Hello
Friends,
Welcome
back to Prepared Hearts, the online Bible study of the Wacousta Community United Methodist Church.
The
lectionary texts for this week are as follows:
Jeremiah 29:1, 4-7, Psalm 66:1-12, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, and Luke 17:11-19.
I’ll be preaching from Luke.
The
text is below, followed by starter thoughts:
Luke
17:11-19
On
the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and
Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their
distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he
saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they
went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed,
turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’
feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made
clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and
give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go
on your way; your faith has made you well.’
STARTER
THOUGHTS
One of
the first statements in this passage reinforces what we discussed last Sunday, the
“outcast” status of persons with leprosy in ancient Israel. You’ll note that the
men “kept their distance” when calling out to Jesus. To approach him or anyone
else who was not “unclean” was forbidden. These men displayed extraordinary courage
in calling out to Christ for mercy. They even refer to Jesus as “Master” (something
only the disciples had done throughout the book of Luke). What do their actions say about their
desperation and/or their understanding of Jesus? Have there been times in your
life when you’ve felt the desperate need for healing (spiritual, physical,
mental, or emotional)? What was your response
to this need?
The men
with leprosy weren’t healed immediately. Jesus simply tells them to head off to
the priests. On their way, they are made clean. They step out in faith and
begin to journey, not knowing that they will be healed along the way. The trust
they show in Jesus and his instruction is really extraordinary. Are there moments
when you have struggled to follow God’s instructions, unsure of where they will
lead? Do you think that we (the church) show the faith of the lepers? Do we
take off on our voyage and trust that God will do the miraculous as we journey
along?
One of
the most common questions asked about this passage is: why does the Samaritan
turn back while the others do not? One of the things to keep in mind is that
the Samaritan was in essence doubly cursed. He had leprosy (which made him
unclean), and he was a Samaritan (which made him despised). In reality, the
priests had nothing to offer him. The other nine would have been declared clean
by the priests and restored to community. This wouldn’t have been the case for
the Samaritan. How do you think the Samaritan’s unique “doubly cursed” position
may have affected his understanding of what Jesus had done for him?
The
heart of this story isn’t so much the healing as it is the response the healing
invokes (or doesn’t invoke) by those healed. A lot of sermons I’ve heard on
this text basically admonish Christians not to be like the 9 lepers and to show
gratitude toward God. However, the Samaritan does more than thank Jesus. He
praises God and falls at Jesus’ feet. His actions are those of one who
acknowledges the authority of Jesus as Lord. The Samaritan’s actions are as
much an expression of faith as they are an act of gratitude. This is reinforced
by Jesus’ comment, “Your faith has made you well.” What is your understanding
of the relationship between faith and gratitude? Can one exist without the
other?
Of
course none of Jesus’ healing would have taken place if he hadn’t seen those
who called out to him. His acknowledgment of those with leprosy and their cry
for mercy is the beginning of their healing journey. This begs the question: who do we see or fail
to see? Are there folks in need of healing who don’t catch our attention? What
cries for mercy does the church turn from or pretend not to hear?
As
always I look forward to your thoughts and reflections. Feel free to email me
or post a comment here.
Peace,
Pastor
Amee
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