Where to Go?

Gospel: Luke 17: 11-19

Imagine being this Samaritan man who has just been healed of his leprosy.  He has lived as an outcast from all people due to his condition, the only community he has is fellow lepers like himself, all of whom are of Jewish origin.  Now he finds himself healed of this infirmity, and Jesus commands you and the others to do what is required according to the law - to go show themselves to the priests so that they can be restored to society and be made whole again.

But you the Samaritan have a problem.  You can't go to Jerusalem because the priests there will not regard you as clean because you are a hated foreigner.  And you can't show yourself at Mt. Gerazim either because your priests will not accept the fact that you were healed by a Jewish rabbi.  And your former friends who are Jewish will no longer regard you as a colleague, for though you are healed of one uncleanness of leprosy, you are still an unclean foreigner who is now an outcast among outcasts.

So, you do the only thing you can do - you return to Jesus and give thanks for being healed, and you attach yourself to his company, for you know that he alone is accepting of all people.  He does not regard you as an unclean foreigner.  You are welcome in his presence and at his table.  You only hope that his followers in the future will be as welcoming and accepting of you and other unclean foreigners as Jesus has been.  You can only hope...