Luke 17:11-19
Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
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!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 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. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19 (NIV)
In reading this familiar verse, my mind goes to the marginalized in our world today, the poor, the scruffy, unclean, mentally or physically handicapped. It seems that Jesus was always finding the lost sheep that no one wanted. It struck me that the lepers weren't immediately cured. They were only healed as they went to present themselves to the priests. It took a certain amount of belief to head in that direction, right? How many of us might have shrugged our shoulders and walked away saying, "Shucks, guess that didn't work." But the lepers believed enough to head to the priest in the hope that they were going to be healed. They trusted in Jesus' word. So maybe we have to keep believing even when our prayers aren't answered right away.
Then we have to admire the Samaritan, (double outcast) for coming back to Jesus and throwing himself down and praising Him for being healed. We can model our lives after this outcast by thanking God for all of his great gifts, even the small ones. But Jesus double heals the double outcast by saying to him that he is not only healed on the outside (his leprosy) but on the inside. "Rise and go; your faith has made you well". The Samaritan reminds us to be grateful and to praise God for his many gifts.
Questions for Reflection:
- What gets in the way of expressing gratefulness? Those other 9 had to be head over heels to return to society, right? What happens to us that is similar to them?
- How does pride and the "self made person" prevent us from praising and thanking God?
Prayer:
Healer of our bodies and souls, be with us today and help us to remember to show our gratefulness for your great love. Amen
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