The Gospel Reading of Wednesday of the 32nd Week in Ordinary Time, Year II, Luke 17:11-19, is the story of Jesus healing ten lepers on his way to Jerusalem. He was heading to the holy city to die to pay our debt of sin and to be raised from the dead so that he is vindicated (i.e. Acts 5:30-31) and we are justified (i.e. Rom. 4:24–25).
As Jesus came into their sight, ten lepers, while keeping distance, raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” (Luke 17:13). Because lepers were considered as “untouchable”, they were prohibited to come in close contact with others (Leviticus 13:45-46). Then, Jesus said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priests”, and they were healed as they were going to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14).
Realizing that he was healed, one of the ten, a Samaritan, returned to Jesus, glorified God, prostrated at Jesus’ feet, and thanked him, while other nine kept going to show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:15-16) to be declared “clean”(Leviticus 13:13). In response, Jesus said, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” and “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you”(Luke 17:17-19).
What is a lesson from this story?
Yes, faith is a factor for healing. But those whose faith was less than that of the Samaritan man were also healed from leprosy. So what did Jesus mean by saying “your faith has saved you” only to this grateful Samaritan man?
The original Greek text of “saved” in this phrase of Jesu is, “σέσωκέν (sesoken). This can mean “healed”, “restored to the wholeness”, and “saved”.
When he said, “your faith has saved you” to this Samaritan man, Jesus was referring to the salvation of the Samaritan’s soul. This implies that only the Samaritan man, who exulted God and thanked Jesus for healing him from leprosy, received salvation of the soul, while other nine only received physical healing of the cleansing of leprosy.
In a way, we are these ten lepers. Most of us tend to take God’s grace, His providence, for granted. Only a few of us praise God and thank God. Many do not even pray. When they pray, it is about asking God a favor for them.
How may of us really thank God for the Word and the Eucharist at Mass? Yes, pews of churches may be filled. It sure is better than an empty pew. But they are in pews to receive the Word and the Eucharist at Mass, thinking that they would be “saved” by attending Mass. At the conclusion of Mass, they sure say, “Thanks be to God”. But it is only out of their lips but not from their hearts.
If we were more like the Samaritan man, who praised God and thanked Jesus, then, it should not be that only less than 30% of Catholic attend Mass at least every Sunday and that only nearly 30 % of Catholic see the Eucharist as the real body and blood of Christ. These numbers should be way much higher.
Regardless of levels of faith, we may be healed physically and psychologically by Jesus. But for our souls to be saved (healed), we must have faith like that of the Samaritan. Remember, for us to enjoy eternal life, our souls must be saved.
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