The Power of One – sermon on October 9, 2016
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.”
Sermon: The Power of One by Rev. Doreen Oughton
I’m going to boast a little bit here. My children were raised to be courteous, and it showed. People often commented on how very polite they were. Their dad and I constantly prompted any request they made with “please,” and “what do you say?” “Thank you.” It was ingrained into them. Say “excuse me” instead of “what” or for necessary interruptions. They learned to greet people, to look them in the eye, even to shake hands. But… the thank you note ritual was still such a struggle. I knew that it was a good practice to have them write notes for the gifts they received on their birthday from out of town friends and relatives; for the cards with money received for religious rituals and graduations. But I confess I wasn’t always on top of the follow through. Sure I’d tell them they should, and even nag a little bit. I’ve heard some parents put gifts out of reach until the thank you note is written. But that was a battle I didn’t usually fight. And then I would feel guilty and even a little bit ashamed when I would get a lovely thank you card from a niece or nephew.
This morning we have a gospel passage in which Jesus is wondering where all the thank you’s are. He is on his way to Jerusalem, and passes through this border village – a place between Samaria and Galilee. You might remember that Samaria was a region of Israel where there had been lots of intermarrying with foreign occupiers and what most Jews considered to be adulteration of the faith. The Samaritans were seen as unclean at least, and maybe even as enemies. And there in this border town was a cluster of people with leprosy. Maybe it was even a small leper colony. And even here, they have heard about Jesus, knew who he was, had faith that he could help them. Has he already done some healing there, some casting out of demons? They cry out to him – have mercy! They keep their distance, perhaps are even a little further out in society than they are supposed to be. But it’s Jesus! It’s worth the risk to try to get his attention.
And Jesus responds. He looks at them – I wonder for how long? Did he look at each person, gazing until they dared to look up,, right at him? Did they make eye contact and hold it so that they knew he saw them, truly saw them and truly cared? I believe so. I don’t think it was a quick glance at a bunch of sick, disheveled people that he would quickly dismiss with a long distance miracle. But after looking he tells them to go show themselves to the priests. And with that instruction, the lepers knew they were in for something good. You see the only reason for a leper to go to the priests was after healing, to be declared clean by the clergy, and allowed back into the Temple and the community. The priests would examine them to verify the cure, then the gift commanded by the law would be offered. And they had such faith in this that they headed off to the priests even before the healing had occurred.
Then one of the men, when he sees the healing, runs back to Jesus and falls at his feet, praising God and giving thanks. The man is a Samaritan. And Jesus encourages the man to stand up, and connects the healing to the man’s faith. But he also sounds a little peeved that the rest of them did not return. He says, “where are the other nine?” Uh… on their way to the priests, like you told them! You know what I thought of when I first read through this? I remember one day I was very stressed and distracted, maybe even upset about something. I wasn’t paying a lot of attention to my movements, just rushing around. Someone held a door for me and I just walked right through. And she called after me, “Your welcome.” It took me up short. I turned and apologized and thanked her, but really I thought, “Jeesh. Are you doing this to be kind, or for the thanks?” Her antagonistic cry sort of took the kindness out of the gesture. As much as I wanted to teach my children the importance of courtesy, I hope they wouldn’t become the “thank you” police to others.
Is Jesus concerned about courtesy here? Is he feeling unappreciated and in need of a little acknowledgment of just how awesome he is? I don’t know. It doesn’t really jibe with the picture I have in my mind of him looking deeply at each one of the ten, seeing them, opening his heart to them, sending his healing love to them. So what is it? I wonder if it is not about what Jesus wants for himself, but what he wants for those nine, something even he didn’t realize was part of the healing until this Samaritan came and fell at his feet. Now I have my suspicions that the return was not just about giving thanks and praising God. I don’t know if any of the other 9 were Samaritans, but this man would not be welcomed by the priests. He would not be declared clean even if his leprosy was cured. Perhaps he planned to head back to Samaria, to the holy mountain where they prayed, or to the priests of that land. And those things were in the other direction, so he turned to go back, encountering Jesus and responding, perhaps, as his mother taught him :-).
Or maybe it was that he was overcome with gratitude and had to turn back to express it. Either way, Jesus saw something important in the gesture. He cured all of them of their leprosy, but there was, perhaps additional healing that came with the thanksgiving – a healing of the heart and mind as well as body.
