Page 27 - Florida Sentinel 5-6-16 Online Edition

Sunday School
Gratitude should be our de- fault setting (Psalm 107:1; 118:1). Gratitude is God’s will (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
People with an ever-increas- ing faith (last week’s lesson) should be grateful (this week’s lesson). We assume the teach- ing from last week’s lesson took place somewhere on Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. Our text reminds us that we are still in the travel narrative of Luke’s Gospel (17:11; see also 9:51; 13:22; 19:11, 28, 41). Jesus was making his final journey to Jerusalem.
A Merciful Healing | Luke 17:11-14
Somewhere close to a vil- lage along the border between Samaria and Galilee Jesus en-
countered 10 men who had lep- rosy. Given the geography it is likely that this group of men was composed of Jews and Samaritans.
Something larger than eth- nicity bound these men to- gether, namely their common disease. In the Bible, leprosy was the label for all kinds of skin diseases (Leviticus 13, 14). It ranged from eczema to what is known today as Hansen’s disease. Bad blood existed between Jews and Samaritans (Luke 9:51-56; John 4:9). In this case a com- mon disease bound them to- gether in solidarity. It took 10 men to constitute a syna- gogue—this was a synagogue of lepers.
Grateful Faith (Luke 17:11-19)
Jesus had cleansed lepers before (Matthew 8:1-4), and news of such traveled quickly. No doubt family members had told their leprous loved ones that Jesus of Nazareth could cleanse lepers. When this syn- agogue of lepers heard that Jesus was near, they kept their distance as required by the law.
They called out in a loud voice to be heard—“Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” Two things are significant about their request. First they ad- dress Jesus as Master. This is not the typical word, Lord. It is a word that means something like “commander” (Luke 5:5). This showed respect but also a belief in Jesus’ authority.
Second they pleaded for pity. This is the word usually translated “mercy.” It is a sal- vation word and associated with God’s loving kindness to Israel. In the miracles of Jesus, God’s mercies are released as a preview of what Heaven will look like someday (Revela- tion 21:4).
Jesus commanded the lep- ers to do what was required by the law. “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” Several good
things would result when the lepers obeyed this command. They would be pronounced clean and would be restored to their families and community. But mostly they would experi- ence God’s healing. “And as they went, they were cleansed”—the verb tense indi- cates that the cleansing took place as they were en route to the priests. Would they have been cleansed if they had not obeyed Jesus’ command to go? However there is something that takes us beyond cleansing. It is gratitude.
A Surprising Thanksgiving
| Luke 17:15-19
The text draws our attention
to numbers—1, 10, and 9—1 of the 10 noticed his cleansing. His conscience goaded him into returning to say thank you before heading to the priest. With the same loud voice he had used to make his earlier re- quest for mercy, he praised God. The word for praising is where we get the English word “doxology” and appears as a noun in verse 18. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet (“fell down before him”) and
thanked him. The verb thanked is where we get the word Eucharist (the giving of thanks or good grace).
Luke heightens the story by telling us that more than just a former leper was cleansed and remembered to say thank you. Luke and Jesus drew attention to the man’s ethnicity: “And he was a Samaritan.” Jesus asked three interrogating questions as if he were teaching someone beyond just the cleansed leper. Jesus called the man a for- eigner. The real rebuke of this text is that the most unlikely person to give thanks did so. Sometimes God gets greater gratitude from outsiders than his covenant people. Maybe that is Luke’s point.
Jesus commended the cleansed leper. “Rise and go; your faith (a grateful faith) has made you well (saved).” The man was cleansed, like the oth- ers, as he went. Healing comes to those who obey. And God is so gracious. Jesus didn’t re- verse the cleansing for the other nine when they failed to give thanks.
But, gratitude takes a person beyond obedience.
FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2016 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 15-B