The Cleansing of Ten Lepers (Lk 17:11-19)
Introduction
- Story in heaven – There was once a man who died and went straight up to heaven. On his orientation day, he was toured around heaven by St. Peter. He noticed a noisy room fully packed with busy angels frantically doing many different things. St. Peter told him that this is the office where heaven processes prayer intentions that come from the earth. Then he saw another room which was so silent and there were few idle angels doing almost nothing. St. Peter told him that this is the room where heaven receives prayer of gratitude from the earth! As always, prayers of requests significantly outnumber prayers of gratitude!
- We pray every day for our intentions of life but seldom the prayer of thanks giving for the gifts that we have received in our life.
Content
- The incident of cleansing of ten lepers can be divided in to five parts for better understanding.
1. They cried out
o The situation of lepers at the time of Jesus – they had physical suffering from the sickness and psychological suffering from the separateness from their dear and near ones.
o They were alienated from the main society.
o They had the desire to be reunited with their dear and near ones.
2. Jesus heard their cry
o Jesus is compassionate always.
o Jesus interfere in the life of those who cry out to him
o They might have heard of the strength of Jesus Christ and had a deep faith in His saving power.
3. They went according to the instruction of Jesus
o Though they were not yet received the cure, they obeyed Jesus.
o It shows their faith in Jesus’ word.
o They went to Jerusalem to show themselves to the priests to get clearance certificate to reunite in to the main stream of the community.
4. One among them returned
o The return on was Samaritan. The Jewish lepers must be busy with the rituals and customs of the temple.
o The Samaritan gave first preference to thank Jesus though he might have had a strong feeling to meet his dear and near ones.
o He came to Jesus and surrendered himself at His feet.
5. Jesus sent him
o Jesus did not hold him back, instead sent him back.
o It is a ‘sending’, to proclaim what he had experience to his fellow brethren
o It is call to lead a life of thanks giving by sharing the miracles of God with other.
Conclusion
- We also undergo though these steps in our life. We often finish our prayer with the step 3. During helplessness we cry out to Jesus. Jesus hears our prayer and guides us in proper way. But we seldom surrender at His feet in thanks giving.
- Holy Eucharist is a prayer of thanks giving.
- Let us be the people of thanks giving.
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