Luke 17:11-19
11
On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between
Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers
approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying,
"Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 When he saw them, he
said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And
as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw
that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16
He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a
Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But
the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return
and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said
to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you
well."
There
are lots of “big deals” in today's Gospel reading.
In
the same way that there have been a lot of big deals
in
the Gospel readings basically this whole liturgical year.
Here
are some of them.
It's
a big deal...
It's
a big deal (this morning)
that
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem.
The
Holy City.
The
home of God's temple,
the
home of GOD, according to Jesus' religious tradition.
It's
a big deal that Jesus was on his way to
the
place where faith finds a building,
an
establishment,
a
hierarchy
a
501c3.
It's
a big deal that Jesus, a rabbi, a religious teacher,
a
movement leader, a prophet,
the
Son of God,
the
Messiah,
is
going to Jerusalem,
It's
a big deal that Jesus is going to Jerusalem,
where
he will have a royal precession and entrance,
where
he'll intentionally fulfill prophecies,
where
he will challenge the GREED
and
corruption that have infested the faith of his fathers,
the
Home of his Father,
a
home which he will claim has become a den of robbers.
It's
a big deal that Jesus is going to Jerusalem.
(pause).
It's
a big deal that Jesus was going through the region between Samaria
and Galilee.
That
is, it's a big deal that Jesus was at the margins,
near
the borders,
It's
a big deal that Jesus is
in
a place where people judged
and
excluded one another without shame,
where
people discriminated against one another,
and
segregated from one another,
based
on ethnicity and religious custom, at the borders...
It's
a big deal that Jesus walked
in
a place where one was considered
“unclean”
for being a Samaritan,
a
“mixed breed,”
because
“holy” meant “pure” and “separate” and “unmixed.”
and
therefore you best stay away, man
and
“they” best stay away as well.
It's
a big deal that Jesus walks in the places where boarders are blurred.
It's
a big deal that as ten lepers saw Jesus,
they
did not yell out “unclean! unclean!” as Law, tradition,
Scripture, and the holiness code told them they ought, as a warning
to the “clean” passers by.
Rather,
they yelled “Jesus, Master, have Mercy”
Instead
of “unclean” they yelled “Jesus.”
Instead
of “unclean” they yelled “Jesus.”
That's
a big deal.
It's
a big deal that, in Christ, holiness comes from embrace,
togetherness, unity, and love, rather than division or separation.
It's
a big deal that the lepers,
living
in a household of ten,
despite
(or because of) their skin conditions,
saw
past the color of their skin
and
ethnic and religious backgrounds
and
stuck together, regardless
seeking
healing and hope as a community.
It's
a big deal when anybody does that.
It's
a big deal that Jesus' response to the lepers was
“Go
and show yourselves to the priests.”
The
priests whom he would later warn gravely against.
It's
big deal that Jesus sent a Samaritan
(presumably)
to a Jewish priest,
to
be inspected for cleanliness,
when
he knew that the priest would consider the Samaritan unclean, anyway.
It's
a big deal that Jesus sent him to the priests.
It's
a big deal that even when Jesus is helping and healing people, he's
still finding a way to stick it to the man
in
the process.
It's
a big deal that the Samaritan saw himself as he was:
Healed,
clean, holy, a beloved Child of God,
despite
what any religious tradition
or
any racist, sectarian society would have had him
(or us) believe.
It's
a big deal that we are all beloved children of God.
It's
a big deal that the man who came back
“praised
God with a loud voice”
without
shame or hesitation or inhibition.
It's
a big deal that he knew that he was God's.
(pause).
It's
not a big deal that the nine healed folks didn't return to give
thanks. That happens all the time.
(pause).
It's
a big deal that whenever Jesus talks about the despised Samaritans or
Romans, he always uses them as positive examples of good faith.
It's
a big deal.
Lastly,
It's
a big deal that Jesus did not take the Samaritan's gratitude and make
him feel indebted.
It's
a big deal that Jesus didn't say,
“I
did this for you man, you owe me now.
Stay
here and be my servant to prove you're really grateful.
Do
something for me now, dude...”
It's
a big deal that Jesus didn't
say
“Aren't
you really grateful? Prove it
by giving something back.
Prove
it, man! If not, I'm never helping you again!!!”
(pause).
It's
a big deal that Jesus sent him on his Way.
(pause).
There
are lots of “big deals” in today's Gospel reading.
In
the same way that there have been a lot of big deals in the Gospel
this whole liturgical year.
That
probably means we should pay attention.
Amen.
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