Cleansed

Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Tue, 12 Nov 2019 16:00:18 +0000

Gospel Reading: Lk 17:11-19

AS Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”

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Lepers are considered unclean and are excluded from the community; they are to remain outside the societal, geographical, and religious boundaries. The Samaritans are also outside the religious boundary of the Jews; they are considered “unclean” because they are seen as not possessing pure religion and blood. The Jews have nothing to do with the Samaritans, but in the case of the ten lepers in the Gospel, the leprosy that drives them out of the “holy” community binds them together.

Jesus is constantly challenging existing boundaries and pushing them outward. He welcomes sinners, the blind, and tax collectors; he lets himself be
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