Sermon in Minneapolis 28.08.2016

Grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us begin our service this morning with opening prayer and thanksgiving.

Holy and righteous God, our dear Heavenly Father, again this morning we thank you for this moment to be able to gather around your holy word. We thank you for all of your abundant blessings that we have been able to enjoy in this life. But we thank you of the greatest of all blessings, your Son, Jesus Christ, in whom you have prepared that gift of salvation. And this gift of salvation we can own through faith, through the merits of your Son, Jesus Christ.

So we ask for service blessings today. Be with us. Guide us. Comfort us and console us on this way. And especially feed us with your everlasting gospel word, the bread of life that has come down from heaven. All of this we ask in the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Before reading our text, we want to have a prayer for children that have been born in the recent past. We're going to have a prayer for children that have been born in the next year. Charlotte May, daughter of Spencer and Annalisa Karenimi. Leah Eloise, daughter of Tim and Caitlin Hiluka. Brooklyn Jean, daughter of Charlie and Dana Holonen. Sophie Merlin, daughter of Evan and Bobby Siljander. Brianna, daughter of Peter. Brianna, daughter of Caroline. Brianna, daughter of Phil and Margaret Karenimi. Everly Patricia, daughter of Nolan and Tara Karenimi. Hudson Albert, son of Todd and Ruthann Anderson. Oliver Victor, child of Rister and Deidre Karenimi. Louis Oliver, son of John and Ashley Koystinen.

We praise thee, O God, for little children given into our keeping, for their purity of heart, their constant simplicity, their natural and trusting affection, and for the wonderful comfort and joy they bring to us. We praise and bless thy glorious name. Continue, we beseech thee, thy protection to them, and grant us such a measure of thy spirit that we may work together with thee for their good. All which we ask in the name of him who took little children in his arms and laid his hands upon them in blessing, thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Today is the 15th Sunday after Pentecost, and today's gospel text is from the gospel according to St. Luke, chapter 17, verses 11 through 19. And we'll quieten our hearts to hear these words as follows in Jesus' name.

And it came to pass as he went to Jerusalem that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and they said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go, show yourselves unto the priest. And it came to pass that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, he turned back and with a loud voice glorified God. And he fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.

And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? There are not found that return to give glory save this stranger. And he said unto them, Arise, go thy way. Thy faith made thee whole. Amen.

Jesus had spent the last several years of his public ministry working and preaching and teaching in the northern part of the country in the area of Galilee. And now the time of his public ministry was coming to an end. And he was beginning his final journey and beginning to go toward the city of Jerusalem. And the most direct route from Galilee to Jerusalem would be straight through an area, a province called Samaria. And this area of Samaria was not a very friendly territory to the Jews and for the Jews. And we will perhaps give an explanation to this a little bit later.

And as Jesus was on his journey, he met ten individuals, ten men who were sick. When we think of health, health is a great gift. And this is something that everyone would wish to own and possess. Both physical health and mental health. When it happens that we become sick and ill, then we, of course, want to search for a cure. A way that we can be recovered from this sickness, this illness or ailment.

During the time of Jesus, of course, health care was not at the level it was or it is today. And in this case, Jesus was met by ten men, ten individuals who had the disease of leprosy. And today, I guess they call it Hansen's disease. And it was a very awful disease. And not only this, because it was so contagious, but also for this reason that the Jews believed that a person who contracted this disease was being smitten or being punished by God, punished by God for perhaps some sins or transgressions that they had supposedly committed. And this word leprosy means to strike or to be smitten. So a leper was literally one considered to be smitten by God.

In order to give a clearer picture of these individuals in this text, I'll read a description of what leprosy was and how it manifested itself. It was a disease that begins with little white spots appearing on the skin. And those spots begin to harden and turn from white to pink to brown. And then they become very scaly. Those sores then began to spread all over the body. They would afflict the face first. And soon the appearance of the face would change. These sores would begin to fill with pus. And they would begin to run all over the body. There was a foul odor. And others couldn't even stand to smell the odor. Leprosy began to totally consume one's body. The eyebrows would fall out. And then the hair would turn white. A person with leprosy is someone who is literally rotting away. Fingers would fall off. And the toes of their feet would begin to fall off. Leprosy lasted an average about nine years until the victim would collapse and waste away.

