LUK. 17:11-19 (12/10/25)

#  Ons het so pas gelees van mense wat aan melaatsheid gely het.

• En melaatsheid, weet ons, is ‘n baie ernstige velsiekte.

• In die Bybelse tyd was dit ook ‘n baie gevreesde siekte.

• ‘n Gevreesde siekte veral omdat ‘n melaatse persoon, volgens die ou Joodse godsdiens, as ‘n onrein persoon beskou is.

• Jy was onrein as jy melaats was.

• En ons gaan nou-nou hoor watter voorskrifte daar in in die Ou Testament, in Lev. 13, gegee is wanneer dit kom by melaatsheid.

• Maar dalk is dit goed om ook net iets hier uit ons eie tyd oor melaatsheid te sê.

• Volgens die inligting wat ek kon kry, word melaatsheid vandag eerder Hansen se siekte (x2)

• En die rede waarom hierdie naam verkies word, is omdat daar ‘n soort stigma aan die woord “melaats” kleef.

• Dit is vroeër baie keer as ‘n soort skande beskou om melaats te wees.

• Maar nou word dit dan eerder Hansen se siekte genoem.

• En hierdie siekte word deur ‘n sekere bakterie veroorsaak, en dit kan jou senuweestelsel, en jou vel en jou oë erg aantas.

• Dit kan jou senuweestelsel bv. so erg aantas dat jy nie pyn kan ervaar nie, wat weer beteken dat jy dalk jou voet kan stamp en ‘n wond opdoen, sonder dat jy eers daarvan weet.

• Gelukkig het die aantal mense wat aan Hansen se siekte ly, blykbaar die laaste jare heelwat verminder.

• En daar is vandag ook goeie medisyne waarmee dit behandel kan word.

• En hopelik is daar ook nie meer so ‘n stigma daaraan verbonde nie.

#  Maar kom ons gaan vir ‘n oomblik terug na die tyd van die Ou Testament.

• Toe was daar natuurlik nog nie goeie medisyne vir melaatsheid nie.

• En luister maar net wat Lev. 13 gesê het oor ‘n mens wat melaats was: “Iemand wat ‘n velsiekte het wat hom onrein maak, moet geskeurde klere dra en sy hare onversorg laat. Hy moet ook die onderste deel van sy gesig bedek en uitroep: ‘Onrein!  Onrein!’  Hy bly onrein solank hy die siekte het.  Hy moet dan ook in afsondering lewe en buite die kampplek bly.”

#  So, in Jesus se tyd was dit dan so dat melaatses buitekant die dorp en gemeenskap moes gaan woon, weg van enige ander mense af.

• Dit was asof daar ‘n vloek op die melaatse persoon gerus het.

• Hy moes sy vrou en kinders verlaat, en alleen in afsondering gaan bly.

• Hy moes sy werk en sy vriende net so agterlaat.

• En ‘n mens kan seker met reg sê dat so ‘n mens se hele lewe in duie gestort het.

• Ook die 10 melaatse mans van wie ons vanoggend gelees het, was mense wie se hele lewe eintlik in duie gestort het.

• Maar toe kom Jesus daar verby!

• En wat doen die melaatses toe hulle Jesus sien verbygaan?

• Hulle roep van ver af na Hom.

• Hulle bly op ‘n afstand staan, want hulle was mos volgens hulle godsdiens onrein as gevolg van hulle siekte.

• En ons kan ons seker nie werklik voorstel hoe groot hierdie 10 mans se probleem was nie.

• Dit was asof hulle reeds dood verklaar was.
• Dit was asof hulle lewende dooies was, want wat beteken ‘n mens se lewe nog vir jou as jy met niemand mag meng of in aanraking kom nie – selfs nie eers met jou eie familie en vriende nie?

• Lewende dooies!

• Uitgeworpenes uit die samelewing!

#  Maar dan breek die groot oomblik in hierdie 10 melaatse mans se lewe aan.

• Jesus maak hulle gesond!

• Hy gee vir hulle die lewe terug.

• En Hy doen dit deur maar net aan hulle die opdrag te gee om na die priesters toe te gaan.

• “Gaan wys julle vir die priesters,” sê Jesus vir hulle.

