Luke 17: 11-19

Maybe its because I have so much to do... or am in a holiday spirit, or just didn't care much for the lesson today, but Bible Study took a turn south this morning, at least for me. It was the story from Luke about the ten lepers. They call out to Jesus (from a distance) for him to heal them, and he tells them: "Go show themselves to the priests at the temple." So off they go. I kept remembering the line from Chicken Licken: "and off the two went, and off the three went..." well, in this case, off the ten went.

On their way they were healed. And one, noticing he had been healed, turned back. I can picture the discussion as each one in turn became aware that his leprosy was gone. Hey Levi! Your nose looks better... You should talk, Simon, you've suddenly got all your fingers. Then the one decides he's going back. The others try to dissuade him: The Master told us to go to the temple... that's where I'm going. Well, my mother told me it's always nice to say thank you. Yeah, well what if the cure reverses itself because you didn't do as you were told? Look, we have to get a clean bill of health from the priest or we can't go in the synagogue... But he turned back anyway.

And when he found Jesus, he praised God and fell prostrate before him. Oh and by the way, this man was a Samaritan. (Finally) Luke's agenda becomes clear. Just like in the story of the "Good" Samaritan, everyone else is chopped liver. Jesus' response is a very unusual the-glass-is-half-empty approach: "Wait a minute, weren't there ten who were cured? Only one comes back to say thank you?"

Hey, you told them to go to the temple. Obedience is a virtue, remember?