Luke 17:11-19

11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.

15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

Gratitude increases blessings

With St. Luke, we accompany Jesus on His way up to Jerusalem. He continues to teach and spread His message. We hear Him teaching about forgiveness, about the disciples asking Him to increase their faith, about a mustard seed and its growth.

Today's Gospel invites us to reflect, among many other things, on the following:

No one is excluded from God's love and mercy.
The Old Testament orders the exclusion of lepers and those with similar contagious diseases to protect the community from contamination (Leviticus 13:45-46).
The priest is the official authority to verify, acknowledge and declare the healing of a leper before that person can participate in society and worship, where they have to offer the sacrifices ordered by Moses' law (Leviticus Chapter 14).
Moses' law is respected by both the Jews and the Samaritans despite their mutual hostility. They usually don't accept each other. "'You are a Jew,' said the woman. 'How can you ask me for a drink?'" John 4:9.
Sufferings and exclusion bring Samaritans and Jews together to accept each other and to hope together.
Jesus defies the traditional norms by listening to the group that's composed of nine Jews and one Samaritan, and He responds to their request. Do we remember that love and mercy take the first step? "We love because He first loved us" 1 John 4:19.
The seeds of faith and hope that ignite each of the lepers gives them a positive energy as they are on their way to meet the priests and regain their human, social and religious dignity.
The only miracle performed is for those who sought it, and they rerceive it on their ways to where Jesus sends them.
The nine Jews seem to take their healing for granted. The Messiah should care for and cure His people; He accomplishes His due mission.
It is enough for them to meet the priest who will announce their recovery and, if needed, they can go up to the Temple in Jerusalem to offer the required sacrifices.
The foreigner feels the need to meet his Samaritan priest, but also to offer the required sacrifices, but where? The Samaritan Temple on Mount Gerizim has disappeared according to Samaritan belief, so he returns to Jesus as his Temple and prostrates at His feet, expressing his highest gratitude.
Jesus is asking, "But the other nine, where are they?" (v. 17).
Jesus says to this grateful person, "Go on your way, your faith has made you well" (v. 19).
Jesus does wholistic healing that includes the physical, the social and the spiritual.

May our meditation lead us to consider how we react to God's blessings. Do we return to Him with gratitude, or do we believe that He has to grant us all we need just because we believe in Him? How efficient is our love of God through others? Do we take the first step? In all circumstances, give thanks to God in Jesus Name!