So you can see that it was an awful disease that these individuals had contracted. And it was such a frightful disease that these people were shut out from society. They were isolated from everyone else. There was no opportunity to visit with their spouse, their children, their friends, their relatives. They couldn't go to the store. They couldn't attend church. They were completely shut out from society. There was pain, of course, from this disease. But even worse was this isolation that they had to experience from society. And they often lived together in caves.

And sickness has a leveling effect. And here we can see that later on in our text it comes out that of these ten, nine were Jews and one was a Samaritan. Now, Jews and Samaritans are bitter enemies with each other. But it was amazing how during this time of illness and sickness, those barriers fell down. And those ten individuals all were together in their own community.

It's been stated that even in the natural world during the time of the flood, if animals get pushed to a small piece of dry land, there may be foxes and wolves together with sheep and other such animals. And normally the wolves and the foxes would eat such animals as sheep or rabbits or squirrels. But during the time of flood, such animals lived together in peace and harmony, not harming each other.

So these lepers had to live in isolation. And according to the law of Moses, they had to rent their clothes. They had to rip their clothes, which was a sign of their leprosy. And they grew long hair and men grew a beard. And it was always disheveled. And then they had to shout out with a loud voice if someone would approach them. They would say, I'm defiled. I'm defiled. Stay away. Warning. Keep your distance.

And according to the rabbis, the distance that needed to be kept between the lepers and a healthy person was 100 paces. I've read from other sources that it was more like 50 feet. But if it was windy, it had to be like 200 feet.

We remember that in the Old Testament there was one man who was a foreigner. Just like the one foreigner in our text, which we will talk about later. His name was Naaman of Syria. So there was a parallel between these stories. And then they were both healed. And then both of these individuals later returned to give thanks, almost using the exact same words.

So as I mentioned, sickness is a leveler. There is no difference at those times between the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated, those that may live in the city and those that may live in the country.

When thinking about sickness and illness, it's a good reminder for us not to forget those who are sick and ill, those who are shut-ins. A friend of mine in Finland recalled when his wife was dying of cancer. And this went on for many months. I remember those times when I lived in Helsinki. And he said that he went to visit his wife every day. And those that were working in that hospital or that institution where his wife was living said that it is nice to see that you come to see your wife and spouse and visit her daily. Even though they said we have such good health care and people, the ill, are being well taken care of. Many of those patients here are completely forgotten. No one comes to visit them. Not even the family.

So we as caregivers try to, in some way or another, give them time, give them attention, and to visit with these individuals.

So James writes in his epistle that we would remember the orphans and the widows and those who are afflicted.

Many of the individuals who have never visited such an institution or old folks' home or a hospital may think that, well, what would I say? What would I do? How would I be when visiting such an individual? They may be, you may be a little bit timid about going to visit such a person. But they appreciate the company. And often you can just be in the seat of a listener. And often the patient does the talking. They have so much to talk about.

One friend of mine who was a pastor in the old country said that that was part of his job. He did this on a regular basis. And at times the patients were so demented, so severely in the state of dementia, that they didn't know where they were or who they were. But he would sing songs to them. And that song would often touch them and perhaps bring back a childhood song that they remembered from years and years ago and began to maybe sing or hum that song.

Last Tuesday was the funeral for Luella Solgander. And for years she was in such a state of dementia. And she really couldn't converse, but she often was humming or singing some familiar song, which I wasn't acquainted with. But then this pastor said that when you bless them with the gospel, even though they are completely unaware of the state that they're in, he said he could often see the reaction where their face lit up and their eyes grew big. And that gospel was able to touch their heart and they were able to receive it with a heart of faith.

The same friend, this pastor, one time was visiting an old folks home when it was lunchtime. And the caregivers were feeding the patients. So he decided that he would help feed the patients as well. Then there was one patient, an individual, a big man, who couldn't feed himself any longer and refused to have the caregivers try to help him. So the pastor said that, here, let me try. He took the spoon and he approached that man in a wheelchair and he said, Pastor here, he wants to feed you. The man opened his mouth and ate the food off of his spoon and pretty soon his plate was empty. It worked.

