Proper 23C (2022)

Proper 23 (Year C) RCL, 2022

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church, Cornwall

2 Kings 5:1-15 & Luke 17:11-19

What is baptism? Answer:

Baptism is not simply plain water. Instead it is water enclosed in God’s command and connected with God’s Word

What gifts or benefits does baptism grant? Answer:

It brings about forgiveness of sins, redeems from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe it, as the words and promise of God declare.

How can water do such great things? Answer:

Clearly the water does not do it, but the Word of God, which is with and alongside the water, and faith, which trusts this Word of God in the water. For without the Word of God the water is plain water and not a baptism, but with the Word of God it is a baptism, that is, a grace-filled water of life and a “bath of the new birth in the Holy Spirit,”

How can water do such great things. That really, is the question for today. Isn’t it. But not just water. How can water, words, wine, - simple things, subtle things, quite things, USELESS things, DO SUCH GREAT THINGS?

How is it, that a 33 year old Jewish man died on a cross and it forgave MY sins. How can any of this be?

In our readings today, we have 2 accounts of Lepers being healed. In the first, it’s a very powerful leper. Na’maan, commander of King Aram’s army. A man of immense power, and honour, and wealth – a man who had everything, but who was brought to his knees by the disease that ravaged his skin.

*Leprosy in the ancient world (societal impact – unfixable)

Yet in spite of that, Na’maan had found a place for himself in society. He found power, wealth, honour, virtue, and value.

But it wasn’t enough.

But Na’maan wasn’t the only Leper in today’s readings, was he? We also saw 10 Lepers in our Gospel reading. And while these Lepers had one thing in common with Na’maan (their leprosy and their need to be saved) that was more or less where the similarities ended. For these 10 lepers, their leprosy WAS their identity. They weren’t commanders. They weren’t husbands or fathers. They didn’t even have names anymore. For all intents and purposes they WERE “lepers.” And being “lepers” WAS their name, it WAS their vocation, it WAS their identity.

And so both of these groups, are levelled to equality before God.

Na’maan is saved through Baptism.

He doesn’t believe that it will do anyhitng. He complains that it’s such a small thing, It cant save, it wont save. It’s just water.

^ and yet what happens?

The 10 Lepers are saved through God’s Word and their faith in it.

And what, might I ask, can words do? You might say, well, pastor, words are quite powerful. Words move people into action, words inspire people, they can build people up or they can tear them down. True. But they can’t heal people from incurable diseases.

And yet what happens?

And so it is that these lepers, whether rich or poor, are all brought to a place of lowliness and helplessness and despair where they NEED someone outside of themselves to reach down and save them. They need someone to give them the touch of healing, the washing of purification.

Are we any different?

In this case, Leprosy is just like our sinful condition isn’t it? There’s something wrong with us. Something unfixable. Something terminal. It affects us whether we’re rich or poor. Whether we’re accepted by the society around us like Na’maan was, or ostracized and isolated like the 10 Lukan lepers. It’s something that affects all of who and what we are. It’s something that only God can fix. It’s our sin.

Perhaps you come here this thanksgiving Sunday identifying whit Na’maan. Perhaps you’ve got all that there is to give thanks for in your life. Perhaps all of your ducks are in a row as they say. You’ve got the job, the money, the family, the friends, you’ve got the lifestyle that you’ve always wanted but in the midst of all of this, that unbearable disease of sin. That incurable sickness of your own guilt and shame and inability to measure up to God’s law, to your employers law, to your own self-imposed law still hangs around your neck every day and every night.

And we as sinners have come before God. We have cried out for salvation. We have gone into the waters of Baptismal cleansing. We have heard the Words of healing. We have been saved by Faith.

So wherever you find yourself in your life today on this Thanksgiving Sunday; whether rich and powerful and at the top of your game or at the very bottom, ostracized, isolated, homeless and hungry,