The Collect.
ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, give unto us the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain that which thou dost promise, make us to love that which thou dost command; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
The Gospel. St. Luke 17. 11-19.
AND it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
11 και εγενετο εν τω πορευεσθαι εις ιερουσαλημ και αυτος διηρχετο δια μεσον σαμαρειας και γαλιλαιας
12 και εισερχομενου αυτου εις τινα κωμην απηντησαν δεκα λεπροι ανδρες οι ανεστησαν πορρωθεν
13 και αυτοι ηραν φωνην λεγοντες ιησου επιστατα ελεησον ημας
14 και ιδων ειπεν αυτοις πορευθεντες επιδειξατε εαυτους τοις ιερευσιν και εγενετο εν τω υπαγειν αυτους εκαθαρισθησαν
15 εις δε εξ αυτων ιδων οτι ιαθη υπεστρεψεν μετα φωνης μεγαλης δοξαζων τον θεον
16 και επεσεν επι προσωπον παρα τους ποδας αυτου ευχαριστων αυτω και αυτος ην σαμαριτης
17 αποκριθεις δε ο ιησους ειπεν ουχ οι δεκα εκαθαρισθησαν οι [δε] εννεα που
18 ουχ ευρεθησαν υποστρεψαντες δουναι δοξαν τω θεω ει μη ο αλλογενης ουτος
19 και ειπεν αυτω αναστας πορευου η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε
A photo of a twenty-four year old man with leprosy, taken in 1924.
In our Gospel lection of Luke 17.11-19 for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity we see a broad scope of matters. Luke, assuring his readers of his close and orderly arrangement of stories, writes so that “we may know for certain” the salvation message. “Salvation history” is thematic for Luke, with stress on the final journey to Jerusalem (Luke 9.51-19.44) that Jesus might die as the Final, Sacrificial Lamb of God on the Cross and merit our salvation. That salvation history emerges here as a Samaritan man is cured. More importantly, this cured leper is “saved,” “justified by faith alone” by Christ’s Word alone, and sanctified through faith alone. There is also an implied reproof here for the many unbelieving Jews. Luke also stresses Jesus’ concerns for the poor, disadvantaged, outsiders to contemporary religion, children, women, and others. We see that here as well. Luke’s concern for prayer and joy is also manifested in this periscope, with the man “praising God.”What comes before us is Jesus en route to Jerusalem passing through via Samaria and Galileee. He encounters ten lepers. He heals them. Jesus commands them to go to the priests for a declaration of cleanness. Of the ten, one returns to express praise while the other nine do not. Jesus asks, “Where are the other nine?” The returnee was a Samaritan. Jesus says, “Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole.” (a weak and misleading rendering, but more later)
Several observations on the account.
First, the nine exhibit ingratitude. They disappear after the healing. The reckless and morally irresponsible attitude of the nine non-returning recipients of divine favour is heightened by the return of just one man…and a Samaritan at that. That story is intensified by the fact that he is a Samaritan, a member of that breed of inveterate foes of Israel of long and historic standing.
Second, there is an implicit commentary on the Jewish nation as a whole. John expresses that at John 1.11, He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. This coordinates well with the entire theme of Acts, from Jerusalem to the nations in fulfillment of the Abrahamic promise, ratified by tongues (Acts 1.8; 2). There is an emphasis on this Samaritan dimension, something the English does not serve up. The man himself was a Samaritan, with the intensifying personal pronoun, is a better rendering. αυτος ην σαμαριτης.
Third, despite abundant proofs of Christ’s Majesty and Divinity, the rank and file—these nine, but so many others—are buried by their own unbelief, blindness and damn-worthy recalcitrance. That’s the book of Romans; it’s the doctrine of sin, something in need of greater exposition these days.
Fourth, there is a display of divine power by our Lord. It’s His Sovereign Word that heals the ten lepers. Nothing more. Nothing less. Christ healed the man by the same Word by which He created the heavens and the earth; as an aside, the reader will understand the “High” view and prestige attached to the office of preaching and the administration of the sacrament.
Fifth, we observe a difference of faith between the nine healed lepers and the tenth healed leper. All were healed; if leprous and scabbed, it is was hard for any to deny the reality of the cure.
