Dermatologists and Telescopes

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.”

This is a parable.  I know, the lesson doesn’t start with “Jesus told them a parable” but trust me…  It’s a parable.  In this parable there are ten lepers walking down the street.  They yelled at everyone that they were lepers… that was the law.  Along comes Jesus and they shout at him.  Jesus tells them to go see the priests.  The priests were also the dermatologists of the day.  Something I’m glad they since separated into two different careers… but anyway, they were the only ones who could decide if a skin disease was healed enough for the person to return to their community.  As they do EXACTLY what Jesus told them to do (go show the priests) they were all made clean.  But remember… this is a parable... So it tells us how God works.  

God works by willy nilly giving out grace… simply because grace is needed.  No insurance card, no paperwork, no passport, green card, or asylum status needed.  Regardless of social status, bank balance, skin color, gender, language, or orientation… regardless of anything… regardless of everything… They got healed, because healed is what they needed.  That’s how God works.

And here’s another way this parable shows us how God works.  God works through Jesus.  But those lepers didn’t get themselves right with Jesus, confess Jesus as their Lord and Savior, they didn’t give Jesus a pile of money or do ANYTHING else to MAKE God do God’s thing through Jesus.  They were made clean… WE are made clean... simply because making creation clean is how God works.  

Now as the lepers head off just as Jesus told them to do, one comes back, praising God and thanking Jesus.  And he was (dun, dun, DUN), a Samaritan!  The dun, dun, DUN part is for the “what abouters.”  We’ve still got ‘em today.  They’re the folks who say “Yeah God’s grace is big but what about (fill in the blank) Surely it's not that big.”  In Jesus’ day it would have been, “Yeah, God’s grace is big but what about the Samaritans.  Surely it’s not that big?”  At which point Jesus says “well, let’s ask this guy coming back and praising God because as it turns out… he’s “dun, dun, DUN” a Samaritan!”  This is how God works.  God works for everyone.  Even, dun dun DUN Samaritans and refugees, and immigrants, and addicts, and people of every sexual orientation and gender identity, and the poor, and even for priests who are food scientists and not dermatologists.   Take out “Samaritan” and put in LITERALLY any label and God’s grace is for EVERY SINGLE ONE of… THOSE… people… EVERY… SINGLE… ONE.  Yeah, even that one.  That's how God works. 

Jesus then looks around and wonders out loud, “I could have sworn there were ten.  Peter, did you count?  I counted 10, is that what you got?”  Jesus knew there were ten. He also knew the other nine weren’t coming back.  This is also how God works.  Once God’s grace is given, it’s a done deal and in Christ’s death and resurrection God’s grace was given to ALL of creation.  So, it’s ours… whether we recognize it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, or are thankful or not.  All ten (Jesus was right, there were ten) were leprosy free forever!  Because that’s how God works.  God doesn’t do take-backsies.

Jesus then tells the Samaritan, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”  Now, I know what some of you are thinking.  You’re saying “SEE, they DID need something!  They needed faith!  If they didn’t have faith they wouldn’t be made well!”  Well, reign in your camel a minute and remember… Jesus took care of the leprosy, up front.  This man’s faith comes into the story AFTER God’s grace had already been freely given.  The Samaritan’s faith (faith is also a gift from God by the way) helped him to see HOW much deeper God’s grace had gone in him beyond just skin deep.  With that realization he just couldn’t help but to give thanks for ALL he’d been given.  That’s how God works.  

And that’s STILL how God works.  You and I and all of creation are healed right down to our core with the unconditional gift of God’s loving grace.  With the gift of Faith we can grow in our understanding of just how deep that grace really goes.  Like a telescope, our faith allows us to see further into the depths of God’s love for us.  And as our faith grows from the strength of a backyard telescope into a Hubble like faith and toward the strength of the James Webb Space Telescope we will be able to see more and more and more of God’s love for us... a love that's always been there whether we can see it or not.  That’s how faith works.  

That is how God works and that is how God is calling each of us to live our lives.  Following God's example in Christ and bringing our neighbors love, grace, healing and wholeness, simply because that's what they need.  And the more deeply we and able to see, through Faith, the depths of God’s grace, the more and more recklessly we will turn back and give God praise and thanksgiving.  Amen.