Proper 24
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11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. 15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
The miracle of the healing of the Ten Lepers reinforces several profound truths taught elsewhere in the Bible.
People experience problems in their lives.
We can call on the name of the Lord in times of trouble.
Jesus hears and answers our prayers.
At times we are negligent in thanking and praising God for what he does for us.
Jesus expects us to be thankful.
Faith is very important in our relationship with Jesus.
The over riding problem that these ten men had was that they suffered from what is translated here as leprosy. A footnote says that the word in the Greek refers to any many of skin diseases not necessarily what is known as leprosy today. Regardless of the exact skin disease they had, it impacted their health and their social interaction with others. Lepers were ostracized from society and lived on the margins, often depending on begging to survive.
People today are not immune from chronic problems in their lives.
Disease
Limited resources.
Rising gap between income and expenses.
Addictions.
Victims of crime.
Ravages of old age.
Sudden catastrophes such as Hurricane Ian.
Victims of abuse.
Victims of racism or other discrimination.
We need help and although we can find human aid in many of these cases and should seek it out, as believers in Jesus we also trust that we have a God who invites us to cry to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
15 and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me.”
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. 15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”
13 Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
Our God hears and answers our prayers.
Jesus heard the lepers call for mercy. He instructed them to show themselves to the priests who had the training to identify skin diseases and declare whether someone was clean or not. On the way they were healed.
29 The Lord is far from the wicked but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
St. Paul commands this because he trusts that we have a God who hears and answers prayer.
We trust in this too. Prayer is more than a mental exercise like meditation, it connects us with the Almighty God who is able to do more than we can ask or imagine. And so we approach his throne of grace asking for things for ourselves, for those we know who are in need (both friends and enemies), and we pursue his power to assist us in our troubles. We realize that not every answer will be “yes”, but we also trust that if the answer is “No” or “Later”, that answer is coming from a wise and gracious God who knows what is best for us now and in the future.
Example: A child may ask for something that his/her parents knows if very dangerous for them. Do they give it to them now or without supervision? Or do they say “No” or wait until the child is mature enough? They may see a parent enjoying a fine cigar. Well grandpa isn’t going to let his seven year old grandson join him in his guilty pleasure, is he? We may think that we know what is best, but God’s answer will show us the truth.
The Psalms have many examples of people whose prayers were answered by the Lord.
Psalm 40:1–3 (NIV84)
1 I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. 2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. 3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
This passage illustrates the rescue that happened but also the expected response. “He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.”
This was the expected response of one of the lepers — but only one.
15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
“I will deliver you and you will honor me.”
1 In that day you will say: “I will praise you, Lord. Although you were angry with me, your anger has turned away and you have comforted me. 2 Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.” 3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 In that day you will say: “Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted. 5 Sing to the Lord, for he has done glorious things; let this be known to all the world. 6 Shout aloud and sing for joy, people of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel among you.”
Specific sin: How often aren’t we like the ungrateful lepers who were so concerned about their new life of health and freedom that they couldn’t take time to worship God or thank Jesus. Or maybe they thought they were hurrying to worship God with the priests not recognizing who Jesus is and Jesus’ relationship with God?
The one leper did believe. Jesus commends his faith. Luke 17:19 (NIV84)
19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Faith is an integral component of our relationship with God.
Hebrews 11:6 (NIV)
6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Jesus would often commend a person’s faith.
Matthew 9:2
Some men brought to him a paralyzed man, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the man, “Take heart, son; your sins are forgiven.”
Matthew 9:22
Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
Mark 5:34
He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
Mark 10:52
“Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
Luke 5:20
When Jesus saw their faith, he said, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.”
Luke 7:50
Jesus said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
Luke 8:48
Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.”
Luke 18:42
Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.”
It is not the faith that brings about the answers to prayer but it is the power of God to act. Faith trusts that he does do this and through faith we receive what he gives to us.
This is especially true when it comes to what we call the “leprosy of sin”.
Our biggest trouble in life is the consequences of sin which should bring us God’s temporal and eternal punishment. We call on God to heal us by forgiving our sins. We trust that he does this in connection with his Son, Jesus, who lived and died for us.
Ephesians 5:25–27 (NIV84)
Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her 26 to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, 27 and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
8 First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. 9 Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. 10 And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
We believe He is the Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world.” By faith in Jesus we are forgiven and restored to a new life.
Our response?: We are to give praise to God.