Luke 17: 11-19

Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem. He went from Galilee to Samaria. He came into a small town, and ten men met him there. They did not come close to him, because they all had leprosy.

But the men shouted, “Jesus! Master! Please help us!”

When Jesus saw the men, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.”

While the ten men were going to the priests, they were healed. When one of them saw that he was healed, he went back to Jesus.

He praised God loudly. He bowed down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (He was a Samaritan.)

Jesus said, “Ten men were healed; where are the other nine? This man is not even one of our people. Is he the only one who came back to give praise to God?”

Then Jesus said to the man, “Stand up! You can go. You were healed because you believed.”

Gospel Reflection

This one person sees and knows the generosity of a God who gives and asks for nothing. In knowing and seeing this he offers the only thing he has – his faith that this is not a mirage, he gives his thanks and himself to the service of the Lord.

And the others? Their skin is healed; they can go back; their old community will welcome them again; their old life will begin again; but have they changed? Have they been transformed?

We can be like that. We say ‘I am not worthy’ but still we call out; we come to the table; we move from the world into the Kingdom; we say together ‘only say the word and I shall be healed’; just like the centurion, the Samaritan; the leper – we expect to be fed; we expect to be healed.

And we are; every time we ask; every time we reach out; every time we are healed and we are fed. And what do we do with our healing? Walk out the door to another week of the same; an unchanged life; allowing the wounds to open; scabs and scars to cake over, yet again.

Or, do we see the gift we are given; recognise the transformation taking place and feel compelled to give thanks; to find our Kingdom place at the feet of the one who takes away the sins of the world. To have faith that there is something more; that we are meant for something more.