The 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C

 

The goodness of God continues on to God’s people, even in exile.

 These are the words of the letter that the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the remaining elders among the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. 4 Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat what they produce. 6 Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. 7 But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.  (Jeremiah 29.1, 4-7 NRSV)

 

God’s goodness comes to the outcast through Jesus.

 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" 14 When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" 19 Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."  (Luke 17.11-19 NRSV)

 

“GIVE AND TAKE”

 

            “Where are the nine?”  The first Presbyterian pastor I knew had a story about this phrase.  He had several long and fruitful ministries and for one of those churches, the vote to call him was some large number to nine.  So he used to joke, “Where are the nine?”  It was said with humor, but if you didn’t know him, you could think he meant it as saying, “Take that, you nine, who voted against me, where are you now, ha-ha-ha?”  That is not what the phrase means.

            In the Gospel reading Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem, between Samaria and Galilee.  Ten people with leprosy approached him and called out for mercy.  He saw them and told them to go show themselves to the priests.  There, they would be declared healed and fit to return to society.  One came back, praising God, and thanked Jesus.  Jesus asked the question: “But the other nine, where are they?”  Some people think this is meant to scold ungrateful people.  “See the nine, you don’t want to be like them, do you?”  But I don’t think that is what the phrase means either.

            Shel Silverstein has written The Giving Tree.  It is a children’s book.  Well, sort of.  It is the story of a tree which loved a boy.  He made crowns from her leaves and climbed her trunk and swung from her branches and ate her apples and even rested in her shade.  As the boy grew older he did not have time to play anymore.  The boy wanted to go to the city and have fun so needed money.  The tree did not have money and gave him her apples to sell for money.  And so he left the tree.  He returned later when he wanted to build a house.  And the tree was glad to see him.  The forest was the tree’s house, but she gave the boy her branches.  He left again and returned much later, too old to play.  But he was tired of life and wanted to get away in a boat.  The tree gave him her trunk to build a boat.  The boy sailed away.  The tree was happy to give, but not really happy this time.  A long time later, the boy, now an old man, came.  All he wanted was a place to rest.  He could no longer eat her apples, but she didn’t have any more anyway.  She had no braches, but he could not swing from them.  He could not climb the trunk which she didn’t have.  All she had was a stump.  So he sat down on the stump.  And there they were together.  And the tree was happy.

The first time I heard this story I felt some sadness and a little anger because of a boy who only took.  But now, years later, I can also see now that there is another side.  There are those who are fulfilled by giving and as we go through life we are takers, whether we want to be or not.  Living requires that we get what we need.  Blessed, though, are those who know what their taking costs others.  The greatness and sadness of our lives is that childhood comes to an end.  At the end of the book, the boy is with the tree again.  It ends as it starts, and maybe there is not the joy of the beginning—maybe that is replaced by contentment—but the boy and the tree are together again.  But gratitude is missing from the story.

            I think that is what the Gospel reading is about as well.  “Where are the nine?”  They are on their way to the priests.  They have been given the same gift as this Samaritan who returned.  Jesus seems glad to grant this blessing to all ten.  He reminds us that God is generous beyond our imagining.  We can go off on our own way with what God gives us.  God gives us that freedom.  We are not obligated or forced to recognize the gifts.  We do not have to look up.  But the Samaritan, the one of out of ten, knows where the gifts come from.  This awareness leads him to praise God.  And this awareness brings him back to Jesus.  It is not that being thankful heals him and not the others.  Gratitude, we find, is a blessing in itself.  And it connects us with the giver.  The greatest gift is the relationship.  Gratitude, knowing where things come from, it turns out, is very rare.  Rare, but precious.

 

            As we go through life, we are the recipients of much blessing.  God sends us on our own ways, like children, with many gifts.  And it is good when we see where those many gifts come from.  Then we can appreciate them better.  Then we can know who we are.  And then, we see more about God who loves us more than we can possibly know.  That, is why we are truly grateful.  Amen.