This healing story of the ten lepers is pretty straightforward. The point seems clear, does it not? Be grateful, say thank you, especially to
God. Luke the Gospel writer could have
easily ended this story the same way as the Parable of the Good Samaritan: "Go and do likewise." And every parent who has ever asked a child,
"What do you say?" smiles and nods in agreement.
Last week I spoke about forgiveness
being at the heart of the Gospel. Gratitude is surely one of the other chambers
of the heart of faith, and that should be obvious since the ancient name we
give to our gathering is "The Eucharist," literally, "The
Thanksgiving."
So, it ought to be a short
sermon. The Tenth Leper came back to say
"thank you" to Jesus, Jesus was clearly pleased. Go and do likewise.
But wait. This is more than a morality tale about
being appropriately grateful to God for his many mercies and blessings. It is, in fact, another step on the journey
to Jerusalem and the undoing of a world--and a religion--built on fear.
A group of lepers had sought each
other’s’ company, the company of misery. They are the walking dead, cut off from
society, allowed to beg if they keep their distance.
Begging was probably their intention
in their shout to Jesus. "Master, have
mercy." He gives them a strange
command. "Go, show yourselves to
the priests." The priests would
have been the ones who condemned them to this life of misery. They were also the only ones who could get
them out of it; but what good could they do now? But they obeyed because that is what lepers
did. They had been stripped of all
rights and dignity.
On the way, they notice their skin has
mysteriously cleared up and suddenly their obedience to Jesus' command has real
purpose. The priests can now restore
them to the life they had lost. Let us
not judge the nine who continued on their way. They were simply doing what they
were told and exercising the only option they had to reclaim their lives.
One of them, however, was
different. He was a Samaritan, a
foreigner. The priests would do nothing for him. When he had been a leper, it had not much
mattered that he was also a Samaritan.
In a world where everything was either clean or unclean it was one
strike and you're out. The second one did not much matter, which means it also
did not much matter if one of the strikes went away.
So the tenth leper had nowhere to
go. But he was grateful and he was drawn
to the man who had given them the strange command that had seemed to result in
their healing. Maybe if he cared about lepers he would also care about
Samaritans.
So he expresses his deep gratitude as
one who has nothing to lose. He falls at Jesus' feet and declares not only his
gratitude but acknowledges the presence of God.
Jesus says to him, "Your faith has made you well," which from
the Greek could just as easily be translated, "Your faith has saved
you."
Full stop. What was the act of faith that saved the
tenth leper? Is the implication that the
other nine were not made well, not saved? As tempting as it is to say,
"Yes," I do not think that is the right answer. They were, in fact, healed, and despite his
asking where they were, Jesus knew where they were. They were doing what he told them to do and
what their religion told them to do if they were to be restored to the
community.
So what was the tenth leper's act of
faith? Saying, "Thank
you?" Yes, surely that is a part of
it. Gratitude and faith are inseparable. We people of the Eucharist know that.
Was his act of faith believing and
declaring that in encountering Jesus he had encountered God? Yes, that is part of it also.
But there is one more part, and it is
the one that came first. There was a
moment when he and the other nine realized they were clean, and he stopped,
realizing that it didn't matter, at least not to the priests to which they were
heading. And he must have thought to
himself, "Where can I go?" And
then came the act of faith. "I can
go back to Jesus." He knew not only
that he ought to say thank you. He not only
knew that he had encountered the presence of God. He dared to believe he would be accepted.
This story is for all of us who have
been led to believe that we were not acceptable to God, and have dared to
believe otherwise. We who have staked
our lives on the conviction born in our experience that the religion of Jesus
Christ is not a religion of fear, that faith and, yes, gratitude is enough.
And this is our song.
Come, ye sinners, poor and
needy,
weak and wounded, sick and
sore;
Jesus ready stands to save
you,
full of mercy, love, and
power.
I will arise and go to
Jesus,
he will embrace me in his
arms;
in the arms of my dear
Savior,
oh, there are ten thousand
charms.
Let not conscience make you
linger,
not of fitness fondly dream;
all the fitness he requireth
is to feel your need of him.
We will arise and go to
Jesus,
he will embrace us in his
arms;
In the arms of our dear
Savior,
oh, there are ten thousand
charms.[1]
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