Embracing Cultural Receptiveness: Some Insights from the Ten Lepers
The story is told, in the Bible book of Matthew, of an encounter between Jesus and ten leprous men, nine of whom were Jews and one Samaritan. There are many insights that can be gleaned from that interaction. In this piece, we explore how a kind of traditionalistic mindset robbed the nine Jewish lepers of wholeness while the Samaritan’s pragmatism led to his wholeness. For although all ten were healed, only the Samaritan was made whole, meaning that there was no trace of the hideous scars and permanent disability often left behind on the bodies of recovered leprosy patients. This story underlines a fact: that mindset determines life trajectory; an individual’s mindset can lead to perpetual positive or negative life outcomes
To provide a brief background to the story, we go back to the origin of the Samaritans and the history of their relationship with the Jews. After the southern kingdom of Israel was defeated and its people sent into exile, a remnant of the Jews who remained in the northern kingdom of Israel after its fall in 722 BC continued to live in Samaria. In Samaria, these Jews intermarried with immigrants from other countries but continued to practice their Jewish religion and culture. Because of this new racial combination, the Samaritans were no longer considered to be Jewish, and Jews looked down on them. The Jewish dislike for the Samaritans persisted, in spite of the fact that the Samaritans practiced a form of worship that bore a striking resemblance to that of the Jews.
The disdain of the Jews for the Samaritans was so entrenched during Jesus’ time that to get to Jerusalem, they preferred to travel a longer and more winding route east of the Jordan River, through Peraea, rather than travel anywhere near Samaria, even if it was a faster route. Jesus, the epitome of love, defied this prevailing negative attitude towards Samaria/Samaritans by traveling through Samaria on His way to Jerusalem.
Suffering levels all men. Leprosy, the despicable disease of that era, was the only reason why a Samaritan could be found among Jews. The news of Christ’s miraculous healings must have somehow filtered into the ear of the bunch of rejects and on seeing Christ, they cried out to him, seeking to be healed.
In response to their plea for healing, Jesus asked the ten lepers to go show themselves to the priests. At this point, it is vital to take into consideration which priests the lepers visited. Were the Jewish lepers required to present themselves to the Jewish priests, whilst the Samaritan leper was required to go to the Samaritan temple? This is most likely the situation that took place. The Samaritans worshipped at Mount Gerizim while the Jews congregated in the Jerusalem Temple. Thus, it might be concluded that the nine Jewish lepers went to the temple in Jerusalem, while the Samaritans went to Mount Gerizim.
Following their obedience, all ten lepers were healed on their way to the priests. However, only one of the lepers, the Samaritan, returned to give thanks to Jesus. Surprised, Jesus asked, “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Matt 17:18). Jesus emphasized the fact that it was a foreigner who deemed it fit to return to give thanks. The emphasis on his nationality speaks of a far deeper implication in the story.
The nine Jewish lepers who were healed on their way to their temple in Jerusalem did not see the need to return to Jesus to render thanksgiving. They must have considered that they were going to the greatest of all places where God can be found, the Jerusalem Temple, where the ark of the covenant abides. They were going to meet with the priests, those dedicated to the service of Yahweh. The traditionally-minded Jewish lepers did not see the height of God in Jesus, but in the temple and the priests. Despite being healed, they remained blinded to the glory, the deliverance and the redemptive power of Jesus the son of God.
The leprous Samaritan, however, knew that he had encountered “something greater than the temple,” a statement Jesus used to define Himself in Matthew 12:6. The Samaritans have a history of openness and respect for other cultures, having intermarried with other cultures for generations. When he encountered a new culture in the person of Christ, he knew that both his priest and his temple did not measure up to the glory that was Christ Jesus.
As individuals, openness is essential for growth. We must always be in a position of reassessing our deeply held convictions in light of new knowledge and life experiences, our only benchmark being the love of God and man, as detailed in the word of God. The same applies to communities. No culture is self-sufficient. Innovation should be explored and embraced for what it is worth.
Another point here is that offences, unforgiveness and isolation can rob individuals and communities of wholeness, growth and advancement. It is possible that the nine Jewish lepers, after they received their healing, could not imagine going back to Samaria. They immediately joined the rank of able-bodied Jews who avoided Samaria. This mindset robbed them of wholeness.
Openness to new experiences and a pure heart towards others lead to growth and advancement. The wisdom of the Samaritan lies in his openness to a Jewish Messiah. He acknowledged that he had been healed, not by his priest or the temple, but by Christ. His humility and openness paid off handsomely by restoring his limbs and dissolving away his scars.