Luke 17:11-19 (text for October 13 lectionary)
The Samaritan, whose visit to a priest would make no sense, realized he was healed and went back to thank the one who thanked him. It did not matter that they were of a different faith, that they were rivals/enemies because of their history of faith practice and heritage or that this Rabbi had commanded him to go to see the priest so that he could be restored to life within his community. He first had to express his gratitude.
He would be considered the lowest of the low. He was not only a Samaritan, but a leper, which meant, in the wrong thinking of the time, that he was cursed by God. He could not be around other people, out of fear that his "unrighteousness" might rub off on them, or worse, their "righteousness" might be tainted by contact with him. He had to announce his presence as a warning to anyone who might come close, even to Jesus.
None of that mattered to Jesus. He healed the man like the other nine, Israelite lepers. He had a need and Jesus, consistent with His command to live Agape Love, actively committed on his behalf to restore him to Shalom.
The other nine Israelites, who practiced the established, majority faith, took the gift and went to get their restoration to their lives from the priest. They followed instructions. The Samaritan, who had no natural or chosen connection to Jesus, other than their common humanity, was healed by Jesus and went back to give thanks out of gratitude. THIS ONE Jesus made an example of faith. He paused to give thanks to God for the healing and restoration of his life. Jesus noticed that this one acted out of genuine gratitude and that the other nine did not.
Genuine relationship with God requires genuine gratitude. Following the law has its place, certainly, but what we have is a relationship with God built on Agape Love and Grace. It is not a mechanism. It is not a formula. It is not a piety. It is not a series of canonical actions. It is a relationship based on Agape Love. The Samaritan Leper disobeyed Jesus, but also did not disobey. The Samaritan Leper alone recognized Jesus as his Great High Priest, showed himself to the priest, expressed His praise and thanks and was restored to Shalom. What he gained was not only healing from his leprosy, but Shalom in life because of his connection with Jesus, all because he expressed his Agape for Jesus in doing the right thing out of genuine gratitude in genuine relationship.
Note that the other nine lepers did not lose their gift of healing or restoration to their communities according to the Law of Moses. It was not taken away. Agape is unconditional. What they lost was a connection with the fulfiller of Law and Prophets, a genuine relationship and not just the gift of a benefactor. They missed the Shalom (completeness, wholeness and well-being) that they could have had in genuine relationship with Jesus in Agape Love and Grace.
The Samaritan Leper, deemed stranger and enemy, even unrighteous among those who practiced the established, majority faith, found a connection with God through the living of Agape Love with Jesus. In the next verses (20-21: for some reason not included in this lectionary text), we find that the Kingdom is within/among us. It is in the living of genuine Agape Love that we are in participation with the Kingdom of God, here and now. Not found in tangible things that can be observed (like the Law), or diminished to be a thing of Law or practice of piety, it is in the living of Agape Love within and among us as commanded by Jesus that we find the Kingdom of God. It is in genuine relationship built on the living of Agape Love and Grace with one another that we encounter God and find Shalom.
Acknowledging the Agape Love and Grace of God in our lives calls for a genuine response of gratitude in the same Agape Love, with God and with one another. It is in this relationship based on Agape and Grace that we truly find Shalom.
Pastor Jamie
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