BEWARE OF THE LEPERS AND OTHER OUTSIDERS

As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

Ten lepers – ten outsiders – ten people who are required to keep their distance from their families, their friends, and their business associates for any and all purposes.

As defined by Hebrew laws, they are “UNCLEAN”. They had to yell out or make other noises to warn the good and healthy people away. No healthy person could touch them; anyone touching them would become unclean, just like the lepers. The people with leprosy would certainly have accepted, even internalized, the common teaching that their disease was their fault – the punishment they deserved for their sins. Or, it may have been because of the sins of their parents, or another ancestor.

They suffered with disease, pain, hunger, humiliation, isolation and guilt.

Being excluded from the mainstream, their behavior may have been a bit strange, thus confirming the judgement of the rest of the healthy people. Were they so strange that some might say they were “possessed by a demon”?

Now remember that Jesus was always reaching out to people who were living beyond the limits of the good upright Jewish community. He ate dinner with public sinners. He cured countless people with disabilities and diseases, including Gentile and pagan people as well as members of the occupying army. He spoke openly to a Samaritan woman – a double infraction.

Jesus did not, still does not, believe there are any “outsiders” regarding His mission.

Of the ten who called out, all ten were cured. One came back to say thank you. We know that the one who came back was a Samaritan – an outsider even among outsiders.

Most of us probably assume that the others went to the priests, followed the law and went on with their lives, just as if nothing had happened. Maybe, for the nine, that was true. Maybe nothing happened within their souls. We really don’t know about the future of the nine.

Yet, he who came back was the only one who heard the words,”…your faith has saved you.”

Let’s consider whether we are like the nine who just cured and just walked on, as if they were entitled to the cure, or are we like the one who realized the miracle of his cure, thanked God for the cure, and received another kind of healing along with it. He was saved by his faith.

Let’s pray

Jesus, my Lord and Savior, You are always offering to heal Your holy people – not only their bodies, but also their souls. Let me realize that I need your healing. Let me also realize that my healing depends on my faith. Strengthen my faith so I can be saved like the one returning leper…Jesus, I believe in You.