“…your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19)
Quid pro quo. We’ve heard that term a lot
in America lately. It’s Latin for “this for that” or “something for something.”
For example, let’s say some head of state who calls himself a Very Stable
Genius tells an eastern European head of state he’ll release four hundred
million dollars’ worth of military aid (which his popularly-elected congress
has already voted to do) to help the ally fend off Russian aggression if the eastern European ally will give
him dirt on a political rival. That’s an example of “you-do-this-for-me-and-I’ll-do-that-for-you.”
Quid pro quo. Of course, the problem with this could be that giving four hundred
million dollars’ worth of aid to fend off Russian aggression might just be the right thing for one ally to do for the
other, and nothing (especially not a personal political favor) should be
expected in return. Giving without expecting back is the difference between generosity
and commerce.[i]
Our Gospel lesson for Pentecost 18 in the
Revised Common Lectionary (Luke 17:11-19) is an example of Jesus’ expansive
generosity. As Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem in the region between Galilee and
Samaria[ii] he encounters ten guys
with leprosy who, by law[iii] had to keep their distance.
They beg Jesus for mercy which he immediately
grants without asking anything in payment or requiring that they show a valid
green card or birth certificate. No. Not Jesus. He grants free health care to
all because it’s morally the right thing to do. Theologically, this is called “grace.”
The cool thing is that one of these
recently-healed ex-lepers, while on his way to the priest (the Health
Department of the day who could officially end the quarantine), notices that he’s
well and runs back to Jesus to offer praise and thanksgiving. That’s a nice
thing to do and a good sign that the man has really been “made well.”
The Greek here is kind of interesting[iv]. In the original text,
Jesus says “h pistis seswken se..” The old King James translated this as “Thy
faith hath made thee whole.” Now, “seswken” is a past
perfect form of the verb “swxw” which can also
mean “save” or “rescue” or “preserve” or “keep safe” as well as “cure.” I have
to wonder if Jesus means it in more than one sense. Yes, the leper has been
cured, but he has also been rescued or “saved.” His fidelity—faithfulness—in remembering
Jesus as the source of his well-being is greater than his physical recovery.
Yes, he took Jesus at his word and headed off to the priest, but that’s just an
act of trust or hope or assent or wishful thinking. Piously being called to
gratitude is an act of faithfulness. He’s
had an inward transformation as well as a physical healing.
The thing which sticks in my mind, however,
about this story is that Jesus heals without expecting thanks—although he
appreciates it when he gets it. The nine other lepers, ungrateful slobs that
they are, don’t get their cure revoked because they’ve failed to send a
thank-you note. And who knows? Maybe one or two of them will think about their
healing later on and develop a more grateful and faithful relationship with God. It’s
possible, don’t you think? In any event, Jesus has healed because it’s what
Jesus does.
The older I get, the more I understand
that God is too mysterious to deal in commerce and quid pro quo. We pray to God
in faith, and God cures our illness or God doesn’t. Nevertheless, God still
blesses us in many ways every day in spite of the circumstances which cause us
angst. And God does not require our thanks or our praise. Gratitude in our
hearts changes and blesses us, not
God. Likewise, the acts of mercy we do should be done with the intention of
blessing others, not ourselves. Yes, it’s really nice to be thanked and
appreciated. It is not, however, necessary.
We in the Church should learn not to take ourselves
too seriously when we do outreach to our neighborhoods and our neighbors don’t
respond the way we want them to. Evangelism should be thought of as spreading God’s
love through word and deed, not as increasing church membership. When we
transmit the benefits God has given us to others, we do it because it’s the
right thing to do to show our thanks to the God who has given us so much.
After all, we’re not here to build
churches. We’re here to build the Kingdom of God.
I am GRATEFUL that you read my blog this
week! May God be with you!
[i] It’s
also the difference between statesman-like diplomacy and an impeachable
offense.
[ii]
The Gospel says he was in the area between
the two regions. Many Jews considered Samaria a bad neighborhood and often
went out of their way to avoid it.
[iii]
See Leviticus 13: 45-46.
[iv]
Well, at least I think it is. You may not care.
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