Scripture: Luke 17:11-18 (the Message)
It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?”
Thought for the Day: In his new book, postChristian, Christian Piatt raises some challenging thoughts about the church drawing lines by which it determines insiders and outsiders. Christian writes,
Although the primary reason we do this is for a sense of personal reassurance, it inherently marginalizes those who don’t measure up, so to speak. Our certainty, then, comes at a cost to others… How does one get inside the circle? That depends on the rules established by the ones who drew the lines in the first place (hint: it wasn’t God). It’s easy to see how much power this places in the hands of the Church…
postChristian – Chapter 5
Are we really to be the people with power, at least as the world likes to wield its power by determining who is of value and who is not? Is it really our place to exercise judgement over others? Our sinful pride that strives for power and control would answer, “Absolutely,” to these questions, yet Jesus uses a little sarcasm when he suggests that it was only the outsider who did what insiders are supposed to do. This would not be the first or last time Jesus would use that little maneuver. Just think about the parable of the Good Samaritan where Jesus spun things by basically saying, “How dare that bad person do what us good people are supposed to do but didn’t do!”
Come this Friday and hear more from Christian Piatt (7pm in the Forum).
Prayer: Lord, help me to remember that you hold the pencil for drawing lines, and on that pencil I can see how the tip is broken and the eraser is well used. Amen.
This Friday Night
7pm
in the Forum