• En die rede hiervoor was dat ‘n priester vir hulle sekere offers moes bring, en dan moes die priester sê: Hierdie mense is nou weer gesond en hulle is nou weer rein.

• Hulle kan nou weer soos enige ander mens voortgaan met hulle lewe en weer deel word van die gemeenskap.

• So Jesus stuur die 10 melaatses na die priesters toe.

• En wat ‘n mens dan veral opval van die 10 mans is hulle sterk geloof.

• Wanneer Jesus hulle wegstuur na die priesters toe, dan gaan hulle soos een man.

• Hulle gaan sonder om te twyfel en vrae te vra.

• Hulle glo werklik dat Jesus hulle gesond kan maak.

#  En ons weet dit was nie in daardie tyd oral die geval dat mense in Jesus geglo het waar Hy ookal gegaan het nie.

• En waar mense nie in Hom geglo het nie, soos in sy tuisdorp Nasaret, daar het Jesus nie veel wonderwerke gedoen nie.

• 6:5 en 6 sê eintlik: “Jesus kon (in Nasaret) geen enkele wonderwerk doen nie, behalwe dat hy sy hande op ‘n paar siekes gelê en hulle gesond gemaak het.  Hy was verbaas oor die ongeloof van die mense …”

• Maar anders as die mense van Nasaret het die 10 melaatses van wie ons gelees het, geglo in Jesus en in sy vermoë om mense gesond te maak.

• En daarom maak Jesus hulle dan ook gesond.

• En so het hierdie 10 manne, deur hulle geloof, en deur die genade van die Here Jesus, weer ‘n normale lewe ontvang.

• Hulle kon weer in die dorp en gemeenskap gaan woon, by hulle familie en hulle vriende.

• Hulle kon weer gaan werk, soos vroeër.

• Hulle kon weer gaan lewe, want ‘n wonderlike ding het gebeur: Jesus het hulle gesond gemaak!

• Maar baie belangrik: So word hulle genesing ook vir ons ‘n teken van die koms van die koninkryk van God.

• So word hulle genesing ‘n teken van hoe daar op die nuwe hemel en aarde nie meer siekte sal wees nie, selfs nie die dood nie.

• So sê die boek Openbaring dit vir ons.

• En so wys Jesus dit vir ons wanneer Hy die melaatses gesond maak en ook sy vriend Lasarus uit die dood opwek.

• Hierdie dinge is tekens van die koms van God se koninkryk.

#  Maar nou is dit duidelik dat die Bybel ons aandag ook nog op iets anders wil vestig – nie net op die genesing van die melaatse mans, of op Jesus se genesingskrag nie.

• En wat is dit?

• Dit is die reaksie van die 10 mans toe hulle ontdek het dat hulle gesond geword het.

• Hoe het hulle opgetree?

• Kom ons lees weer vers 15 en 16 van Luk. 17.

• Daar staan: “En een van hulle het, toe hy sien dat hy genees is, omgedraai en God hardop geprys. Hy het voor die voete van Jesus neergeval en hom gedank …”

• Een man draai om om te kom dankie sê.

• Van die ander 9 hoor ons nie weer nie.

• En Jesus se teleurstelling is baie duidelik.

• Hy vra: “Was daar nie 10 wat gesond geword het nie? Waar is die ander 9 dan?”

• Die ander 9 was nie daar om dankie te sê nie.

• Die ander 9 was blykbaar nie dankbaar genoeg nie.

• Dit lyk of hulle sommer dadelik van Hóm vergeet het wat vir hulle die lewe teruggegee het.

• En daarom is daar net 1 van die 10 melaatses wat vanoggend vir ons ‘n goeie voorbeeld is: en dis natuurlik dié 1 wat omgedraai het om dankie te sê.

• Die meerderheid van hulle, 9 uit die 10, is nie vir ons ‘n goeie voorbeeld nie.

• Net die 1 wat kom dankie sê het.

#  En nou wonder ek sommer: Waarvoor sou elkeen van ons hier vanoggend vir die Here wou dankie sê?

• Ek sal seker reg raai as ek sê: ons wil dankie sê vir die Here se liefde, dat ons sy geliefdes is; en vir familie en vriende; en vir die gesondheid wat ons kan geniet wanneer ons wel gesond is; en vir al ons ander voorregte; én dat ons verloste mense is.
• En ons verlossing van sonde kan ons eintlik ook as ‘n soort “genesing” sien, want 1 Pet. 2:24 sê: “Deur sy wonde is julle genees.”

