Get Up, and Be On Your Way: Luke 17v11-19

Luke brings us out of the intense rhetoric of Jesus' apocalyptic parables and warnings and reminds us that is precisely where we are headed, lest we forget...Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. He has taught his disciples of the celbratory nature of God's Kingdom, he has woven intricate images of God's grace and human transgression, he has opened the scriptures for us to learn responsibility and consequence, he has taught us gentleness and forgiveness with the next generation and he has kept us in a place of humility through it all. Jesus loves us. Now what has he in store?

Along the way he is passing through a border town and heals these ten lepers. Physically, spiritually ...absolutely outcast. But they cried out for pity from the Jesus, God's anointed and what does he say? 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' This is because it is the priests responsibility to declare when someone has been healed. What happens though, Jesus gives them a command and they obey. 'Then as they went, they were healed' This is to teach us that as we obey the Word of God, our wounds that keep us oppressed and outcast are healed. Our joy and salvation is found in our going wherever it is that Jesus sends us. Coming into line with his greater purposes.

Luke brings us back to a sense of humility though, for it is only a Samaritan who comes back and offers gratitude to Jesus and praise to God. Something the Jews ought to remember to do given their very name reminds them. (Judah means 'praise') But no, despite the fact that they had been healed of this viscous infirmity, what a sense of joy and relief, really, can you imagine not demonstrating gratitude and giving praise after that?...and yet only one came back, that's astonishing. Why did they not come back? By now Jesus is hated by many...particularly those in power among the Jews...but what does Jesus say to the Samaritan? Your faith has saved you! Not only are you physically restored as an individual, but you've been returned to your community and you are offering up gratitude and praise to God. He has been brought from death to life and that is exactly what the word Jesus uses at the end would have said to his hearer, resurrection..."Get up, and be on your way!"