These people with leprosy had had a rough go. Through no fault of their own they were struck with an illness. Perhaps it was Hansen’s Disease, or perhaps it was just a skin condition that rendered them unclean. In those days it was all lumped together. They were exiled from their families and communities. Can you imagine? What did they do for food? Could they work? I can’t imagine they were allowed to beg. They may have been in physical pain from their ailment, and certainly were in emotional pain. Shunned. I would imagine many would feel angry, hurt, wondering “why me?” How much time would they spend thinking about their terrible fate, wondering when it would end?
And now they have been cured. They are on their way to the priests. Jesus cured them, and they ran with it. Imagine their wonder and joy, the relief that their exile is over, their eagerness to return to their families, to get back to work, to put it all behind them as quickly as they can. But I wonder if habits of thinking are hard to break; if maybe it doesn’t take too long before they are wondering again, “why me,” feeling their anger bubbling up all over again as they struggle to reintegrate at home, in society, to find a job. Perhaps there is something about taking the time to give thanks and praise that shifts these habits of thought and feeling. Perhaps instead of running with the healing, it was worth slowing down to savor it, to remember the caring gaze, to remember being seen even when you are considered unclean and shunned by everyone else. Maybe that moment of connection, the recognition that someone showed love for you, needs to be made a big deal of – not for the givers sake, or not just that, but for the receiver.
Isn’t that really what you want your kids to get out of writing thank you notes? It’s not so we can brag about how polite our children are, or even to make the giver feel good, but so that the children recognize and remember that the gift was an act of love. Uncle Phil was thinking of them and sending love with that $50 bill. Their graduation from grade school matters to nana and grampy because they matter to nana and grampy. Isn’t that worth taking time to savor?
And this savoring of love can happen among us in the ways we recognize and remember acts of love and kindness – the notes we send in response to sympathy and get well cards, food and flowers sent in times of need – the help with a home repair or a move. When we write out the thank you note, or just say it face to face in a heartfelt way, we feel the love all over again. And it can also happen in our lives overall when we take time to give thanks and praise to God. We remember that we are loved, that God is constantly pouring out blessings. This is true no matter what is happening in our lives. It was true even for those 10 lepers before the healing. Somehow they were still alive, still had heard about Jesus, were there when he passed through. There were blessings.
David Lose tells of a colleague whose regular response to the question, “How are you,” is “I am grateful.” He says the response surprised him not just the first time he heard it, but almost every time. “How are you?” “I am grateful.” He says, “my colleague chose her words with care. She wanted to make a point. That gratitude is not only a response to good fortune but also a choice we make. And giving voice to gratitude is a choice with consequences, for as we express our gratitude, we affect those around us, even shape the reality in which we live.”
The gratitude of the leper shaped his reality, and even, I think, shifted Jesus’ thinking. One person choosing to focus on gratitude can make a difference. I’m sure Dr. Lose is not the only one who is surprised and thoughtful about his colleague’s response. I would guess that her attitude of gratitude is a trigger for many to consider their own blessings, their own choices of where to put their focus. I would bet that in addition to being grateful, this woman is also, at times, angry or scared or sad or embarrassed or frustrated or impatient. But through all of that she finds that place of thankfulness. It is a choice, and with practice, becomes ingrained. Can you imagine the blessing of that? Having habits of thought that lead us always to gratitude?
Dr. Lose continues, “Take a moment to scan the headlines and you’ll see how scarce – and how desperately needed – more expressions of gratitude are. Accusation, excuses, venting anger – these seem to have hold of our culture. Indeed, we seem to live in the age of complaint, whether shared in person or increasingly through the venue of social media. What a powerful response gratitude is in these situations. In this light, saying “I’m grateful” does not simply express our thanksgiving but actually gives voice to a counter-cultural witness that has the power to shape those around us, push back the tide of resentment and complaint that ails us, and make room for a fresh appreciation of God’s renewing, saving grace.
You could be that one in ten who triggers healing for this world. You could start exercising that muscle memory for gratitude. Is there a practice you could take up – writing a thank you note at least once a week, or noting in a journal something you are grateful for every day? Or maybe start responding as this woman did to the casual query of “how are you” with “’I am grateful.” Shall we practice now?… May it be so.
