Today our Gospel tells of ten lepers who were healed. The only virtue we are told of is that they begged for healing and they obeyed his command.
But nine of them were of the chosen people.
Those nine went back to life and community and there is nothing wrong in that.
But the foreigner, the one who probably understood the least of who Jesus was, he came back to give thanks.
He Jesus tells us he had faith and knew who Jesus was by faith.
Who are we in the Gospel?
Are we bystanders watching?
Disciples recording the event?
Are we the nine who I am sure in joy returned to life and loved ones?
Or are we the foreigner who by his present culture was not promised anything by the Jewish God. He of all of them had less reason to believe in Jesus. But it was he who came back rejoicing.
Maybe the better question is what is our reaction when we are healed? When we find we have been blessed?
Do we rejoice with our family or first turn to Jesus and thank him?
Do we rejoice and loudly cry out glorifying God?
As with most teachings from Jesus the answer reflects what kind of relationship and conscious reliance we have on Jesus Christ.
Let us ask Jesus to heal us today. For we are all sinners and we all need healing.
Gospel
Luke 17:11-19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed.
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine?
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”
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