• Deur Jesus se wonde aan die kruis is ons genees!

#  Nou, almal van ons sal natuurlik nie oor presies dieselfde dinge vanoggend dankbaar wees nie.

• Daarvoor verskil ons lewens en ons lewensomstandighede te veel.

• Maar dis vir my duidelik dat ons wel so baie het om voor dankbaar te wees!

• En selfs al het ons sekere probleme of moeilikhede op ons pad vandag, ons kan altyd dankbaar wees vir die Here se liefde vir ons en sy teenwoordigheid by ons.

#  Daar is, so lyk dit vir my, maar altyd die gevaar dat ons soos die 9 ondankbare melaatses sal optree.

• Dat ons nie dankbaar genoeg is vir alles wat die Here vir ons doen en gee en is nie.

• En daarom moet ons tog baie goed kyk na die optrede van die een dankbare melaatse.

• En hoe het hy presies opgetree?

• Ek dink daar is 3 dinge in hierdie man se optrede wat ons moet raaksien.

• En die eerste ding wat ons moet raaksien, is dit wat in vers 15 van hom vertel word.

• Dié vers sê: “Hy het God hardop geprys.” (x2)

• Die man se blydskap en dankbaarheid was so groot dat hy nie kon stilbly nie.

• Hy het sommer net daar waar hy was, hardop begin bid en God hardop geprys.
• Die feit dat hierdie man gesond geword het, was aan God te danke.

• Dit was ‘n geskenk van God!

• En daarom loof en prys hy vir God.

• En hy doen dit hardop.

• En dít, glo ek, is vir elkeen van ons ‘n voorbeeld.

• ‘n Voorbeeld om ook in ons eie lewens die Here hardop te prys – in ons sang en ons gebede, en ook in ons hele getuienis teenoor ander.

• ‘n Voorbeeld om nie skaam te wees om ons dankbaarheid teenoor die Here baie duidelik te wys nie.

• Ook hardop, soos hierdie 1 melaatse man dit gedoen het.

#  Die tweede ding wat die dankbare man gedoen het, word in Luk. 17:16 vir ons genoem: Hy het voor Jesus neergeval. (x2)

• Die man lê plat op die grond voor Jesus.

• En ek dink met hierdie optrede wys hy dat hy vir Jesus as Koning erken.

• Hy verneder Homself voor die Koning.

• Hy buig voor die Koning, en Hy buig so laag dat hy plat in die stof voor Hom lê.

• Maar Jesus is mos ook ons Koning.

• Toe Hy op ‘n keer op ‘n donkie Jerusalem binne gery het, het sy volgelinge uitgeroep: “Loof die Koning, Hy wat in die Naam van die Here kom.”

• Dit is die Koning van alle konings wat die 10 melaatses gesond gemaak het.

• En dit is dieselfde Koning wat ‘n klein bietjie later vir ons almal se sondes gesterf het.

• Die destydse Afrikaanse CSV het altyd so ‘n mooi leuse gehad – ek weet nie of dit nog dieselfde is nie – maar hulle leuse was altyd net 3 woorde: “Jesus is Koning!” (x2).

• Kom ons buig daarom ook voor Hom en erken Hom ook as ons Koning.

• En kom ons leef elke dag as sy dankbare en gehoorsame onderdane.

#  Die derde ding wat die dankbare man gedoen het, was om spesifiek dan vir Jesus dankie te sê.

• Terwyl hy plat voor Jesus gelê het, so lees ons, het hy Hom gedank.

• En hy het soveel gehad om voor dankbaar te wees.

• Jesus het sy gesondheid weer aan hom teruggegee.

• En daarmee eintlik sy lewe aan hom teruggegee.

• Die son het weer vir hom helder geskyn en die lug was weer blou.

• En die man het vir Jesus dankie gesê dat hy gesond was en weer kon lewe.

• En nou wonder ek maar net hoe goed óns wel besef wat ons alles van die Here ontvang.

• Hy gee vir ons soveel voorregte en seëninge.

• Ons sou ‘n lang lys daarvan kon maak.

