Lent 2016, Day 33: March 13 (Luke 17:1-19)

Having taught the crowd about the dangers of leading a singular life, Jesus goes on to caution the disciples about personal responsibility.

Everyone stumbles, Jesus warns, but be sure that you are not the cause. You would be better off drowning. And if your brother sins against you? Forgive him. Even if he continues to sin, confess and repent, you must forgive him.

This doesn’t sit well with the disciples (nor does it sit well with us).

“What? You’re kidding, right? Well, if that’s the way you want it, you’re going to have to give me more faith – more patience, more kindness, more grace,” insist the disciples (and quite a few of us). “Tell me: what's in it for me?"

But Jesus knows that God has already given us everything we need to do the task at hand. And, He wants us to do what is right – what He would do – without having to be bribed.

“You don’t need more faith,” Jesus says. “You just need faith. Do you expect a parade every time you do the right thing? You shouldn’t. Doing the right thing – the thing I ask you to do – should be the natural thing to do, the proper thing. As much as you might want to receive recognition or credit for it, you won’t. It’s simply your duty.”

As they walk together, a group of ten men are watching from a distance. Seeing they have caught Jesus’ eye, they cry out for His mercy. In a very matter of fact manner, Jesus simply tells them to show themselves to the priests. 

As they are en route they find they have been cleansed. Nine of the ten literally take it in stride and continue on their way. One – a Samaritan – praises God with a loud voice, returns, and falls on his face to worship at Jesus’ feet. 

It is an extravagant display made even more so by the fact that he is alone in his gratitude. Not only does his effusive praise make the other nine lepers look bad, it also makes the ungrateful, stubborn disciples (and us) just a touch uncomfortable.

Jesus, tongue firmly planted in cheek, asks, “Weren’t there ten of you? What happened to the nine? Was no one but this foreigner compelled to acknowledge the grace of God?”

Jesus shames the Jews (and the disciples and us) here. Once again He has found someone who should not “get it” (in this case, one of those nasty Samaritans) who has outpaced his Jewish counterparts. The nine proceeded to the priests healed but they expected to be so. As Jews, they felt that God had an obligation to heal them due to their status as children of Abraham (just as we often expect Him to heal us as the children of God).

The story of the 10 lepers is another lesson in singular living, but an uplifting one. There are times when you must go it alone, Jesus says, but the rewards will be worth it. It is your own personal faith that will make you well.