So here, Jesus is now on his way to Jerusalem, passing through this area of Samaria. And then these ten lepers stood afar off. They couldn't come any closer. Was it a hundred paces? Or was it fifty feet? Or on a windy day, was it two hundred feet? Anyways, the Bible here says that they stood afar off. And they perhaps had heard the fame had spread about this man whose name was Jesus. That he had healed other people. He had done other miracles. Perhaps he is able to help us as well. And so they cried out.

Now it's amazing that how were they able to cry out. Because, according to my sources, when a person is affected with leprosy, it also affects their speech and often they aren't even able to talk. But somehow they were able to get words out of their mouth and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

Even though they called Jesus Master, Jesus himself said that I didn't come that you would serve me, even though I am a master. But I came to serve you.

The psalm writer says in this way that, Cry out when you are in distress. For I desire to help you. Then you must honor me. Seek the Lord when he is near, that you may find him.

So Jesus often helped people as he was passing by. Earlier there was another leper. And this time Jesus went up to that leper. Even though he had a contagious disease, he touched the leper and he healed him. Another time the noble man's son was sick and ill. Jesus healed the noble man's son. There was once a woman who had an issue of blood. And Jesus came to help and console that person. And when that woman touched the garment, the hem of the garment of Jesus, she became healed. And so we could go on and on with many different examples.

The widow of the city of Nineveh, whose son had passed away and whose body was being carried toward the cemetery. Jesus stopped the procession, took a hold of the cot, and brought that dead child again back to life. So Jesus often helped those who were in need.

When we think of the law of Moses in regards to this sin of leprosy, the law was very severe. It was very harsh. These individuals were shut out from society and isolated from other individuals and had to keep their distance.

So the law regarding leprosy said that healthy individuals stay away. Jesus went and approached these individuals. The law said regarding the lepers that they were off limits. Jesus came close to them to help them.

The law regarding leprosy would say pass by on the other side. Avoid them. Jesus came and made contact with these sick individuals.

The Bible says of Jesus what his mission was here upon this earth: that Jesus came to seek and to find those that were lost. Jesus did not want to reject. In the eyes of Jesus everyone had the same value. The same human worth in the eyes of God. Everyone was created by God. And in this sense everyone was on the same level. Whether they were sick or healthy. Whether they were Jew or Gentile. They were all created by God.

So Christ was sent into the world to correct that fall. That result of the great fall into sin in paradise.

So Jesus then when these ten individuals cried out that Jesus master have mercy on us he instructed them that go and show yourselves to the priests. And this was typical, this was according to the law of Moses as written in Leviticus chapter 13 and chapter 14. The priest wasn't able to perform any curing of these individuals but the priests were like a health inspector and either gave the declaration that they were healthy or they were still sick.

When I made trips to Togo or Ecuador or some foreign country some of these countries require a card that you have had a health inspection and that your vaccinations are all in order. And if you don't have such a card you may be turned back at the border. So we could say that in a way these priests were performing like a health inspector and would write up this card either saying healthy or sick.

If we read chapter 13 of Leviticus it's interesting that the priest would look over these individuals, these lepers who came to them. And when this leprosy had begun to spread over the body and had not completely covered the body then the priest would say you are still unhealthy, you are still sick. You are not allowed to return back to society.

But then the amazing thing was when leprosy had completely covered the body from head to foot and not one healthy piece of skin was any longer found on the body then the priest would declare that person clean and healthy again. This seems completely contrary to our human mind.

As a result of the fall into sin the Bible says there is no one who is good, no not one. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

So when the prophet Isaiah is writing about the people of his time and their sins he said you the people are so unhealthy that you are completely sick from the crown of your head to the heel of your foot. You are completely sin defiled.

But why does the priest say that when you are completely leprous then I will declare you clean?

Well we remember when that rich young man came to Jesus and he asked what should I do to be saved and Jesus said that what does the law say and he recited back exactly what the law said and then the rich young man said I have fulfilled this all since my youth.

