Deacon Tom Writes,
Actions Speak Louder Than
Words
There
are several occasions when Jesus encounters Samaritans during his travels. You
may recall that Jews and Samaritans despised each other. It was a religious
rivalry fueled by differences from the past such as where they worshiped and how
they interpreted scripture. These differences do not hinder Jesus from
witnessing to the Samaritans about the Kingdom of God as in the story of the Woman at the Well, or in today’s account
of the Curing of the Lepers. In both
stories it is the Samaritans, the outsiders, who are receptive to Jesus’
message and are thus able to receive the grace Jesus has in store for
them.
Isn’t
it amazing that Jesus is able to look beyond labels and see the human needs
present in those whose paths cross his?
Jesus doesn’t proselytize. He doesn’t say, “Hey, become a good Jew
first, then I’ll cure you or then I’ll tell you the Good New”. Jesus lets his
actions speak for him. And what do his actions say?
Powerfully,
the very fact that Jesus speaks to the lepers gives them a sense of dignity and
breaks the isolation that has been imposed upon them by society. Their self-worth
is affirmed when Jesus acknowledges their presence and instructs them to go and
show themselves to the priest. When they listen to him they are cured.
What
joy this must have given them, but unfortunately, only one returns to the
source of that joy, and that one is the outsider, the Samaritan. The others may
have been equally as thankful and went on their way praising God as they rushed
home to their families and loved ones. This one Samaritan, however, had the
gratefulness to return and thank Jesus for bringing him back to life in the
fullest sense of the word.
Our
Samaritan friend we encounter today reminds us to give thanks to God for
restoring our lives by loving us and inviting us to let his love shine through
our lives into the hearts and lives of others.
Enjoy
the day
Deacon
Tom
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