• En die grootste van alles, wat alles omsluit, is sy liefde vir ons, ‘n liefde sonder einde.

• En die vraag is: wat is ons reaksie op dit alles?

• Is ons werklik dankbaar daarvoor, of aanvaar ons dit sommer as vanselfsprekend?

AMEN

LUKE 17:11-19 (12/10/25)

# We have just read about people who suffered from leprosy.

• And leprosy, we know, is a very serious skin disease.

• In biblical times it was also a much feared disease.

• A dreaded disease, especially because a leper was considered an unclean person, according to the ancient Jewish religion.

• You were unclean if you were leprous.

• And we are going to hear in a moment what instructions were given in the Old Testament, in Lev. 13, when it comes to leprosy.

• But perhaps it is good to also just say something here from our own time about leprosy.

• According to the information I was able to find, leprosy today is more commonly known as Hansen’s disease (x2)

• And the reason why this name is chosen is because there is a kind of stigma attached to the word “leper”.

• In the past, it was often considered a kind of shame to be a leper.

• But now it is called Hansen’s disease.

• And this disease is caused by a certain bacteria, and it can severely affect your nervous system, and your skin, and your eyes.

• For example, it can affect your nervous system so badly that you cannot feel pain, which in turn means that you may stub your foot and get a wound without even knowing it.

• Fortunately, the number of people suffering from Hansen’s disease appears to have decreased considerably in recent years.

• And today there are also good medicines with which it can be treated.

• And hopefully there is no longer such a stigma attached to it.

# But let’s go back to the time of the Old Testament for a moment.

• Of course, there was no good medicine for leprosy back then.

• And just listen to what Lev. 13 said about a person who was leprous: “A person who has a skin disease that makes him unclean must wear torn clothes and let his hair hang loose. He must also cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ‘Unclean! Unclean!’ He remains unclean as long as he has the disease. He must also live in isolation and stay outside the camp.”

# So, in Jesus’ time, lepers had to live outside the town and community, away from any other people.

• It was as if a curse had rested on the leper.

• He had to leave his wife and children, and live alone in seclusion.

• He had to leave his job and his friends behind.

• And one can probably rightly say that such a person’s entire life has collapsed.

• Also, the 10 leper men we read about this morning were people whose entire lives had essentially collapsed.

• But then Jesus came by!

• And what did the lepers do when they saw Jesus passing by?

• They call to Him from afar.

• They remained standing at a distance, because according to their religion they were unclean due to their illness.

• And we probably can’t really imagine how big these 10 men’s problem was.

• It was as if they had already been declared dead.
• It was as if they were the living dead, because what does a person’s life mean to you if you are not allowed to mix or come into contact with anyone – not even your own family and friends?

• Living dead!

• Outcasts from society!

# But then the big moment arrives in the lives of these 10 leper men.

• Jesus heals them!

• He gives them life back.

• And He does this by simply instructing them to go to the priests.

• “Go show yourselves to the priests,” Jesus told them.

• And the reason for this was that a priest had to offer them certain sacrifices, and then the priest had to say: These people are now healthy again and they are now clean again.

• They can now continue with their lives like any other person and become part of society again.

• So Jesus sends the 10 lepers to the priests.

• And what particularly strikes one about the 10 men is their strong faith.

• When Jesus sends them off to the priests, they go as one man.

• They go without hesitation or asking questions.

• They truly believe that Jesus can heal them.

# And we know that it was not the case at that time that people believed in Jesus wherever He went.

• And where people did not believe in Him, like in His hometown of Nazareth, Jesus did not perform many miracles.

• 6:5 and 6 actually say: “Jesus could not do a single miracle (in Nazareth), except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. He was amazed at their unbelief…”

• But unlike the people of Nazareth, the 10 lepers we read about believed in Jesus and in his ability to heal people.

• And that is why Jesus heals them.

• And so these 10 men, through their faith, and through the grace of the Lord Jesus, received a normal life again.

• They were able to go back to live in the town and community, with their family and their friends.

• They could go back to work, like before.

• They could live again because a wonderful thing happened: Jesus healed them!

• But very important: Thus their healing also becomes a sign for us of the coming of the kingdom of God.

• Thus their healing becomes a sign of how in the new heaven and earth there will be no more sickness, not even death.

• This is what the book of Revelation tells us.

