Lectio Divina: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2025)

Lk 17:11-19 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time 2025

This narrative is peculiar to Luke. It stresses characteristically Lukan themes. Jerusalem is the goal of Jesus' journey (cf. 9:51; 13:33) and Jesus has mercy on social outcasts. The "village" mentioned in verse 12 lay somewhere in the border territory between Galilee and Samaria; so Jewish and Samaritan lepers shared their common misery at its edge. Normally there was a good deal of hostility between the Jews & Samaritans. Jews accepted the full Hebrew Bible whereas the Samaritans recognized only the Pentateuch Jews worshipped at the Temple in Jerusalem, which they considered the only legitimate place for sacrifice. The Samaritans worshipped on Mount Gerizim, believing it was the true holy site chosen by God.

As Jesus journeyed to Jerusalem he met 12 lepers. Leprosy is known today as Hansen’s disease. It is caused by a bacillus which mainly affects the skin, nerves and eyes. It is not highly contagious. However, in Scripture, the term “leprosy” was used for a wide variety of skin diseases or conditions as well as lesions or infections that might occur on the skin, on fabrics, and even on the walls of houses (Lev 13:47–59; 14:33–53). The diagnosis and purification rites which were stipulated in Lev 13–14 were not for leprosy in the modern medical sense but for skin infections. Anyone diagnosed with such an infection had to be quarantined to determine whether the disease would spread. A person who was healed had to present himself to the priest, who would provide confirmation that he was clean (Lev 13:3, 9–10; Mark 1:40–45). As “leprosy” rendered the victim unclean, purification was necessary.

The lepers mentioned in this gospel reading maintained their proper distance, called Jesus by a term found only in Luke—"Master" and asked only for pity without specifying their request. There is no mention of Jesus having laid hands on them to pray for healing. Instead, in conformity with Jewish law, he instructed them to go to the priests, presumably in order to confirm that they had been healed. Even though there was no visible evidence that they had been healed, they trusted in Jesus and did what he said in the expectation, presumably that they would be healed. This is reminiscent of what Jesus said in Mk 11:24, “whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” That point was reiterated in Heb 11:1, “faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Notice the interplay of the present and future tense in both quotations. If you have trust (in the present) your request will be granted (in the future). So not surprisingly we are told that as they went on their way to the priests, the lepers were "made well."

Luke tells us that only one of the ten lepers came back to thank Jesus. Rather than being one of the Jews, it was the lone Samaritan who showed gratitude. It was an ironic fact that it was often the outcasts, sinners and non-Jews who had real faith in Jesus. Our Lord appeared to be disappointed by the fact that his fellow believers took their healing for granted. He told the Samaritan, that his faith had made him whole. That response could be understood in two interrelated ways, the healing of his body but also to his spiritual salvation. The conclusion of this Gospel points to the importance of the prayer of appreciation in the form of thanks and praise in the Christian life. As St Paul said in 1 Thess 5:18, “ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” We can conclude with two quotations. The first is from William Shakespeare’s As you Like It, Act 2, scene 7, “Blow, blow, thou winter wind, thou art not so unkind as man’s ingratitude.” The second quotation, in contrast is taken from the writings of 17th cent writer William Law, "Would you know who is the the greatest saint in world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives alms, or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness, and has a heart always ready to praise God for it.