God is longing for an intimate relationship with us: We know we receive from Him—and He longs to receive from us. Jesus is looking for people whose hearts feel what He is feeling.
Asking the Right Question: The Parable of the Ten Lepers
Luke 17:11-19
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·SLIDE #1: Do you know how the Narcissus Flower got its name?
Narcissus saw himself reflected in pool of water.
Ovid’s version: Echo talked to him; in love with himself: Fell in the pool and drowned.
Not just fanciful story. For centuries folks have recognized this negative refection of human nature.
·SLIDE #2: An over focus on “Me” sabotages my life and my relationships in any age, culture, society, or generation.
·SLIDE #3: Narcissistic personality disorder: One of several recognized personality disorders:
100% self-centered; No feelings or empathy for others; unable to sense the reality of how their behavior is so alienates others; multiple relationships because selfishness always sabotages their relationships.
This is a personality disorder to the extreme. We don’t want to go there—but if we are not careful, we can all exhibit some of these same characteristics.
·SLIDE #4: Let me suggest to you that one of the subtle questions underlying our relationships is, “What am I getting out of this relationship?”
What am I getting out of my Friends? my Marriage? my Family? My Children?
Let me show you the set up? When we go into a relationship asking, “What am I getting out of this? there will come a time when we don’t think we are getting out of it everything we should.
In other words, “This appliance is getting old and I don’t think I am getting out of it all I used to, I think I am going to trade it in on another model.”
Car, not what they promised me, I am going to trade it in.
And in America we are trading in models at an unbelievable pace.
·SLIDE #5: In a society where 50% of all marriages end in divorce we need to ask a different question.
·SLIDE #6: In a society where 78% of all 2nd marriages end in divorce we need to ask a different question.
·SLIDE #7: In a society where 60% of all children will spend some time in a single parent home we need to ask a different question.
·SLIDE #8: In a society where 30% of all children will spend some time in two or more broken homes we need to be asking a different question.
·SLIDE #9: If you were born after 1965 (36 years or younger) you will find statistically that you’ll have more spouses than you’ll have children!
·SLIDE #10: Think about what transpires in Single Adult Land: People desperately seeking intimacy only know how to take from one another Many live in a continual maze of “hooking up” with a subsequent fearful rejection of permanent relationships.
·SLIDE #11: How many of you saw the movie Shrek? Parody of multiple Disney and Buena Vista Live happily ever after movies—and many other movies. Love this scene in which the King is picking the ideal woman to be his queen: Note, it is all about “me.”
VIDEO: Shrek “mirror, mirror on the wall” bachelorettes
·SLIDE #12: How often our focus is on, “What am I getting out of this relationship?”
Let me suggest to you an alternative question:
·SLIDE #13: “What is God receiving from this relationship?”
That is not what you thought I was going to say. You thought I was going to say, “What are they getting out of this relationship?” Or “What am I putting into the relationship?”
Those are important; but those questions don’t go nearly deeply enough.
What is God receiving from your Friendships? marriage? Family?
·SLIDE #14: Revelation 4:11: You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for you have created all things, and for your pleasure they are and were created.
He is worthy to receive the pleasure of seeing people live in harmony. I believe He gets a kick out of this. I also believe He is broken-hearted when people fight all the time with each other.
Listen, God says to us, this whole Xn life thing, it is not primarily about you. It is about Me.
·SLIDE #15: Luke 17 Story of ten lepers: One of the lepers asked a different question.
Homily on the story and see the changing foci of the passage leading to a powerful climax: Then I want to focus on five things God is looking to receive out of our lives and relationships.
·SLIDE #16: The story begins with an obvious focus. People with Leprosy are desperate.
Read Luke 17:11-13: Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
Thick skin, long extended death; nerve endings fail, digits fall off, eyelids rot away and can never close their eyes.
Social outcasts, religious outcasts
The Relationship Situation in America is desperate. It is not good to go through life alone. It is not good to go through life with broken relationships either.