• And so Jesus shows us this when He heals the lepers and also raises His friend Lazarus from the dead.

• These things are signs of the coming of God’s kingdom.

# But now it is clear that the Bible also wants to draw our attention to something else – not just the healing of the lepers, or Jesus’ healing power.

• And what is this?

• This is the reaction of the 10 men when they discovered that they had been healed.

• How did they act?

• Let’s read verses 15 and 16 of Luke 17 again.

• It says: “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God. And he fell down at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks…”

• One man turns around to say thank you.

• We never heard from the other 9 again.

• And Jesus’ disappointment is very clear.

• He asks: “Were there not 10 who were healed? Where are the other 9 then?”

• The other 9 were not there to say thank you.

• The other 9 apparently weren’t grateful enough.

• It seems as if they immediately forgot about Him who gave them back their life.

• And that’s why there is only 1 of the 10 lepers who is a good example for us this morning: and of course it’s the 1 who turned around to say thank you.

• The majority of them, 9 out of 10, are not a good example for us.

• Only the 1 who came to say thank you.

# And now I wonder: What would each of us here this morning want to thank the Lord for?

• I’m sure I’ll guess right if I say: we want to give thanks for the Lord’s love, that we are his loved ones; and for family and friends; and for the health we can enjoy when we are healthy; and for all our other privileges; and that we are redeemed people.
• And we can actually see our salvation from sin as a kind of “healing,” because 1 Pet. 2:24 says: “By his wounds you were healed.”

• Through Jesus’ wounds on the cross we are healed!

# Now, of course, not all of us will be grateful for the exact same things this morning.

• Our lives and our living conditions are too different for that.

• But it’s clear to me that we do have so much to be grateful for!

• And even if we have certain problems or difficulties in our path today, we can always be grateful for the Lord’s love for us and his presence with us.

# There is, it seems to me, always the danger that we will act like the 9 ungrateful lepers.

• That we are not grateful enough for everything the Lord does and gives and is for us.

• And that is why we must look very carefully at the actions of the one grateful leper.

• And how exactly did he act?

• I think there are 3 things in this man’s actions that we need to notice.

• And the first thing we need to notice is what is told about him in verse 15.

• This verse says: ” He praised God with a loud voice .” (x2)

• The man’s joy and gratitude were so great that he could not remain silent.

• He just started praying out loud right where he was and praising God out loud.
• The fact that this man was healed was thanks to God.

• It was a gift from God!

• And therefore he praises and glorifies God.

• And he does it out loud.

• And this, I believe, is an example for each of us.

• An example of praising the Lord aloud in our own lives – in our singing and our prayers, and also in our entire testimony to others.

• An example of not being ashamed to show our gratitude to the Lord very clearly.

• Also out loud, like this 1 leper man did.

# The second thing the grateful man did is mentioned to us in Luke 17:16: He fell down before Jesus . (x2)

• The man lies flat on the ground in front of Jesus.

• And I think with this action he shows that he recognizes Jesus as King.

• He humbles himself before the King.

• He bows before the King, and He bows so low that he lies flat in the dust before Him.

• But Jesus is also our King.

• When He once rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, His followers cried out, “Praise the King, He who comes in the name of the Lord!”

• It is the King of all kings who healed the 10 lepers.

• And this is the same King who died a little later for the sins of us all.

• The Afrikaans CSV of the time always had such a beautiful motto – I don’t know if it’s still the same – but their motto was always just 3 words: ” Jesus is King! ” (x2).

• Let us therefore also bow before Him and acknowledge Him as our King.

• And let us live every day as his grateful and obedient subjects.

# The third thing the grateful man did was to specifically thank Jesus.

• As he lay flat before Jesus, we read, he thanked Him.

• And he had so much to be grateful for.

• Jesus restored his health to him.

• And with that, he actually got his life back.

• The sun shone brightly for him again and the sky was blue again.

• And the man thanked Jesus that he was healed and could live again.

• And now I just wonder how well we realize what we receive from the Lord.

• He gives us so many privileges and blessings.

• We could make a long list of them.

• And the greatest of all, which encompasses everything, is his love for us, a love without end.

• And the question is: what is our response to all this?

• Are we truly grateful for it, or do we just take it for granted?

AMEN

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