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Gospel: Luke 17:20-25

Asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come,
Jesus said in reply,
“The coming of the Kingdom of God cannot be observed,
and no one will announce, ‘Look, here it is,’ or, ‘There it is.’
For behold, the Kingdom of God is among you.”

Then he said to his disciples,
“The days will come when you will long to see
one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.
There will be those who will say to you,
‘Look, there he is,’ or ‘Look, here he is.’
Do not go off, do not run in pursuit.
For just as lightning flashes
and lights up the sky from one side to the other,
so will the Son of Man be in his day.
But first he must suffer greatly and be rejected by this generation.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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There are a few passages in the New Testament that we might call “difficult” to understand. For several reasons, this is one of them.

All Jews live in expectation. Their religion is built upon the promise that God will come and visit his people. This is what the Pharisees are questioning Jesus about today: When is God coming?

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The answer Jesus gives is two-fold.

He says both, “The kingdom of God is among you.”

And, “Do not go off, do not run in pursuit. For just as lightning flashes…so will the Son of Man be in his day.”

There’s a sense of both already and not yet.

The kingdom of God is already present because Jesus is standing in their midst. But we are also living in a state of expectation, because he will come again. 

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There’s a third point that makes this passage worth contemplating today. 

Some scholars not only translate Jesus words as, “the kingdom of God is among you,” but also, “the kingdom of God is within you.”

Meaning, you and I occupy that “in between” time, when we’re called to build up God’s kingdom gesture by gesture. The Lord is already within us. But now we expand his kingdom in the most ordinary of ways – in charity, by forgiveness, through a prayer spoken on another’s behalf.

Whatever you do today, do it for the glory of God.

Help to build up his kingdom gesture by gesture until he comes again.

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Image credits: (1) Got Questions (2) Hearing From Jesus (3) lastapostle

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Gospel: Luke 17:11-19

As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem,
he traveled through Samaria and Galilee.
As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him.
They stood at a distance from him and raised their voice, saying,
“Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!”
And when he saw them, he said,
“Go show yourselves to the priests.”
As they were going they were cleansed. 
And one of them, realizing he had been healed,
returned, glorifying God in a loud voice;
and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. 
He was a Samaritan.
Jesus said in reply,
“Ten were cleansed, were they not?
Where are the other nine? 
Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” 
Then he said to him, “Stand up and go;
your faith has saved you.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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“Where are the other nine?”

What makes today’s Gospel so striking is the fact that the poor are the one’s causing the scandal. Normally it’s the religious elite, tax collectors, prostitutes, or generic sinners who offend Jesus.

But today it’s a group of outcasts, lepers who have spent their entire lives being judged by others, fearfully forced into isolation.

Out of compassion, the Lord does for them what they cannot do for themselves – he heals them. In a sense, he gives them new life. Now they can integrate into society, perhaps finding love and friendship for the first time since their youth.

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These former lepers, now healed, have nothing to offer the Lord but a grateful heart. It’s all Jesus ever wants.

But shockingly, only one out of ten returns to thank him.

This does not mean that the other nine were bad people. Perhaps they were in a state of joyful shock, overwhelmed by their miraculous healing. 

But they became too focused on themselves – on the gift they received – instead of the Giver, who had even more to offer them.

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This is really the story of humanity. We all benefit from the Lord’s goodness. But how often do we return to thank him?

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The Lord offered all of us new life – eternal life – when he washed away our sins in baptism. He continues to wash away our sins every time we approach him. He feeds us with his very Self in the Eucharist.

He strengthens us in time of trial and temptation. He guides our steps, listens to our prayers, fills our hearts with peace. He makes the sun rise daily and fills our land with plenty.

As the Psalmist says, “Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, for his love endures forever.”

Like that single leper who returned to acknowledge Jesus, how might we thank him for all the good he’s done today?

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Image credits: (1) indycrowe (2) Summer Setting, WordPress.com (3) Waverly Church of Christ

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Gospel: Luke 17: 7-10

Jesus said to the Apostles:
“Who among you would say to your servant
who has just come in from plowing or tending sheep in the field,
‘Come here immediately and take your place at table’?
Would he not rather say to him,
‘Prepare something for me to eat.
Put on your apron and wait on me while I eat and drink.
You may eat and drink when I am finished’?
Is he grateful to that servant because he did what was commanded?
So should it be with you.
When you have done all you have been commanded, say,
‘We are unprofitable servants;
we have done what we were obliged to do.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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On his deathbed, Saint Francis of Assisi said to the first Franciscans, “My brothers, I have done what is mine to do. Now you must do what is yours to do.”

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Francis viewed himself like the unprofitable servant in today’s Gospel. 

He didn’t need worldly accolades or praise for all he accomplished. While he rebuilt the Church spiritually, and his example still inspires people eight centuries later, Francis simply did, “What was his to do.”

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Jesus sees his Apostles similarly, calling them “unprofitable servants.” They have been chosen by the Lord to work, building the kingdom of God in four particular ways.

Using Gospel imagery, Jesus commands his Apostles to:

Plow the fields – spread the Word of God wherever they go, planting seeds of faith.

Tend God’s sheep – keep a shepherd’s heart, seeking out the lost.

Wait on others – see themselves like those who have not come to be served, but to serve.

Eat and drink – celebrate the Eucharist, feeding the first Christians with the Body and Blood of Christ.

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Which of these four things is the Lord calling us to do?

Plow the fields, spreading God’s Word – at home, at work, in the community.

Tend God’s sheep – seeking out the lost, caring for their souls spiritually.

Wait on others, be their servant.

“Eat and drink.” Invite people to, “Come and see.”

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“I have done what is mine to do,” Saint Francis said 800 years ago. “Now you must do what is yours to do.”

What is mine to do today?

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Image credits: (1) Fine Art America (2) iFunny Brazil (3) Holley Gerth