Recently I listened to an old interview with Governor Christie of NJ about being over weight. When asked if he is sensitive to the subject, he said he was earlier in life but by now he has a shell around that issue.
Being overweight, as Oprah put it, is not my personal issue. Yet many of us live through some chapter when we experience ourselves as different. The identifying issues are each time personal.
The perception of being different is not the exception in the Judeo-Christian walk and history. It shows up in three ways in today's readings. In Deuteronomy Moses has just identified the 'difference' that defines Israel. They belong to the One True God whose ordinances are known to them, which they shall follow in the Land of Promise they are about to possess. They shall act on this by destroying any sign of false gods when they take possession. They shall act on this by offering worship once they find their new holy place. They shall present the tithes and offerings as symbols of their life to God and provide for the Levite, the priest caste, who will have no personal land for a living. Even here is a subgroup, Levites, who are different, without land so they may focus the people on God.
Paul writes to the church in Corinth that they too are different. Having described the cost of his and others' discipleship, he couples it with the reward. They now live by "purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, holiness of spirit, genuine love, truthful speech, and the power of God." Luke 17:6-7
Paul suggest strongly that these new followers need to separate from the culture, even to marring only another believer. Today we find this a harsh separation, but then it seemed consonant with Old Testament recommended practice for Israel, of which Paul is a part. By this pratice they could grow clear in this new faith into which the gentile and Jewish world was being invited.
Jesus encounters another form of separation enforced by his culture, that of Leprosy. Such a contagious disease was much feared. Lepers, who lived separate from others and wore bells to signal their movement, could enjoy each others' company, often living in colonies. It is of interest that in this less-well state they overcame other separations, other culturally informed differences. Notice one is a Samaritan, a group considered 'less than' by Jews. Yet the commonality as Leper has overridden this separation. Together they call out to Jesus.
Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' Luke 17:12-13.
Once Jesus heals the ten and sends them to the priest, the Levite to be certified clean, the Samaritan returns alone.
Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, 'Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' Luke 17:15-18
Perhaps the others would offer their thanks through the Levite. We don't know. What we know is that this Samaritan offers it immediately and before the Jew who effected a healing in him. We are left to wonder, will his difference, a Samaritan, now separate him from those whose society he had enjoyed, found comfort in? Will that be part of the cost of now fitting into the larger society? Sometimes when we 'fit in' we forget our care for those who do not.
Or will this long pilgrimage of 'leper' prove to enlarge their heart and awareness of common humanity? Again we do not know for they fall out of our view.
What we do know is that Jesus elevated gratitude to God for life's wholeness as the highest value here. This value orients our lives to better ends no matter our 'difference', healthier spirits, looking outside ourselves for meaning and hope and purpose. Being with Jesus for this moment of gratitude further informs the leper's life.
Then Jesus said to him, 'Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.' Luke 17: 19.
Part of faith is gratitude. Here it is synonymous with gratitude. It is noticing the blessings, healings, wholeness in our life and offering thanks to God. The Samaritan's life was not perfect, but it was better. Perhaps we do not need to separate from the culture around us. Perhaps we just need time when we gather intentionally with others of faith and learn deeper gratitude, shared gratitude, the actions of gratitude. We do this best perhaps in worship but also in shared society. Living as we do in a world of many outlooks, how might we deepen these times of shared society, gratitude, awareness of God. This is the core to the lessons in all three readings today.
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