The Good of Others

Scripture

 Luke 17:11-19

¹¹On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. ¹²As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, ¹³they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" ¹⁴When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. ¹⁵Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. ¹⁶He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. ¹⁷Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? ¹⁸Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" ¹⁹Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."  (NRSV)

Devotion

One of the things that I appreciate about the Bible--indeed one of the things that proves that it is indeed the inspired word of God--is that its lessons speak for all time.  While the core message of Christ's love remains the same, scripture remains flexible enough that as our situations change, different aspects of even extremely familiar passages make themselves known to us.  After 8 months of living in a pandemic, the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers strikes me differently than it did before.

 Usually, we talk about how this passage teaches us to be thankful for what God has done for us.  Recently, though, I've find myself drawn to the details of the actual steps that Jesus and the lepers follow.  This process would have been well known in Jesus's day, and it demonstrates just how much both the lepers and Jesus care for the community at large.

In Jesus's day, the term "leprosy" referred to a variety of skin conditions.  Because antibiotics and other medical interventions had not been discovered yet, a few of these conditions (which would be easily treatable today) usually led to a slow and painful death.  With no such thing as microscopes or antibody testing in existence, lepers were identified and categorized based on their symptoms. 

Those identified as having the types of leprosy that could lead to death were removed from the community in order to protect others from the disease.  These lepers lived outside the city walls and depended on the charity of others.  They were expected to tear their clothing and shout "unclean" as they walked so that unsuspecting people wouldn't accidentally come into contact with them.  If, however, someone's leprosy appeared to go away, they could present themselves to priests who would look them over for any lingering signs of disease.  If the priests agreed that they were healed, they could take steps to rejoin the community.

The lepers who came to Jesus knew his reputation and believed that he could heal them.  Even though they were desperate for his healing touch, they kept their distance from him as they asked for help. Jesus, meanwhile, could have tried to one-up the priests by telling the lepers that they were  to go straight into the city and tell everyone that he had healed them without even laying a finger on them.  Instead, he urged them to be go through the entire process of being spiritually and medically cleared to return to normal life.  By doing so, they modeled the type of steps that any responsible member of the community should take.

Both Jesus and the lepers made decisions that set aside what would be most expedient for them and instead prioritized the good of the community as a whole.  Both decisions were to be commended.  And the people of Jesus's day would have expect nothing less from both parties, because their society tended to be community-oriented.

The notion of putting the community first and one's individual liberty second can be hard for Americans to swallow.  Our society tends to emphasize independence and personal freedom.  These are good things to value.  At the same time, overemphasizing them can make it easy to ignore the responsibility we have to others in our community.   I could buy all the last few bottles of hand sanitizer in the store...but if I take them all, then what the person who is still one aisle over use?  I may feel fine in engaging in certain activities...but how might my actions impact people who can't afford to take any risks?  On the flip side of the coin, what should I do when I am asked to do something that makes me physically or emotionally uncomfortable but is vital to the good of other people?

Balancing individual and community needs is tricky...especially when different groups need different things in order to survive and thrive.   There are times when I lie awake at night weighing my options.  Is keeping connected with certain people worth with the risk of infecting someone...and if so, how can I minimize that risk?  Is it better to spend Thanksgiving safely by myself, or should I make a point of visiting a select few family members as we grieve the loss of a loved one?  And how does a church even begin to approach Christmas during a pandemic?

There aren't any easy answers to these questions.  The important thing is that we keep asking God to help us balance our own needs with the needs of others.    Like the 10 lepers who called out to Jesus from a safe distance, we can ask for our individual needs to be fulfilled as safely and ethically as possible.  And with Christ to help us, we can be assured that we will make the best decision we can.

As we call out to Jesus, let us remember that we do not do so all by ourselves.  We cry out together as partners in Christ's service.  And though we may have different interpretations of or responses to what he tells us, it is together that we will receive our answer.  So let us commit to faithfully balancing our own needs with the needs of others.  Let us do that locally...nationally...globally.  And as we do so, let us commit to not just following Christ's instructions to the letter like 9 of them did, but to doing so in a spirit of joy and thanksgiving like the 10th.   

Jesus has heard our cry and has promised us healing and wholeness.  Now let us go out and be models of his love for others.

 

Prayer 

Jesus, you know our deepest sorrows and our greatest needs.  Heal us, we pray.  As you do so, give us the wisdom and compassion to move forward in ways that is good for not just ourselves but for those around us.  May the world come to see us as models of your abiding love for all your children.  And may we always be thankful for what you have done for us.  Amen.