Sixth, they all had some faith. Jesus commanded them to go to the priests. According to Leviticus 14.2, discernment of leprosy belonged to the priests. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Law. They were cured “as they went,” implying incipient trust and confidence. They believed the Word and went. This was the power, authority, might and majesty of Christ and His Speech, operative then as now. They experienced the results, physically. At some level, they experienced Christ's Word intellectually, affectionally, and volitionally.
Ergo, they had some beginnings of godliness and faith. We are reminded of the Parable of the Sower (Mt.13; Mk.4; Lk.8) and the seed. A blade of grass emerged from the soil in the nine, but the story implies that the seed of faith died. This is “temporary” and “historic” faith. It is a fleeting, unstable and desultory faith. We also know that elect obtain it and that saving faith is a divine gift.
Seventh, the focus of the story is the returning Samaritan, his salvation and praise. Just one man returns to give praise.
Eighth, the Samaritan man is “saved.” The English renders it “thy faith hath made thee whole.”[1] η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε. “Your faith has saved you,” something the other nine did not have. Otherwise, why else did Jesus add this? Why did St. Luke include this?
Something more significant than a cure from leprosy is on view. This man exhibited justifying faith, faith alone, faith with an Object in view—the Sovereign Redeemer, a Mighty Saviour with a Sovereign Word. A Redeemer who remits sins and imputes His righteousness to His own. A Redeemer who imparts regenerating grace. The Prophet who reveals to us by Word and Sacrament God’s will for our salvation. A Priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and to reconcile us to God. A King who subdues rebels, tames these justified rebels, transforms these rebels, adopts them as His own, rules and defends them, and conquers all His and their enemies.
Here we must keep Luke’s larger themes in place of Christ as Saviour and Crown King. Luke captures it at Luke 24.46-47, Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” The leprous Samaritan did nothing. He brought nothing to the table, but his leprosy and condemnation. The Saviour healed him and said, “You are saved by faith alone.”
For the readers.
1. If you have ventured into this forum and are not a believer, it is to Christ alone that you must repair. He is the Saviour, Prophet, High Priest, and King and there is no other Name whereby salvation may be had (Acts 4.12). Email me for more information. It starts with learning.
2. For the justified saint, we are cautioned here about base ingratitude following the receipt and abundance of redemptive blessings. The nine men may have been choked by the cares, riches, and distractions of the world. One might add Facebook, sports or other things. Also, we may not cast off the poor, weak and outcasts, but present Christ alone by faith alone by grace alone to the glory of God alone as clearly revealed in Scriptures alone. Surprises come our way in the journey. Let us always respond to inquirers after Christ. Let simple learners come to us like Christ. Let us wrestle with the giants in the war also. Also, beware of theological pride while we hold theological riches--something so dangerous--but is ever present. These men may have assumed, "Ah! I've done my duty to the law. That's enough. Not sure who He was, but I have other things to do now. I know what the Law required and I did it. I'm, after all, a multi-generational descendant of Abraham." For the healed Samaritan, saving faith apprehends the truth of Christ and presses forward. Insipid praise and ingratitude are continuing weaknesses that we exhibit as believers (Rom.7.14-25). Any Churchman who denies this is a liar. May we repair to God and His infallible Word. May we rehearse the saving Word of God made to us in our baptism. May we be nourished by Christ Himself present to us in the Table of the Lord. May we repair to our Psalters for praise, liturgies for order and balance, and yield prayers of thanksgiving and praise. On another note, we learned from the Epistle lection of Galatians for this same Sunday about the false Gospel. Rome and her affiliates have cut themselves “off” from Christ Jesus. Moderns won't talk about it. Rome has a half-Christ, a half-Gospel, and half-sacraments. We’ve enunciated that elsewhere and will continue to present the Catholic Faith of Scriptures. As of tonight, was able to talk with a Roman believer about the sufficiency of Christ's atonement. She said, "I have nothing else but Christ alone and I must rest there." She's coming along, despite Romanism.
[1][1] We chide in principle, but not in name, two Continuuing Anglican Bishops who admit ignorant clerks to orders without sufficient academic backgrounds. They speak of the KJV with a hideboundness, evincing their ignorance of the original languages. The Greek offers nuggets and clues. We are grateful to Catholic Christians in the Confessional Lutheran and Reformed Churches that insist upon competence in the original languages. How "unloving" it is to have poorly trained clergy in leadership. As a result, these two Bishops need to submit humbly to a competent college of Presbyters.
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