The Gospel of Luke 17:11-19On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
Let us Pray The Collect for Thanksgiving Day Almighty and gracious Father, we give you thanks for the fruits of the earth in their season and for the labors of those who harvest them. Make us, we pray, faithful stewards of your great bounty, for the provision of our necessities and the relief of all who are in need, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The story of the grateful Samaritan offers us another image of who and what matters to Jesus and should, therefore, matter to us. The marginalized seem well placed to see him for who he is as he has seen them for who they are. Jesus has set his face to go to Jerusalem. He is in the region between Samaria and Galilee; Jesus frequents boundary spaces and is about to cross a social boundary again by his association with lepers and with a Samaritan. As he enters a village, ten lepers approach calling out to him but keeping their distance because they are unclean. They address him as master. Jesus immediately sends them to show themselves to the priests to confirm their healing, and in route they are in fact made clean, In the text for today, after the healing of the ten lepers, the focus narrows to one of the ten, who alone turns back glorifying God and prostrating himself at Jesus’ feet thanking him. Only after he prostrates himself in thanksgiving do we learn that the one who has turned back in this borderland is a Samaritan. The Samaritan’s thanksgiving and prostration at Jesus’ feet shows his recognition that God is at work when Jesus notices and heals hurts and brokenness that are not noticed by others. The people who have received most from Jesus, the ones who are otherwise ignored, scorned, untouched are the ones who has been given much also loves greatly. Love that springs from gratitude is the essence of faith. A clear lesson from this Gospel is that Jesus expects us to show gratitude. In the account of the Thankful Leper, Jesus is clearly angry at the unthankfulness of the nine lepers who didn’t return. We must train ourselves to show thanks, to give thanks, to be filled with thanksgiving. Without being thankful disciples, we won’t be pleasing to Jesus. But this thankfulness is sometimes time-consuming. Sometimes it requires going out of our way, delaying some of our urgent appointments. A life of thanksgiving is a life of prayer. Prayer first. Before going to the priests to be declared healed. Prayer first. Before the things we have to do. Prayer first. Before we get immersed in our everyday activities. Prayer first. Thanksgiving first. Finally, gratitude is an important component in our salvation. God grant that we will on occasion be thankful enough to be boisterously thankful. Thankful enough to throw ourselves at Jesus’ feet. And thankful enough to voice Jesus’ question as our own, “Where are the other nine?” and help them find their way home, too. Will we be like the nine and go on our merry way because now things look so good for us, or will we be as the stranger who returned to Jesus after mercy was shown and fell at his feet with thanksgiving and gratitude for what He had done? Would Jesus tell each of us the same as he told the Samaritan: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Let us Pray: Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude to God, our Creator and Provider, whose guidance and care go before us… and whose love is with us forever. Amen
Reflections by Bob 