“Jesus,
Master! Have pity on us!”
Today’s
readings include two stories about healing. Namaan, a foreigner from Aram, an
enemy of Israel, comes to Israel to find healing for his leprosy, and is cured
by washing in the Jordan according to the instructions of the prophet Elijah.
Namaan expresses his great gratitude, pledging to worship only the God of
Israel from that moment on.
In the Gospel
reading, ten lepers call out to Jesus, begging him to have mercy on them. These
men are desperate, isolated and alone, outcast because of their disease. He
sends them to the priest, the one who must certify their healing and readmit
them to the community. Once on their way, they discover they are healed. But
only the Samaritan, a foreigner, returns to offer his gratitude to Jesus.
Our prayers
are often most fervent when we are in desperate situations. When in need, we
cry out to God for His mercy day and night, begging as the lepers did, “Jesus,
Master, have pity on us!” Yet when we receive an answer to prayer - when our
illness subsides, our needs are fulfilled, our emergencies end - do we continue
to pray with the same dedication and fervor, expressing our gratitude, love,
and faith to the God who came to our aid in our great need?
I’m afraid I
am often guilty of being one of “the nine” that failed to return. In times of
need, I spend hours offering prayers and petitions, while in better times, I
often hurry through my day with hardly a thought of the Lord’s gracious mercy,
taking this tremendous gift for granted. Perhaps this is why these two stories
focus on the gratitude offered by foreigners. For these foreigners, who have
newly discovered the merciful love of our God who heals, amazement and
appreciation overflows.
Let us, who
are blessed to be members of God’s own family, always remember to return and
give thanks for His gracious mercy and love.
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