Second Presbyterian Church

"Saving Faith
Preaching From the Gospel of Luke"
May 29, 2005

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Sermons Homepage » Sermons for 2005 » Sermons for May 2005 » Sermons from the Series on Luke

#52 in the Series on Luke
The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.

• II Kings 5: 1-19a
• Luke 17: 11-19

Have you ever wondered about salvation and healing? Have you ever wondered why some people are healed and others are not? Have you wondered why even those who have strong faith are sometimes the ones that do not receive healing? Today I want to address some of these questions using the stories of Naaman the Syrian and Jesus and the 10 lepers.

Luke loved the story of Naaman the Syrian who came to Elisha for healing. Our gospel lesson is not the first allusion to Naaman. We also find it when he preached in his hometown and was nearly killed by the reaction of the people (Luke 4: 27).

The story of Naaman is very interesting. He was a great general in the Syrian Army and they often fought with Israel. But, he had leprosy. He heard from his wife's servant girl, captured from Israel, about a great prophet. Naaman asked permission from the king to go to Israel. The king granted permission and wrote a letter to the King of Israel. The letter read something like, " Here is my servant, Naaman, please cure his leprosy." The King of Israel tore his clothes, a sign of grief and mourning. "The King of Syria is trying to find an excuse to go to war; who can cure leprosy, am I a god?" In the meantime Elisha heard about Naaman and sent word to the king of Israel that he is to send Naaman to him so that he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.

So Naaman came "roaring" up to Elisha's tent with his entourage of people. Elisha didn't even come out of his tent. He sent a messenger to Naaman to go wash in the Jordan River three times and he will be cured. Naaman left in a huff. He was insulted that Elisha didn't come out and make a big show, or ceremony over him. A servant of Naaman calmed him down and Naaman did do as the prophet ordered and his skin was restored like a child's skin. Then, Naaman was also converted. He became a worshiper of the LORD.

Ten lepers see Jesus on his way to Jerusalem. They call out to Jesus for mercy. Jesus sees them and asks what do they want. "Please, Sir, have mercy on us." Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priest. They obey. And as they are on the way the ten lepers notice that they have been cured of their disease.

Up to this point, the ten lepers have done what they have been told to do. They have obeyed Jesus.

But the one that is a Samaritan returned to Jesus. He was praising and glorifying God in a very loud manner. He fell at Jesus' feet and gave him thanks.

"Were not ten cured, where are the other nine? Was no one found to give praise to God, but this foreigner?" Then Jesus said to the Samaritan, "Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well."

We note that this passage gave us a reminder that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. This, as we have noted before, meant that Jesus was on his way to his suffering and death, his passion. And, believe it or not, we have a sense in this story of how Jesus was rejected by much of the Jewish community and how Gentiles became the ones who received the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus was painfully aware that not all the people that he cured were saved.

Jesus knew that most of the populace would reject him at his passion. That even included the disciples. He knew that removing symptoms of diseases did not make disciples of men and women.

But there were exceptions. The Geresene demoniac (Luke 8: 22-39) became a believer. The Syrophonecian woman became a believer (Mark 7: 24-30). This Samaritan also became a believer. You see, the nine cured lepers who did not return were literally obeying Jesus' commands. We must assume that they went and showed themselves to the priests and offered the sacrifices necessary to officially recognize that there were no longer diseased. BUT THEY DIDN'T COME BACK AND OFFER THANKSGIVING AND PRAISE TO GOD!

The Samaritan did. He was the one made well. It is the Samaritan who was saved. Listen to this verse. And he said to him, "Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well." Since this is an English translation of a Greek text, I can translate it in a different way. Listen again, "Rise and go your way, your faith has saved you." The Greek word means, to save. "So what," you might ask? The Samaritan was more than cured. He received salvation. He knew that he had been touched by God, and not by some magic healer. And he praised God and gave him the glory.

So not all who are healed of a disease are saved. We should also note that not everyone who is saved is cured of physical diseases. The best example of one who was saved, but not cured was the apostle Paul. We read in II Corinthians how he prayed three times for the "thorn in his flesh" to be removed. Christ told him, "No, my grace is sufficient for you for my power is made perfect in weakness" (II Cor. 12: 9). Now, if the great apostle, Paul, can live with physical infirmities and limitations, then who are we to quibble about the physical insufficiencies that we have? His grace is sufficient. The grace of Jesus Christ is enough. It is our salvation. It is our total salvation. It is our total redemption, even the final redemption of our bodies when we don the cloak of immortality! Hallelujah, thank God!

The Samaritan was healed by Jesus Christ. He was also saved. I am also saved by Jesus Christ, and I much rather have that than to have a temporary cure of some physical infirmity. You are saved also by our Lord, Jesus Christ. Are you thanking God for your redemption? Amen.

The Rev. Daniel E. Hale, D. Min.