As we read the Gospel lesson, Luke 17:11-19, we have faith that these are the words of Jesus Christ. So, as always, we have to find the grace or love of others that Jesus constantly teaches. These verses start with 10 people who have leprosy and see Jesus walking by. In Jesus’ day, if a person became ill with an infectious skin disease, they would have to leave the village.
You would be taken to a priest. And, if the priest saw that you had say leprosy, that priest would banish you. It did not matter who you were, a mother, child, father, anyone in the family, if anyone caught an infectious skin disease, they would have to leave the community. It says in the Gospel lesson that 10 men came up to Jesus, nine Jewish and one Samaritan or foreigner. It is like Jesus to show us that anyone, even a foreigner, can see the providence of God.
As we all know, in Bible days, the men worked and supported the household. Women and children were almost always very poor if there was not a working man in the house. One socioeconomic trait we can read from this lesson is that people that are in very poor situations tend to band together. People have a desire to live where those around them are like them, no better or no worse. This is a universal breaker of all socioeconomic barriers.
These lepers, as was the custom, had to sream out “Unclean, Unclean” to warn anyone approaching about the danger of catching an infectious disease. These men, 10 men who had been an outcast from everything they know, instead of screaming, “Unclean, Unclean”, to let Jesus know not to come near; screamed “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” It seems like they were waiting, or better said, hoping that this Jesus would come by. They must have heard the stories of this Jewish man miraculously healing people with all kinds of illnesses. All people, men, women, children, foreigners, even sinners, were being healed.
It seems that this Jesus loves everyone that comes to him. It is better said that this Jesus loves everyone; and there are some that realize this love is there just for them. And then, no it cannot be, there He is, coming here where we/they are, we the outcast, the people of no value.
Jesus Master, have mercy on us! And then Jesus speaks such sweet words, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” It was the priests that banished a person, and it was only the priests that could declare that a person banished was now clean. As they were on their way to the priests, they saw that they were becoming clean. The leprosy left them. Most likely, they started running to the priests. Just think, today, we are going home. We can go back to our families.
In the story, all 1o lepers were cured, but only one, one of ten, 10 percent, came back and gave thanks to Jesus; which Jesus says is the same as giving thanks to God. They all called Jesus Master, only one thought to come back to his Master.
What about us today? As we each have our own pains and anxieties, what do we do? We have heard about this Jesus, this person who people say is the son of God. We have heard that He can miraculously cure our hurts, our guilt, our anger, and our selfishness. We too may scream out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me.” Out of a hundred that are helped, maybe 10 percent return and give themselves back to their Master.
When Jesus asks, “Where are the other nine?” He knows of course that they all were healed of their illness, but somehow nine did not remember that it was Jesus they were praying to. It was Jesus that they all called Master. They all were enjoying their good fortune. They no doubt were celebrating with friends. Some may have even told of how they somehow cured themselves.
Maybe that is the lesson, “Are we part of the 90% that are enjoying our good fortune, or are we part of the 10% that realizes all good things come from God. Or, are we the 10% that do both? We enjoy our good fortune and we give our whole selves back to God? Amen.
