Only One?

"Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?" Luke 17:17

What an intriguing story! Ten lepers approached Jesus and begged for his mercy. Jesus gave all ten specific instructions to show themselves to the priests - a risky proposition. Leprosy was a dreaded disease that alienated you from the religious community, which for practical purposes, was the entire community. Lepers were considered ritually unclean. To show oneself to the priest unhealed would mean only further alienation. Lepers were shunned, shut-out and rejected.

Listen to these from Leviticus which pretty much say it all in regard to the status of lepers:”
”The person who has leprosy shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, "Unclean, Unclean." For as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp." (Leviticus 13:45-46)

There was little mercy, compassion and room for the leper. In the unlikely case of healing only the priest, upon examination, could declare the leper clean and restore him back to the community. To go to the priest unclean would be blasphemy.

I don't know what made those ten lepers heed Jesus' instruction and go to the priest. They were not made clean before they went, but as they went.  It was a supreme act of either foolishness or faith. It says "as they went" they were "made clean."   One of them, a Samaritan, upon his remarkable discovery, immediately went back and thanked Jesus falling at his feet.  Presumably the other nine made their way to the priests for examination, and then began a process of ritual purification to be fully restored to the community.  (Leviticus 14)

But the one returned and thanked Jesus. Jesus made a big deal out of it and said, "Where are the other nine? Are you the only one? Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

Did Jesus mean that faith played no role in the healing of the other nine, but just this one? Hardly, since it took faith for all ten of them to move in the direction of the priests before they were healed. None of them questioned Jesus when Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests, at that point unhealed. So what did Jesus mean? "Your faith has made you well."

To understand the truth of this story we must pay close attention to a certain word.

"Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well." The word for "well" is a special word. (sozo) It means "healed in body and spirit."  I'm sure the other nine lepers were overjoyed and enthusiastic about their new condition. Who wouldn't be?  As instructed they chose to validate their healed condition through safe, well established practices. Once they realized they were healed they continued on their way to see the priests who were invested with the power to officially proclaim them cured and make them ritually clean. They went to the priest first because that is what they were required to do to be reconnected to the community. They did their duty. They did what was required of them.

Only the one, before he did anything else, spontaneously returned to give thanks to Jesus, and in returning he was the only one who received a greater gift, the gift of "sozo."   Only the Samaritan's faith exploded into spontaneous joy and gratitude.  He received the gift of greater healing - the healing of body, mind and spirit - wholeness. The health that the Samaritan Leper celebrates at Jesus' feet is a feeling and reality of wholeness he has never before experienced. It is something that no priest, no doctor, no procedure or no ritual could accomplish. He received the deepest blessing of Jesus – something that not even the priest could give.

Do you see the question asked of you in this story? How often do you return to the feet of Jesus to acknowledge and thank God? Once a week?  Twice a month?  Do you only thank God because it seems like the proper and right thing to do?  Do you do your duty?  

Three years ago on those initial Sundays after 9-11 worship attendance sky-rocketed.   Why? There was a crises; people were afraid; confused; things seemed out of control; well all felt vulnerable and were looking for comfort and assurance; something to grab hold of; some hope; some sense in the chaos; some light in the darkness.  It was wonderful to see so many acknowledging that only God in Jesus Christ can provide the things we really need when illusions and pretenses are stripped away.  But it didn’t take long - a few weeks - a couple of months – with the immediacy of the crises wearing off and striving for a sense of normalcy, attendance returned to normal. How easy we forget? How quickly illusions can return.  How fast we lose our focus on what’s really important.

Only one returned to give thanks!  Only one returned to acknowledge the healer!  Only one got a little crazy and spontaneous with his expression of thanks. Only one before he did anything else rushed back to fall at the feet of the Healer to express gratitude. Only one stepped outside the boundary of what was properly expected and humbly bowed at Jesus' feet, thanking him for the salvation he had received. Only one even thought about returning!

Have you ever lived out one single day with a heightened sense of the blessings all around you?  Or is your life moving so fast you don’t see them?  Are you so pre-occupied with self you rarely stop to appreciate much of anything else.  For two days this past week I took one minute out of each waking hour to pause, and look, and see, and appreciate and give thanks for the things and circumstances of my life.