So in the mind of this rich young man he was not completely sin defiled. He had plenty of healthy spots on his body. He had much to offer unto God for his own salvation. He was as if saying God I will pay half of my entrance into heaven and what I can't pay then you can fulfill the rest.

But this wasn't acceptable unto God. Jesus instructed that rich young man that go and sell all of your possessions, liquidate your bank accounts and give it all to the poor and needy and then come and follow me.

Well he's not telling us that in order to become heaven acceptable we have to liquidate all of our mutual funds and sell all of our stocks and give it to the rich and to the poor and needy. No, but this rich young man was thinking that in his mind he was heaven acceptable because he was able to fulfill the law to love God with all of his heart and to love the neighbor his neighbor as himself.

So Jesus was trying to say if you wish to get to heaven by fulfilling the law and by loving your neighbor just as much as you love yourself this is how you would fulfill the law in loving the neighbor as yourself: sell all that you have, go and give it to the poor and then come and follow me.

This was too much for the rich young man. He couldn't do it. Thus he wasn't able to fulfill that point love your neighbor as yourself. He turned, he walked away and was sorrowful.

Jesus turned to his disciples who were watching and listening to what was happening and he said to them it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than it is a rich person, spiritually rich person, to try to enter into the kingdom of God with his own spiritual goods, gifts and deeds. It is a gift completely, a gift completely of grace through the merits of Christ Jesus.

So then Jesus said to these ten individuals as the law of Moses says that go and show yourself to the priest. Now in this group of people there were nine who were Jews so they, I'm sure, began to head toward Jerusalem to see the priest there in the temple but one was a Samaritan and they didn't attend the temple in Jerusalem. They had their own temple which was on Mount Gerizim and that's where their priests were. So I would assume that this Samaritan went toward Mount Gerizim to see his own priest.

And so they left from the company of Jesus and began to go their way looking to meet up with their priests and along the way a miracle happened. Suddenly they were healed from their sickness of leprosy.

A little while later one person, one individual returns and it was a Samaritan, one of the despised people in the eyes of the Jews. The Samaritans were considered a mixed people because in 721 BC when the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered and those people were brought into exile they began to intermarry with people from other nations so they became a mixed people.

And as time went on then they came up with their own Bible which is different than our Bible and the only part of our Bible that they accepted was the first five books of Moses from Genesis to Deuteronomy. And so there was a constant rift and strife between the Jews and the Samaritans.

But after the healing the nine Jews disappeared and were heard of no more and one returned and it was the Samaritan. Says it says here in our text one of them when he saw that he was healed he came back and shouted with a loud voice glorifying God.

So he shouted with a loud voice the sin or the sickness of leprosy had been healed. He had been cured from it and now his voice returned again and using this voice he came and glorified God just like when Jesus was going into Jerusalem the last time the people shouted out that Hosanna to the son of David, blessed be he who comes in the name of the Lord, Hosanna in the highest glory be to God.

And also on that first Christmas morning the angels rejoiced there in heaven and said that the son of David is born in the city of Bethlehem. They glorified God.

So in the same manner now this tenth individual, this Samaritan returned and he gave praises unto God the heavenly Father.

We could say that ten people were healed but only one individual was saved.

Well how do we come to that conclusion? Well Luther says that faith healed all ten individuals but Jesus says at the end of our text and he said unto him the Samaritan arise go thy way your faith has made you whole or your faith has healed you but your faith has saved you.

It's interesting this word that is used to be made whole in the original tongues can be used when a person is healed from an illness that you have been saved, you have been healed or it can be the saving of a physical life.

When Jesus was on the cross they came to the foot of the cross and they shouted come down and save yourself but most often this word is used to save when Jesus gave them spiritual help saved their soul.

And so he came back and he gave thanks unto God and glorified God.

One individual was robbed as he was walking on the street in town and later he wrote in his journal and he said he gave thanks that this was the first time this happened to him that he was robbed. Secondly he gave thanks that they only took his money and not his life. And thirdly he gave thanks that he didn't have very much money in his wallet. And fourthly he gave thanks that he was the one who was robbed and was not the robber himself.

So he found even though this bad thing happened to him in the midst of that tragedy he found reasons for giving thanks.

