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18th Sunday after Pentecost
Proper 23 (28) year C

All Saint's Day | Reformation DayPeace & Justice  | NexGen Worship | Pastor Appreciation Month

 

Texts & Discussion:

Jeremiah 29:1,4-7
Psalm 66:1-12
2Timothy 2:8-15
Luke 17:11-19

Other Resources:

Commentary:

Matthew Henry,    Wesley

Word Study:
Robertson

This Week's Themes:

Going on with Hope in God
Perseverance
 Grace and Gratitude



 


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Prayer&Litanies
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Thankfulness--the Number One Priority
Luke 17:11-19
RevJan

Leprosy is a disease that we don't hear much about these days, but it still exists. It is a chronic infectious disease, caused by [a bacterium which affects] the skin and superficial nerves. It is found mainly, but not exclusively, in tropical regions. The disease produces numerous skin and nerve lesions, which, if left untreated, enlarge and may result in severe disfigurement . . . In 1993 the World Health Organization began a campaign to eliminate leprosy by 2000. Also known as Hansen's disease, leprosy affects about 43,000 continental Americans each year. Travelhealth.com says: The isolation of those with leprosy, practiced over time, probably was more cautious than necessary, but it did reduce the spread [of leprosy]. . . . continued contact with victims does put someone at risk – family members of leprosy victims have a rate of 5-10% of eventually getting the disease. Isolation of victims in separate communities probably made their life easier by reducing the ostracism with which they would otherwise be faced.

Leonard Sweet tells us In Jesus day, lepers were required to announce their presence . . . so that purified Jews could steer clear of them and avoid any risk of contamination. Believed to be a disease not just of the skin, but of the soul as well, leprosy was attributed to a divine judgment, earned by parental disregard of purity laws or the leper's own slanderous tongue, dishonest behavior, disrespect for the [Jewish religion] and priesthood, or some other violation of Mosaic Law.

In today's scripture, we learn that Jesus was "on his way" to Jerusalem — and the cross. Traveling between Samaria and Judea, he passed near a leper colony. His fame preceded him, for ten of the lepers called out to him "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" They reached out in faith that Jesus would heal them, as he had others. It was possible for leprosy to go into remission. If a leper thought his leprosy had gone away, he was supposed to present himself to a priest, who could declare him clean. Jesus said to the ten "Go and show yourselves to the priests." As they left, they were miraculously cleansed of their leprosy. All of the lepers obeyed Jesus' command to "go and show yourselves to the priests." Not one asked "Why?" "Do I Hafta?" or "Why don't you cure us right here?"

Each of the ten lepers obeyed Jesus. And, while they were on their way, all ten were healed. Ten were healed, yet only one returned to say "thank you." Several theories have been postulated as to why only one returned to thank Jesus. One waited to see if the cure was real. One waited to see if it would last. One said he would see Jesus later. One decided that he had never had leprosy. One said he would have gotten well anyway. One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "Oh, well, Jesus didn't really do anything." One said, "Any rabbi could have done it." One said, "I was already much improved." Everyone else was distracted by other blessings that were so near (family, friends, work, home, etc. . . . )?

Are we also too busy, tending to what we have, to remember to give thanks? Is our Sabbath so full of shopping and laundry and homework, and "quality time" (and sermon giving, and Sunday School Lessons, and church business) that we can't make time to tell God thanks? Of the ten, only one found the time to say thanks. In the style of good storytellers, Luke gives us the punch line at the end of the story — "And he was a Samaritan." The despised foreigner, the hated alien, was the only one who gave thanks. Whatever their reasons, only one returned, and to that one Jesus said "Your faith has made you well."

The word used here for "well" actually means "whole." For, while the other nine were "healed," this one was made complete, whole. The same Greek word is used in the story of Zaccheaus for "to be saved." By obeying Jesus' command to go to the priests, the ten were healed of their leprosy. By returning to give thanks to Jesus, the one was made whole. On the way to Rome, the pope was going through the region between Yugoslavia and Kosovo. As he entered a village, ten victims of AIDS approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Holy Father, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go to church." And as they went, they were made clean.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, praised God with a loud voice. He knelt down, right where he was, and offered prayers of thanksgiving to Jesus. And this one was a Communist. The Pope asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Did none of them give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has saved you and made you whole."

There is a lesson in the thankfulness of the Samaritan leper for us. Surely he, like the others, had family obligations to meet, friendships to renew. Yet, he, and only he, returned to Jesus. Someone has pointed out that, because he was a Samaritan, he could not go to the Jerusalem temple. He had no other place to go, than to Jesus. That's a nice thought, but it ignores the fact that there were Samaritan priests, and that the people of Samaria had their own temple and holy places. In fact, a major contention between the Jews and the Samaritans was how each practiced their religion. Saying "He was a Samaritan," to Jesus' hearers, would be the same as saying "He was a Communist," to us today.  [continue]