Gospel

Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,

he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.

As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.

They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,

“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”

And when he saw them, he said,

“Go show yourselves to the priests.”

As they were going they were cleansed.

And one of them, realizing he had been healed,

returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;

and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him.

He was a Samaritan.

Jesus said in reply,

“Ten were cleansed, were they not?

Where are the other nine?

Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”

Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;

your faith has saved you.”

Reflection

The Samaritans play an important role in the scriptures. The thing that is unique about them is that they did not believe in the temple, yet they truly believed in the Torah. They were free of the institution, and we see them in interesting roles. The Good Samaritan, the one who takes care of someone, the woman at the well was a Samaritan.

And in this passage, we see the Samaritan being the only one who comes back and thanks Jesus for the healing.

Closing Prayer

Father, help us to see the role of religion as an institution, and the role of religion as a way of entering into the presence of God, experiencing him within us and living through us, doing his work through us. Keep us in touch with the heart of what it is that Jesus taught, so we will not lose our way in an institution that seeks to control our behavior. And we ask this in Jesus’ name, Amen.

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