The Nine Missing Lepers
The story of the ten lepers in the gospel of St. Luke provides a thought-provoking lesson in obedience and reverence in human and divine relations. In this incident, Jesus while journeying through Samaria, hears from a distance the plea of ten infected and rejected souls who beg him, “Jesus, Master, Have pity on us!” [verse 13]
His reply to them in the next verse was somewhat unusual, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” I am confused about this command. Aren’t people considered unclean through disease supposed to show themselves to the religious authorities after they have been cured, so that they can be certified as sacramentally acceptable?
Regardless, they set out to follow the command of Jesus, and en route, they are cured. One of them, a Samaritan, “returned, glorifying God in a loud voice,” [verse 15] then fell at the feet of the Lord and thanked him. Jesus responds to this in verses 17 and 18 with questions: “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Up to this point, even before reading Jesus’ final statement to the ex-leper, I think we can guess that He is not merely commending the good manners of the one who returned. Additionally, let’s posit that He is also not condemning the absent nine for a lack of politeness, for after all, they are doing what the Master told them to do. Though there may be a slight slap for his fellow covenanters when Jesus points out that it is the Samaritan that returns, let’s look beyond this ancient rivalry of the ins and outs and listen to the truth speaking to those of us who aren’t certain if we are in or out.
Interestingly, in his final statement, the Lord doesn’t say that the faith of the one who returned actually cured him, though He did state this after other Gospel healings. Certainly, the healed man did have a deeper faith than he left with. Prior to his cure the afflicted man referred to Jesus as “Master.” Now, in the midst of praising God for his good fortune, he falls at the feet of Jesus, in a position of worship. In the last verse Jesus says to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Thus, our adoring, squeaky-clean, former leper was “saved” (not healed) by returning and worshiping the Nazarene.
And what of the no-show nine? Were they condemned? Did they lose their cures? Did they not get any credit for carrying out the command of Jesus? Did they ever come back after going to the priests and thank the Lord? None of these questions are answered in the narrative. The nine did, however, forfeit something. In the joy of their cure, they missed the blessing of connecting with the source of everything we are and have. They bypassed the deeper relationship with the one who is concerned with all of humanity in their misery and despair, yes, and in their rejoicing.
I can easily relate to this during my afflictions. While in the throes of hardship, I am praying, entreating, begging God to free me from the torment. Once the ordeal has passed, I do thank God, and thank others for their prayers, but have I really understood the transaction that has occurred between myself and the Divine? God has shown to me a profound love, not just in the relief, but in the suffering itself.
When encountering a blind man, “His disciples asked him, ‘Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?’”1 To Jesus’ closest followers, suffering was God’s punishment for sin. Jesus’ reply indicates that this man’s blindness was part of the Heavenly Father using him to bring to others the “works of God.” In order for me to be an instrument of the Creator in the midst of my affliction and hardship, I must believe that God has the power to bring meaning to it. Then, perhaps, I will be able to thank Him for the entire transaction, both the anguish and the healing, so that His power may be made perfect in my weakness.
1 John 9:2 NABRE