It's just like one young boy had a bicycle accident and broke his leg and ended up in the hospital and when he was in the hospital bed the family and parents could hear him mumbling something and they're wondering if he was grumbling because of being angry or bitter and they listened more closely and he said well thank goodness I still have one good leg.

So in the midst of that tragedy he still found some glimmer of hope and reason for giving thanks.

We as individuals are slow to give thanks.

Often there's one little story of there's angels bringing baskets from earth to heaven and there's one basket that is full of slips of paper and the other basket is empty.

What do you think the two types of baskets were? The basket that was full of slips of paper were God can I have this, God can I have that and God can I yet have this and that.

That basket was empty, had nothing in it, was the basket that was set aside for praise and thanksgiving for reasons for giving thanks God that you have given me this and you have given me that.

That basket was empty.

Isn't it often true that this is our human nature?

One brother in a sermon used this little illustration. He said it's like a full eclipse of the sun. Eclipse of the sun happens when the earth moves in front of the sun and it becomes dark here on earth.

He says so it is for us as human individuals that this earth, this earthly portion, this human portion of us of ours often moves in front of the sun and blocks out its warm rays and it becomes dark and cold.

But we promise as the songwriter says that in heaven I will praise thee much better when this corruption is taken from me I will praise thee O Lord and Redeemer I will praise thee then eternally.

So Jesus then asked this one individual that where are the other nine?

Isn't it often so just like Jesus says in that parable of the four types of soil that the seed is cast on many kinds of soil some fall on the roadside and some fall where it grows thorns and thistles and some fall on the rocky soil and some falls on the good soil.

And if we think about the seed that falls on the rocky soil it initially grows, germinates and grows but when the heat of the sun comes it bakes and kills that growth because there is no depth to the earth and there is no roots.

So that could be compared to those nine who were healed but soon after they were healed they had made perhaps promises but those promises were quickly forgotten.

Often it has happened that when tragedy occurs a person may say in their heart that I will repent, I will turn my life to God, I will change my ways but when the tragedy passes on they completely forget the promises that they had made.

So here in our text it gives a reminder as we said already that it is good to remember those who are sick and ill and perhaps shut in in the nursing homes and in the hospitals but we have reason to give thanks for our health and perhaps we have fallen ill and have been in the hospital and have recovered we should remember to give thanks unto God for our health that we have again received back again.

And we could also remember to thank the hospital staff, doctors and the nurses and so forth what they have done for us.

Isn't it so that people often just criticize them for perhaps some medical error that they had done or some oversight that had occurred?

Wouldn't it be good to remember their hard work and efforts and their dedication that they have done on our behalf?

There were one time two ladies who were terminally ill and one of the ladies, I'll call her name Laura, was very bitter and grumbling to God that God I thought you were a God of love and if you are a God of love why are you punishing me in such a way and allowing me to experience such pain and agony.

And then soon came into her same room another individual believing lady both of them were and her name was Lori and she listened to the grumbling of her roommate and finally Lori began to say that God is love, God is love and God is love.

And pretty soon the first one who had been grumbling had to turn to the other one and say that yes God is love and wanted to hear the gospel for her bitterness and hard feelings and that she had been feeling and expressing in her heart.

One day every one of us must leave this earth. None of us can live here forever.

As one doctor had written on his tombstone that here lies doctor so-and-so and around me are many of my patients that I have healed over the years.

Even though the patients were healed they eventually died and the doctor himself died.

This is the faith for all of us.

But isn't it most fortunate when we can pass from this life when we can lay down the cross that our soul has been healed, healed with the blood of Christ through the works of Jesus the son of God and that this earthly body that can be removed and our undying soul that has been washed with the blood of Christ can soar into the glory of heaven.

Pain, sorrow, agony, doubts and fears are all left behind and we can go to that better land where we can praise God and the angels forever and forever.

So even this morning we can be happy and free and uplift our hearts amidst trials, temptations, worries, cares and fears and believe just as you are sins forgiven in Jesus name and precious blood the power of the gospel will lift, will carry and will bring us one day to our eternal home in heaven in Jesus name. Amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost. Amen.