Josh McDowell: 53% of youth surveyed among 13 different denominations:
·SLIDE #17: “I don’t want the kind of marriage my parents have.
How many of you dream of having an ideal marriage? How many of you have ever seen one?
Situation is desperate for many of us—but the Lord Jesus has a healing cure for all of us.
·SLIDE #18: The focus now changes to the healing cure.
Read Luke 17:14: When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.
You may not realize it but He directed them to fulfill a Bible verse.
Leviticus 14: Go to priests as if you are healed and after you present to priest, you will be affirmed back into the community.
·SLIDE #19: God’s solutions are always consistent with scripture. This is like the owner’s manual.
Act as if you are healed and you will be healed. His solution is grounded in scripture.
·SLIDE #20: Responding to God’s Word always requires faith.
In other words, I can imagine some of those Lepers wondered, “Now how is that going to work?” and they stood there wondering in their leprosy.
But they had faith:
Imagine Lepers Go to Jerusalem. “As they go they are healed…”
Imagine fingers grow back, nose grows back, eyelids close. Imagine the thrill and wonder of that! Imagine joy of restoration.
·SLIDE #21: The focus turns to one grateful leper: “I can’t take one more step away from Jesus.
Read Luke 17:15-16: One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.
The story is not about the ten, It is about one leper who asked a different question.
·SLIDE #22: Not, “What is in it for me?” Nine lepers asked that question. And they got healed.
But one leper asked another question and he not only got healed, he got a an intimate encounter with Jesus. He is thinking:
·SLIDE #23: What is Jesus getting out of this? What is God receiving?
Leper kneels before Jesus in deep gratitude.
Christ did not say, “Get up from there, I don’t need that, I am God!” Christ received this.
This is important because many of us don’t have the concept of a God who can receive.
Watch, the all sovereign God is receiving pleasure from one of the ones He created.
Consider for a moment with me the mystery of a God who receives.
·SLIDE #24: Revelation 5:12: In a loud voice they sang: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!”
Receives this in Heaven—also looking for it on earth.
·SLIDE #25: Picture how much He enjoyed the moment when Mary knelt at His feet to anoint Him.
He did not say, “Get up from there; I don’t need that, I am the all sufficient One.”
Judas spoiled the moment that he was enjoying. Look at how he responded to Judas: “Did you have to say that? I was enjoying this.”
·SLIDE #26: Only Mary figured out that He was about to die and He enjoyed every moment.
You don’t think that God enjoys receiving from us?
If you are a parent, think how you enjoyed receiving from your children: Here are some letters and papers I received from them when they were young.
·SLIDE #27: Dad, I love you! Did you have a good day? I did! I can’t wait to see you.” (Brie, 10)
·SLIDE #28: My dad is so tender hearted. (Bron, 5)
·SLIDE #29: I love you with my blood pumping muscle. (Bron, 7)
·SLIDE #30: Dad, I love you so much! I prayed for you today. I missed you today! Did you have a good day? Kisses and hugs! Thanks for picking me up. Hi Dad! Smile! Love you, Brianna (11).
·SLIDE #31: Here is one from Bron (8), Dad, I miss you so much. Take some time off from work.
God is longing for an intimate relationship with us: We know we receive from Him—and He longs to receive from us.
Illustration of girl on airplane from LA to TUS. Talked to her, about 23 or 24. Recently married. Talked about her husband and relationship.
“I am going to Tucson for my Dad’s funeral, you know.”
“Oh, I am so sorry. This must hurt a lot.”
“Well, we weren’t very close.”
“I will bet that was not your choice.”
“Dad divorced from my mother when I was a child.”
“You must struggle with so much rejection.”
“I think it was because as I grew older that I looked so much like my mother and he did not want to have anything to do with me.”
Now what am I thinking. Sorrow for her. Then thought of that dad. What had he missed! He missed a relationship with the lovely young lady sitting next to me. What a loss. She wanted to know and be known, to love and be loved—and he missed it.
What is God receiving from your marriage? Life? Family? Friendships?
We will never have the marriage, family life…depths of friendships like David and Jonathan whose hearts were knit together until we experience the emotional reality behind this next verse.
