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KEEP AT IT, II
Timothy 2:1-13,
by Dr. David Rogne
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Remember Whose You Are,
2 Timothy 2:8-15,
by Rev. Randy L. Quinn
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Dear Cherished
Ones! Jer. 29:1,4-7,
Heather McCance
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At the Intersection of Grace and Gratitude,
Luke 17:11-19,
Thomas N. Hall
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Worship With the
Mind And Heart, Luke 17:11-19,
Rev. Frank Schaefer
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Thankfulness--the Number One Priority
Luke 17:11-19
RevJan
Leprosy is a disease that we don't hear much about these days, but it
still exists. It is a chronic infectious disease, caused by [a bacterium
which affects] the skin and superficial nerves. It is found mainly, but
not exclusively, in tropical regions. The disease produces numerous skin
and nerve lesions, which, if left untreated, enlarge and may result in
severe disfigurement . . . In 1993 the World Health Organization began a
campaign to eliminate leprosy by 2000. Also known as Hansen's disease,
leprosy affects about 43,000 continental Americans each year.
Travelhealth.com says: The isolation of those with leprosy, practiced
over time, probably was more cautious than necessary, but it did reduce
the spread [of leprosy]. . . . continued contact with victims does put
someone at risk – family members of leprosy victims have a rate of 5-10%
of eventually getting the disease. Isolation of victims in separate
communities probably made their life easier by reducing the ostracism
with which they would otherwise be faced.
Leonard Sweet tells us In Jesus day, lepers were required to announce
their presence . . . so that purified Jews could steer clear of them and
avoid any risk of contamination. Believed to be a disease not just of
the skin, but of the soul as well, leprosy was attributed to a divine
judgment, earned by parental disregard of purity laws or the leper's own
slanderous tongue, dishonest behavior, disrespect for the [Jewish
religion] and priesthood, or some other violation of Mosaic Law.
In today's scripture, we learn that Jesus was "on his way" to
Jerusalem — and the cross. Traveling between Samaria and Judea, he
passed near a leper colony. His fame preceded him, for ten of the lepers
called out to him "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" They reached out in
faith that Jesus would heal them, as he had others. It was possible for
leprosy to go into remission. If a leper thought his leprosy had gone
away, he was supposed to present himself to a priest, who could declare
him clean. Jesus said to the ten "Go and show yourselves to the
priests." As they left, they were miraculously cleansed of their
leprosy. All of the lepers obeyed Jesus' command to "go and show
yourselves to the priests." Not one asked "Why?" "Do I Hafta?" or "Why
don't you cure us right here?"
Each of the ten lepers obeyed Jesus. And, while they were on their
way, all ten were healed. Ten were healed, yet only one returned to say
"thank you." Several theories have been postulated as to why only one
returned to thank Jesus. One waited to see if the cure was real. One
waited to see if it would last. One said he would see Jesus later. One
decided that he had never had leprosy. One said he would have gotten
well anyway. One gave the glory to the priests. One said, "Oh, well,
Jesus didn't really do anything." One said, "Any rabbi could have done
it." One said, "I was already much improved." Everyone else was
distracted by other blessings that were so near (family, friends, work,
home, etc. . . . )?
Are we also too busy, tending to what we have, to remember to give
thanks? Is our Sabbath so full of shopping and laundry and homework, and
"quality time" (and sermon giving, and Sunday School Lessons, and church
business) that we can't make time to tell God thanks? Of the ten, only
one found the time to say thanks. In the style of good storytellers,
Luke gives us the punch line at the end of the story — "And he was a
Samaritan." The despised foreigner, the hated alien, was the only one
who gave thanks. Whatever their reasons, only one returned, and to that
one Jesus said "Your faith has made you well."
The word used here for "well" actually means "whole." For, while the
other nine were "healed," this one was made complete, whole. The same
Greek word is used in the story of Zaccheaus for "to be saved." By
obeying Jesus' command to go to the priests, the ten were healed of
their leprosy. By returning to give thanks to Jesus, the one was made
whole. On the way to Rome, the pope was going through the region between
Yugoslavia and Kosovo. As he entered a village, ten victims of AIDS
approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Holy
Father, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go to
church." And as they went, they were made clean.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, praised God with a
loud voice. He knelt down, right where he was, and offered prayers of
thanksgiving to Jesus. And this one was a Communist. The Pope asked,
"Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Did none
of them give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him,
"Get up and go on your way; your faith has saved you and made you
whole."
There is a lesson in the thankfulness of the Samaritan leper for us.
Surely he, like the others, had family obligations to meet, friendships
to renew. Yet, he, and only he, returned to Jesus. Someone has pointed
out that, because he was a Samaritan, he could not go to the Jerusalem
temple. He had no other place to go, than to Jesus. That's a nice
thought, but it ignores the fact that there were Samaritan priests, and
that the people of Samaria had their own temple and holy places. In
fact, a major contention between the Jews and the Samaritans was how
each practiced their religion. Saying "He was a Samaritan," to Jesus'
hearers, would be the same as saying "He was a Communist," to us today.
[continue]
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