The Journey to Healing

A reflection on today’s Gospel, Oct. 9, 2010
 http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible/luke/luke17.htm#v11

Today’s Gospel, which is according to St. Luke, tells the story of Jesus healing the ten (10 ) lepers.

St. Luke, is a Physician by profession. It is said that he is actually Greek and not Jew. I do not know if St. Luke was really there when Jesus was approached by the lepers, because it is said that a big part of his writing where based on his research rather than his personal knowledge. At this point it time, I find the symbolism in the Gospel more important than the accuracy of the facts.

In today’s Gospel, Jesus was on a journey. He was travelling to Jerusalem probably symbolizing the last part of his ministry.

When Jesus entered a certain village, he was approached by ten lepers who asked for mercy. The lepers were outcasts and could not enter the walls of Jerusalem. Leprosy at the time of Jesus was not only a dreadful disease but was considered a type of sin.

Perhaps the symbolism here is that at a certain point in our lives, we have become like leapers- rejected from the love of our families, work and society. But the Gospel tells us that despite being in such a sorry state, Jesus comes to us giving us the opportunity to ask for his mercy.

St. Luke, despite being a physician did not state how Jesus cured the lepers. Instead, he narrates that Jesus told the lepers to show themselves to the Priests- a requirement of the law to declare that a leper has been cured so that he/she can re-enter society. If this would have happened in the present day, Jesus would have told them to present themselves to a Dermatologist who could give a medical finding that indeed the were cured of the leprosy. 

Luke did not say whether all of the lepers were healed at the same time, only that they proceeded to the present themselves to the priest and were cleansed.  Perhaps the Gospel is telling us that, when we ask for Jesus to heal us, he does not heal us immediately even if he can. He tells us to have faith and to proceed to present ourselves to the priests who will eventually declare us to be healed. Some may have been healed on the early part of the journey, like the Samaritan, others could have been healed half -way, and others may take a longer time. The healing happens on the way.  But rest assured, everyone gets healed and the healing happens on the way.

One of the lepers, a Samaritan, saw that he was healed, turned back and gave glory to God. The symbolism of the Samaritan means that Jesus heals everyone who asks for his mercy. Why did the Samaritan turn back? Was it not Jesus' instruction to present himself to the priest? Perhaps because the law of the Jews does not apply to him because after all he was a foreigner. Perhaps he did not need the verification of the priest to declare him to be healed. We do not need to be declared to be a good Christian before we begin acting like one.

Then Jesus told him “ Stand up and GO, your faith has saved you.”Jesus gave the Samaritan another gift. He did not only cure him physically but spiritually as well. He gave him salvation. 

Our nation is sick, not of leprosy, but of over population, corruption- the list goes on.

The laws that have been passed are not perfect. Obviously, the RH Bill is not the perfect solution to address population control regardless of the critics coming from the Church. The government cannot afford to supply these contraceptives (ethical or not) to all the poor and to the persons responsible in making our country over populated.

We cannot rely on ourselves to solve this problem. No matter how confident we are in solving the problem or how brilliant we are in proposing an ethical solution. We are all sinners. Sin is the great equalizer and we are all equal in the eyes of God.

Bearing this in mind, we should still be as desperate like the lepers in asking for God's grace and mercy with all our hearts. God's mercy is given to those who asks for it.

But it is not enough TO ASK FOR GOD'S MERCY with all our hearts. Like the Samaritan, we should  also learn to GIVE THANKS and TO PRAISE GOD in a loud voice, TO PRAISE HIM WITH ALL OUR STRENGTH. This is in essence what the Gospels tells us.

Jesus has healed the ten lepers, but only one of them came back and gave thanks. To the ten, Jesus only gave cured them physically, but for the one who came back and gave thanks, Jesus also cured him spiritually, he saved him.

Have a pleasant day and God Bless Us all.