white, and the plague in
sight be deeper than the skin of his flesh, it is a plague of leprosy:
and the priest shall look on him, and pronounce him unclean.
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.
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B. They were denounced.
1. No one wanted anything to do with a
leper.
C. They were distanced. (vss 12) afar off
Again the Law of Moses required lepers to keep their
distance.
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.
The legal distance which these unfortunates were
compelled to keep from passers-by was a hundred
paces.
1. We too before salvation are a far off.
(Ephesians 2:13) "But now in Christ Jesus ye who
sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ."
D. They were denied.
1. A leper was not able to take part in
public worship due to the fact that he
was defiled and might infect others.
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2. A person’s sins must be forgiven before
he or she can truly worship God.
2. THE CRY OF THE MISERABLE (VSS 13)
(Luke 17:13) "And they lifted up their voices, and said,
Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."
A. It was a desperate cry
1. No one else could help them.
2. No one else can help man in his sinful
state.
B. It was a definite cry. (For mercy)
1. At salvation one is at the mercy of the
Lord
2. There is no other means or name by
which one can be saved.
C. It was a dependent cry (Jesus was there only
resort for healing)
1. Jesus is the only source of Salvation.
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(John 14:6) "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but
by me."
3. THE COMPASSION OF THE MASTER (VSS
14A)
(Luke 17:14) "And when he saw them, he said unto
them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it
came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed."
A. Little did they know that the words spoken be
the Saviour would result in there healing.
B. Their healing took part as they went , when
they were obedient to the Word of God.
C. The Lord was moved by their plight and by
their faith in Him.
4. THE CLEANSING OF THE MARK ONES (VSS
14B)
They were cleansed. “Only Jesus can make the leper
(the sinner) clean.
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5. THE CELEBRATION OF THE ONE MAN.
A. He Came Giving Honor to God
Luke 17:15
15
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back,
and with a loud voice glorified God,
Was glad for his cleansing.
Results of offering thanks
1. Returned to give thanks
2. Thankfulness leads to rejoicing
3. Thankfulness leads to blessings.
B. He Came in Humility to the Lord
Luke 17:16
16
And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he
was a Samaritan.
Note:
The first inclination of this former leper was to worship
the One Who had delivered him from certain death. He
literally prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus in
worship and thanksgiving. As a leper, he dared not
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approach Jesus; but now, because of the cleansing he
had received, he bows in His presence (Eph.2: 13).
Ephesians 2:13
13
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are
made nigh by the blood of Christ.
6. THE CONCERN OF THE MASTER
Luke 17:17-19
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.
Note:
Only one out of 10 returned to give thanks for what
God had done for them. This greatly grieved the heart
of the Lord.
Note:
How often do we take our blessings for granted and fail
to thank the Lord?
Psalms 107:8
8
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for
his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalms 107:15
15
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for
his wonderful works to the children of men!
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Psalms 107:21
21
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for
his wonderful works to the children of men!
Psalms 107:31
31
Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for
his wonderful works to the children of men!
Close:
Jesus said in vss 17,18, “Were there not ten cleansed?
But where are the nine? There are not found that
returned to give glory to God, save the strangers.
By coming to Jesus, the man received something
greater than physical healing: he was also saved from
his sins. The Lord said:
Luke 17:19
19
And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made
thee whole.
The Samaritan’s nine friends were declared clean by
the priest, but he was declared saved by the Son of
God! While it is wonderful to experience the miracle of
physical healing, it is even more wonderful to
experience the miracle of eternal salvation.
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