Daily Office Readings for Tuesday of Proper 4: Year 1
Morning, Psalm 45; Evening, Psalms 47 and 48:
Deuteronomy 12:1 to 12; 2nd Corinthians 6:3 to 7:1; Luke 17:11 to 19:
“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice: (Luke 17:15)
This is the story of the ten lepers whom Jesus healed. He had compassion for them and told them to go to the priests and show themselves to be clean. Within this healing lesson is the requirement to obey, that is, they are to go to the priests to show them.
However, we learn that one of the ten is a Samaritan. He, would most probably, not be well received by the priests. But he was loved, and healed by Jesus. So, here once again, we have an example of persons outside of Israel having more gratitude than the so-called chosen ones. It was only the Samaritan who turned back to give thanks and it caught the attention of Jesus. “Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:18)
Then it is revealed that our Lord Jesus manipulated the belief, (the faith), that was already in the Samaritan and this is was what saves him. Jesus uses different language from the word “cleanse.” “Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
The bottom line here is that there is an implied difference between having an earthly healing cancer or Covid, and being “made well” as in being saved in eternal life. In either case, faith is key. Faith, or trust in God, can do both, heal our infirmity as well as save our souls. We must believe, and when we do, our Lord Jesus takes over and uses our faith, our trust in God in ways that we are not able to. But we must first have faith.
Full disclosure, I will take salvation over the healing of bodily sickness every time. It is nice to have both, but eternity in the courts of heaven is my greatest desire. I want to live in love, to love, and for love, forever. Thank You Lord Jesus.
Please keep up your thoughts and prayers and hopes for Ukraine, Russia, and our schools.
As we listen to what the Spirit of God is saying to us, let us live to love and serve, and to teach others to love and serve, while pondering anew what the Almighty can do. John