“Where are you?”

Meditation on Luke 17:11-19

Oct. 13, 2013

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       On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

***

   The Broberg family came to our home for supper Friday night.  It was definitely a high point of my week. 

   Especially when we were gathered around the table—four adults and two children, 4-year-old Andrew and 7-year-old Riley. And in between bites of buttered biscuit and forkfuls of peas, Riley told me that I am a great pastor!  And that he is always watching me. 

   Kind of reminded me of when Ami Gasca was 4 and was eating dinner at one of our church’s potlucks.  He pointed two fingers at his eyes and then two fingers at me. And he said ominously, “Pastor Karen, I’ve got my eye on you!”

    There were other high points in my week, too.  My Acts Bible study at Meadows is always a pleasure, as is visiting parishioners at Renvilla and East Ridge. Working in the office with Lou Ann and chatting over coffee with Friendship Circle made Wednesday fly by.

    But the week kind of started out on a low.

    On Monday, Jim suggested we go out of town for the day.  Maybe we could drive up to St. Cloud for lunch after we ran some errands in Willmar.  But once we had taken care of our errands in Willmar, I was too tired for another hour’s drive to St. Cloud, where there are dozens of restaurants and shops, plenty of places to go and things to do, for people with time and energy to do them.

     And there’s the problem for us pastors who try to take Mondays off to recover from the busy-ness of ministry.  I am often too tired for anything but a few household chores and errands.  I could tell Jim was disappointed when I wasn’t up to going to St. Cloud, though we did enjoy lunch in Willmar, instead.

    Back at home that afternoon, I took a long walk.  The sun was shining.  The sky seemed bigger and bluer. The weather was warm. The wind had died down. I saw a kind of woodpecker that I had never seen before.

     And I gave God thanks. For the beauty of His Creation.  For being with me every day in Spirit. For His many blessings to me.

    For forgiving me of all my sins.  For giving me new life in Him.

    Once I started to thank God and give Him praise, more and more things came to mind for which to give Him thanks.

    I thanked the Lord for:

   My husband, who is patient and kind to me, even when I am too tired to do fun things on our day off.

   My children, whom I know God continually watches over and keeps in His tender care wherever they are.

   My church, whom God has given me to love and shepherd.

   My two dogs, Molly and Mabel.  And our cat, Melvin.

    Waves of gratitude washed over me. I felt lighter. Less tired. More joyful.  More at peace.

    Then a thought came to mind. I realized that God had wanted to give me His joy and peace for days. He had been whispering to me, “Where are you?”

    But I had been too busy to stop and just listen for His voice. And I had forgotten to bring Him my thanks and praise!

    Friends, as we take time to thank and praise the Lord each day, we experience an even greater sense of gratitude for what He has done.  We are filled with more joy. We are filled with His peace.

    When the Lord was whispering to me, He wasn’t angry or scolding me. He wasn’t saying, “Where have YOU been?!”

    The Lord knew very well where I was, where I needed to be for my wellbeing, and where He wanted me to be for His good pleasure—at the foot of the cross, submitting myself and my life to Him, giving God my thanks.

    He was simply and lovingly saying to me, “Where are you? Here I am—waiting for you.”

 ***     

    We read of 10 lepers in need of the Lord’s healing touch in the gospel of Luke today. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and nearing the end of his journey, when he will suffer and give his life for all humanity’s sake.  Jesus is outside an unnamed Palestinian village when the lepers call out to him for mercy and pity.  The lepers—who are also not named—are outcasts. They are not permitted to live in the community because of their disease. They are not permitted to worship in the temple because their sickness has made them unclean.

    What’s interesting is they are not all Jews.  One is a Samaritan. Now Jewish people in Jesus’ time saw Samaritans as their enemy. Samaritans didn’t worship the God of Israel in the temple of the Holy City of Jerusalem.  They worshiped their god on a mountain.

    But Jesus makes no distinction when he answers the lepers’ cry for mercy with the directive of Leviticus 13:49—telling them to go and present themselves to the priests.  Only the priests can declare them healed and no longer unclean.  Only the priests can allow them to return to their community and worship in the temple.

    All 10 of the lepers—including the Samaritan, surprisingly—do as Christ tells them to do. And on their way to see the priests, all 10 are suddenly healed; they are “made clean.”

     But only one of the lepers, when he “sees” or understands that the Lord has cured him, comes back to Jesus to praise and thank God “in a loud voice.”  And it’s the Samaritan! The loud voice shows the Samaritan’s passion and joy for the Lord, who has unexpectedly shown mercy on him and healed him of his disease, though he is not even a child of Israel!

    His healing is body, mind, and spirit. The healing is truly a gift of a new life in this world, as well as eternal life in the world to come. A leper, forced to live apart from his family and community, could not have anything resembling a normal life. What’s worse, the leper felt shame and self-loathing; ancient society looked upon leprosy and other diseases as God’s punishment for sin.

      The Samaritan responds to this unexpected gift of a new life with humility and faith in the God of Israel who shows no distinction—who does not favor one group of people over another. He falls at Christ’s feet, submitting himself to the Lord and giving him thanks.

     His faith has brought him salvation, Jesus says. But first, the Lord asks him, “Were not 10 made clean? Where are the other nine?”

     Still, the Lord isn’t angry.  He isn’t saying, “Where ARE they???”

    The Lord knows where they are, where they need to be for their wellbeing, and where He wants them to be for His good pleasure. He is speaking from a heart of love that grieves when the people of God fail to do as they ought.  When they fail to submit to Him and give Him their thanks and praise. When God’s people just go on their way.

     Christ is saying, “Where are they? Here I am. Waiting for them.”

***

   

   After my cleansing, healing walk with the Lord on Monday, when I realized I had been too busy to hear God’s whispering, I decided that I would try very hard to be more grateful. With the Lord’s help, no matter my situation, I would give Him thanks –not just for family, health, or material blessings but for giving me new life in Him.  For the gift of faith that has brought me salvation!  For the privilege of serving Him each day.      

      It is an honor, my friends, to be a follower of Christ, to be chosen and called to share the Good News of Jesus and bring others closer to Him!

     Let me assure you that the Lord knows where we are, where we all need to be for our wellbeing, and where He wants us to be. At the foot of the cross, submitting ourselves and our lives to Him, and giving Him our thanks and praise.

    Friends, in the midst of your busy-ness this week, take time to stop and listen with your heart. May you hear the Lord whispering, “Where are you?”

   And when He does, know that God is not angry with you.  He is not scolding you for being too busy. He is reminding you of His love.

   He’s saying, “Where are you? Here I am.  Waiting for you.”

Let us pray.

Holy God, thank you for speaking to us of your love and giving us faith in Your Son, who has brought salvation to the world when He was crucified for our sins.  Forgive us for being too busy or just not listening for your voice.  Stir us to gratitude for what the Lord has done for us—for our new and abundant lives in Him in this world and everlasting life with Him in the world to come.  Draw us ever nearer to the foot of the cross that we may submit ourselves and our lives wholly to You—to worship, serve, and give you thanks!  In Christ we pray.  Amen.