What would it be like to have been one of lepers who were on their way to be cleansed when the healing started?  Was their act of movement the faith they needed to demonstrate in order for God to cleanse them? How did the thankful Samaritan's return to Jesus differ from the responses of the other people in the story? All ten of them were healed. There's no evidence that the thankless lepers went from being healed to infected again. Once again we have a parable providing more questions than answers: more signs of Grace than rules of Doctrine.

I believe that the cleansed Samaritan's return to thank Jesus provides a deep meaning for us. His gratefulness for Christ's love and healing transformed his life in ways that the other nine cleansed lepers didn't experience. Let's think about it in these terms. Every day possesses the possibilities for experiencing God, often in healing (not curing ways). For me, gazing out the window upon a beautiful autumn afternoon in Ohio is one way I experience God's mercy.  I'm quite blessed to have eyes and hands to snap a quick photo of the flowers in our parish garden. I believe that recognizing such moments does quite a bit  to heal my soul, refresh my body, and engage my mind.

It is then, at just such moments, when I'm reminded of the transformational nature of our Christian lives. In times of despair, Jesus the Christ is there with us. In times of undeniable joy, Jesus the Christ awaits us in prayer, scripture, and communion with other Christians. What then are our responses to these truths of our expressed faith? There are lots and lots of times when we rush right past the flower garden and/or simply yell out for God to be merciful. There are plenty of times when we, like the nine lepers, follow directions or look for a simple, technical solution to the problems we're facing. Sometimes though, we "catch" ourselves and recall that our relationship with God is grounded in gratitude and Grace. The nature of our lives' woes, wonders, and ordinariness is not a reflection of God's disdain or distrust. Our acts of showing up like the Samaritan did are really meaningful. Realizing that God's creation, Jesus the Christ's compassion, and the Holy Spirit's courage reminds us that a living, connectable relationship with God along with a humble recognition of Jesus' healing presence holds tremendous power to motivate us to faithfully move onward with our Christian lives. 

Blessings Along The Way, Jim+

 

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Louie Schwartzberg says that 'beauty and seduction" are nature's tools for survival because we protect what we fall in love with." Watch this amazing video and imagine how God is seeking to seduce and lovingly connect you to the wonders of the planet and creation you live in each day. Oh my God!