Our passage from Luke today
reminds us that Jesus is on the way to Jerusalem.
The evangelist gives us this reminder
so that we don’t forget:
Jesus is headed to his death.
As we follow Jesus,
we are always orienting ourselves
to the cruciform life –
dying to self
and living a new life
in Jesus.
As Jesus is on the way,
ten lepers call out to him by name.
“‘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.”
Scene.
That’s the end
of the first story
from Luke today.
These lepers do what Jesus says
and they go on their way.
The second story
isn’t only about healing.
It’s about salvation.
One of the lepers
delays going to a priest,
delays being restored to community –
and probably his family –
when he sees that he’s been healed.
“When he saw that he was healed,
[he] turned back,
praising God with a loud voice.
“He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet
and thanked him.”
…
“Then Jesus said to him,
‘Get up and go on your way;
your faith has made you well.’”
Your faith has saved you.
The first story
where the ten are delivered from their ailment
is about healing.
The second story,
where the one foreigner,
the one doubly ostracized
by being a Samaritan,
and being ritually unclean
suffering from the bucket of ailments
called leprosy,
gives thanks
and receives salvation.
Your faith has made you well,
your faith has saved you.
A full healing of mind, body, soul, spirit, and relationships,
through faith in Jesus and thanksgiving to God
has brought salvation to you.
This is the work of Jesus the Christ,
God’s anointed one.
Full healings
of mind, body, soul, spirit, and relationships.
When the Samaritan man realizes
that his leprosy is gone
he delays obedience to Jesus.
Jesus told all of them
to go show themselves to a priest!
The Samaritan man
comes back and praises God
with a loud voice.
All he’s done
is call out to Jesus for mercy.
That’s all we do
when we come
to the font and the table.
We call out for mercy.
God hears us and grants it
because of God’s supreme love for us.
Neither we nor the Samaritan
nor the other nine
does anything to warrant nor earn
God’s love.
We call out.
God shows up.
What we do next, though,
is up to us.
At the end of our service today
we’ll be singing “Tell out my soul”
which is very loosely
modeled on Mary’s song
the Magnificat
in Luke 1.
Salvation offered to the whole of creation,
the resurrection being a mark of new creation –
not just resuscitation –
is a theme throughout Luke’s gospel.
After being chosen as the God bearer,
Mary’s soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
The one Jesus calls
“this foreigner”
comes back praising God with a loud voice.
How we live our lives,
can be a mirror
of what God has done for us.
One way we can reflect our gratitude
is by giving back to God
what God has given to us
in our finances.
“Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his name!
“Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;
“his mercy sure, from age to age the same –
“his holy name: the Lord, the Mighty One.”
How is your soul
telling out
what God has done for you?
As we work toward growth –
alongside a right-sized budget –
have you thought about
your experience of the good news
of Jesus the resurrected Christ?
In inviting people to church,
have you told them about your salvation in Jesus?
The stories of the growth of the church
are knowing God’s love
and making it known to others.
God’s mission for salvation
made available to all creation
sings out in this passage from Luke
and through the whole of Luke’s gospel.
Like this Samaritan leper,
we’re all the wrong kind of people.
God doesn’t care about that
and is excited for the new creation
starting with Jesus’ incarnation.
This passage should never be used
to dunk on the other nine
who did exactly what Jesus said.
We don’t know if they came back
after they’d met their ritual requirements
and been restored to their families and communities.
That’s a part of salvation, too.
As we know God’s salvation –
a full healing and restoration
of mind, body, soul, spirit, and relationships –
our souls cry out with a joyful shout
that the God of our hearts is great.
As we know God’s salvation,
we give thanks to God in so many ways.
Through Christ we continually offer to God
the sacrifice of praise:
that is, the fruit of lips
that acknowledge his Name.
But we should not neglect to do good
and to share what we have,
for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.
I’m very excited
about the stewardship campaign
launch lunch today.
I’ve seen how much work
has gone into planning this
and you’re in for a treat.
Alex’s amazing brisket
is only a tiny fraction
of the goodness that waits for you.
Neither we nor the Samaritan
nor the other nine
does anything to warrant nor earn
God’s love.
We call out.
God shows up.
What we do next
how our souls tell out
the greatness of the Lord
is up to us.
Amen.