Kingdom Building

October 13, 2019

Scripture Reading:
Luke 17:11-19

On 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.’

There is a lot going on in this story. For one thing, Jesus healing undesirables. In this story he healed lepers and even worse a Samaritan. Leprosy was greatly feared and believed to be contagious. Samaritans were hated.

One could wonder if the other nine lepers did not end up being healed because they did not return and thank Jesus. I do not see anything in the scriptures that indicates Jesus was a quid pro quo kind of guy. Humans certainly have the capacity to want something in return for anything they do for another. I believe that Jesus was fully human and thus fully capable of all kinds of human behavior. His way of being was just as much his choice as our ways of being are our choice. He appreciated being thanked, I am sure, but I doubt he expected or demanded it.

Jesus instructed all his disciples including me, to love are neighbors as we love ourselves. (Mark 12:31) There is nothing in this direction that even suggests you should receive anything in return from the neighbor. I was stunned when I kept seeing the fallout from Ellen Degeneres and George W. Bush visiting with each other at a baseball game. I assumed they both like baseball, silly me. They both identify as Christians and each seems to practice their faith as God guides them. I know Ellen is very generous in helping others and sharing concerns on her show as an advocate for others. Former President Bush has a well-known history of service to the people of Africa. Some wondered why George W. Bush would even talk to Ellen, I guess because she is a progressive and a homosexual; others thought the only reason Ellen would talk to former President Bush was because she might be able to get him on her show as a quid pro quo; and Ellen’s supporters thought she should not talk to the former President because he authorized the war in Iraq. Ellen said she talks to a lot of people with whom she does not totally agree; part of being president is working together with people who do not share the same ideologies. I doubt seriously if there are any two people who totally agree on anything.

Our world is caught up in a very dangerous philosophy of doing exactly the opposite of loving our neighbor and it will be our downfall if we do not correct it because there is a power greater than humans who is Love and established the world to run on love’s energy.

Prayer: Lord, forgive us when we become so cynical, we cannot appreciate the joy of making friends and building consensus, sharing goals and discovering common ground, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.