See if your heart can feel this?
·SLIDE #32: The story now climaxes with a FOCUS on the Disappointed Jesus.
READ Luke 17:17: Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?
Does that not sound like disappointment to you?
How many was X hoping would be there? All Ten. “Were there not ten cleansed?” Disappointed savior.
Can your heart hurt for Jesus?
And the pain goes deeper: Look at verse 18.
READ Luke 17:18: Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?
Only this Samaritan came back. Which means what? The other nine were Jews.
“He came unto his own and his own received him not.”
Here is another time when this One acquainted with sorrow and grief was rejected by his people.
Christ’s heart was hurting, was your heart hurting with him?
I will suggest to you that He is looking for people whose hearts feel what He is feeling.
Until my heart is moved with compassion to feel what He feels it is almost impossible to hurt for my wife, children, friends as deeply as God would have me.
Philippians 3:10: entering into the fellowship of His sufferings
Meditate on what Martha said at tomb of Lazarus—began to weep
Meditate on agony in garden: “My soul is in deep agony, even unto death.”
Mediate on Judas Kiss
Meditate on Last words from cross.
Feel His heart and only then have compassion to enter properly into relationships.
LET ME MAKE THIS VERY SIMPLE: God receives pleasure:
·SLIDE #33: God receives pleasure when His scriptures are lived out in our relationships.
Solution to lepers was to do Leviticus 17.
Story of cutting off man in Ft. Worth on the way to seminary: “A gentle answer turns away wrath.”
·SLIDE #35: Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
Story of Abusive words to Julie: Keys, car: Car keys in Waco, Cell Phone in Scottsdale; Purse at McDonalds at Oracle and Magee.
·SLIDE #37: God receives pleasure when faith is expressed in our relationships.
STORY of parents trusting teenagers to God.
Child hits high school and throws away convictions. Not listening. Have to trust them to God.
Pray that their actions will be revealed and that God will show them the pig-pen. See pig pen and don’t want any part of it.
Mystery of this: The change in the children actually began with the patent’s faith.
·SLIDE #38: God receives pleasure when we express heart-felt gratitude for all He has done in our relationships.
It is so easy for us to take the people around us for granted. How long has it been since you gave thanks for your spouse?
At MacDonalds Thursday morning for breakfast. Came to do sermon with Julie. Pageant week. Julie exhausted. Got food and sat down and pulled out sermon to work on it. “Do you mind if I eat first. I have the feeling you are just using me.”
Julie writes book on instrumental music for orchestras and conductors. Busy, I had some anger and resentment even though we agreed before she started this project.
Julie: “You haven’t supported me well.”
I was convicted.
Proverb 18: “He who finds a wife finds a good gift and finds favor with the Lord.”
God said, “I have given you a good gift called, Julie, and you have taken her for granted.”
I will suggest to you that another thing He is looking for is
·SLIDE #39: God receives pleasure when our hearts feel what He is feeling in our relationships.
So I go back to my office after yelling at Julie about her keys and get to wondering how Jesus was feeling as I verbally attacked Julie. Imagined him watching me do what I did. He is hurting for Julie.
Brie coming our of CDO Administration building.
People alone at parties or gatherings. I go talk with them
·SLIDE #40: God receives pleasure when our relationships are filled with intimacy and giving—like a beautiful marriage.
·SLIDE #41: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God– this is your spiritual act of worship.
Let me put this intimacy in a perspective we can all understand.
Met a youth pastor in San Jose, 46 years old. Getting married for first time. Asked him, “How did you propose?
Took her to church at 11 pm. after a date. Told her to be obedient: Go into the restroom and take off your nylons. She did it. Took her up on stage and turned on spotlight. Took out a basin of water and a towel and began to wash her feet. Most humble service Jesus ever did was wash their feet. I want to wash your feet. I want to serve you for the rest of your life. She was crying. Put down towel and took out a ring, looked up into her eyes and asked, “Will you marry me?”
READ Luke 17:19: Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