It was actually quite amazing!  I thanked God:

- for a good night's sleep and the healing in my body that occurred overnight

- for the person who came to the church door who needed help because I had to move beyond the world of self into the world of another's need.

- for the phone call of someone offering constructive criticism - for it means they care.

- for the person who called to inquire how they might help another member of the church in need.

- for the series of interruptions to my well planned schedule. They provided a unique opportunity for my patience to grow.

- for a wonderful loving life partner.

- for a e-mail from a faraway friend.

- for oatmeal, every morning – they it may reduce colostoral.

- for my native American flute  CD that I play in the car.

- that the Chicago Cubs lost; now I don't have to fuss over them any more,

- for the birds that come to our feeder and the chipmunks that eat the seed that the birds knock to the ground.

- for an incredible sunrise

- for a good spontaneous belly laugh that came upon hearing a humorous story

- for unashamed tears

- for a call from a loved one who was afraid – and again I had to listen.

- for a renewed friendship

- for Tylenol and ibuprofen that reduce my arthritis pain

- Pine needles on the deck floor

- for computers that help me do my work

- the comfort and power of the Psalms

- for doctors and surgeons who have helped bring greater physical healing to my body!

- for our Jeep and a fun back-country road.

- for the sound of the wind in the trees

- for mountain peaks dusted with snow

- for the last golden aspen leaves

- for a child who gave me a picture she drew in church!

- a sermon to write and a people to speak it to.

That's only about 1/3 of my list of 30 minutes over two days. As I look back on my list, I realize how  easy it is for me to forget to be thankful and to forget to acknowledge the Giver.

How many times have I forgotten to thank God, but complained or wallowed in self pity.

How often do I forget the concern that stands behind the constructive criticism, and take it personal and get defensive?

How quickly I forget the beauty of the leaves when they're on the ground and I have to rake them or sweep them?

How many times have I forgotten to thank God for a wonderful loving partner because I take her for granted?

How many times have I forgotten to thank God for pain medication because I'm too busy complaining about my arthritis pain?

How many times have I forgotten to thank God for unashamed tears because I'm embarrassed to show tears in front of others?

How many times have I forgotten to express gratitude to God for the comfort and power of the Psalms because I let my troubles get the best of me and I haven't taken the time to open my Bible?

How many times have I forgotten to thank God for another opportunity to compose a sermon because I'm tired or stressed and just don't feel like it?

How many times...?

The faith of the Samaritan Leper not only led to his physical healing, but his faith exploding in gratitude lead to a healing of body, mind and spirit; it lead to a wonderful wholeness and completeness as he knelt at the feet of Jesus to give thanks. I pray that you and I would know the same healing; the same wholeness.

I have often thought it must be a rather horrible thing to be an atheist, if for no other reason than there is no one to thank. There is no one to thank for all the gifts.

Only one returned to give thanks to the Healer - the Giver.  Will it be you? Will it be me?

Father Tim Cavanaugh in one of the Mitford Series books said,

"The Lord sends no one away empty, except those who are full of themselves."

In our Old Testament Lesson this morning Naaman almost didn't receive the healing blessing of Elisha because he was too full of himself to obey Elisha's instructions. It took a humble servant to explain it to him.

I pray that you and I will never be so filled with ourselves and our stuff.

I discovered for a couple of days this week when I lived my day in humility and with a heightened awareness of God's blessings and spent time at the feet of Jesus thanking him, I have never felt more fulfilled and grateful for every moment, every breath, every beat of my heart. I discovered it's amazing what can be seen and experienced when I empty myself of my own stuff; my own agenda; the noise and clamor of my own inner and outer voice. God has literally surrounded us with an almost countless supply of blessings that have the power to heal us and lift us, refresh us and make us whole if only for a few moments - and like the wind these blessings carry us to the next moment of our day.

And behind each one of these little healing blessings stands the greatest healing blessing of all - the cross of Jesus Christ. Our deepest wounds, our most serious infirmities, our worst malignancies were all healed by God's radical act of spiritual surgery in His Son Jesus Christ.

I invite you to spend more time this week on your knees at Jesus' feet in gratitude for all that God has blessed you. You just may hear the same blessing spoken to you that Jesus spoke to the Samaritan Leper, "Get up, go on your way; your faith has made you well."