Gospel Lk: 17, 11 – 19
As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?”
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Homily
The story is told that when the young Anthony Pantin, future archbishop of Port of Spain was going with two others to begin his studies for the priesthood in Quebec, the trip took them to a port in the Southern United States. Of the three young men two were considered black by the natives of that port and they were refused entry into a Restaurant. The third young man, blonde and blue eyed, had to buy and bring their meals out for them. You can imagine the turmoil of these three young men. For the first time in their lives they were experiencing boundaries which they had never expected and which they could not cross.
Boundaries are part and parcel of life. People erect boundaries for protection; to protect themselves from those who would harm them, or those who would make them impure (eg apartheid). It was no different for the Jews. They were and considered themselves God’s people and so they protected themselves from anything and anyone who could render them impure for God. The Jews therefore had laws prohibiting any contact with, among others, pagans and lepers.
That is why we are told in the Gospel passage for this weekend that “as Jesus was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him…”
Plus, chewing tobacco can result in a development, which leads the blood vessels to constrict all over https://pdxcommercial.com/portland-housing-emergency-renter-protections-extension-portland-city-council/ viagra price within the body, as well as in the private parts. Impotence is another name given to lowest price on viagra erectile dysfunction. These were first unveiled at find address now cialis online without rx the fall fashion shows. In addition india cialis online to passive therapies, active physical therapy (exercise) is also necessary to rehabilitate the spine.
These ten lepers, socially and psychologically, were constricted by boundaries which they could not break and which isolated them from all the benefits of human interaction and so they appeal to Jesus; “they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
Jesus tells them to go show themselves to the priest, in other words he tells them to go to the temple and offer a sacrifice for their cleansing. As they went they were cleansed. One of them, a Samaritan recognizing that he could not enter the temple to offer sacrifice, returns to Jesus to say thanks. The others are so caught up in their impending reintegration into society that they forget the one who had brought God’s healing to them.
There are many lessons contained in this Gospel. This healing of the ten lepers is just the continuation of the work of breaking boundaries in which Jesus, the boundary breaker par excellence, is involved. Jesus was constantly challenging existing boundaries and pushing them ever outward. Sinners, the blind, the lame, and lepers were welcome within the boundaries of the new community which Jesus was forming, hence the parables of the wedding feasts where all are invited after the first invited guests have refused the invitation and the complaints of the Pharisees that Jesus ate with publicans and sinners.
The work of Jesus was and is essentially the creating of a world without boundaries which ushers in the Kingdom of heaven. As disciples of Jesus, we have willingly associated ourselves with that work and so our task is the work of eliminating the boundaries, boundaries based on ethnicity, class, religion and financial and social status, which separate and which isolate others from all the benefits which civilization has to offer.
This is what all the saints did. In their work for education and healthcare and their other initiatives, they removed boundaries. This is the work of organizations like Servol and Hope. This is what the truly great men and women of all ages have done.
As we seek to follow the lead of the saints and the truly great men and women of our age, we recognize and thank God that we have been welcomed within the new community of Jesus where boundaries based on ethnicity, class, religion and financial and social status, which separate and which isolate persons one from the other do not exist. As we model that community in the celebration of Eucharist we commit ourselves to being boundary breakers in the mold of Jesus, the boundary breaker par excellence.
Prayer
All powerful and ever-loving God we thank you for the teaching of this Gospel passage. Help us to recognize the many boundaries which we erect, very often unconsciously, because of the prejudices with which we have grown. Give us the grace to be boundary breakers after the mold of Jesus so that we build the new community of Jesus, your son, where boundaries based on ethnicity, class, religion and financial and social status do not exist, and where all, the sinners, the blind, the lame, and lepers are welcomed. We ask this through the intercession of Mary our Mother and Jesus your Son. Amen
