Death and Ressurection Opportunities

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19 NIV)

It's hard to read this story of the ten lepers and not get out our two sorting boxes:  good and bad.  Clearly the one who returned to give thanks would be sorted into the "good" box, while the rest would go into the "bad" box.  Jesus praised the one that gave thanks, but is it because he did what he was "supposed to do?" Or was it because Jesus saw spiritual growth in him?  I would bet that every one of those 10 healed lepers were happy and grateful, but only one realized that there was a spiritual connection and he went to find out more.

Faith is not about being good or bad.  It is not about doing what we are "supposed to do."  Would it have been any great thing if the healed leper had said the words, but not really felt them?  Faith is about change.  It's about death and ressurection.  It's about connecting our day-to-day-experiences with something greater.

True gratitude is a very spiritual thing.  It is knowing that we can have nothing... that we ARE nothing... without God.  Jesus did not praise the grateful leper because he DID the right thing.  He praised him for realizing where the gift came from and knowing how amazing it was.  Jesus praised him - not because Jesus was insulted that the others did not give thanks - but because this one man had a death and resurrection experience and he had grown a little closer to God and his life would never be the same.

Father,
Our faith should be a continuing series of deaths and resurrections... those epipany moments that help us to see you more clearly and grow closer to you.  Help us to keep our hearts soft that we may greet every death and resurrection opportunity that comes our way.  Amen.