TEN LEPERS HEALED.
One of the most common faults—or rather, I should say, one of the most common sins—that we meet with in the world, is that of ingratitude. Some are ungrateful from pride or conceit, thinking that the kindnesses or services of others are due to them of right. But most people are ungrateful simply from thoughtlessness: yet this very thoughtlessness—the want of thought for others—has its root in what is the foundation of all faults—selfishness.
Even in dumb creatures—from whom, by the way, we may often learn good lessons—we seldom see ingratitude. If you are kind and gentle to a dog or cat, a horse or bird, it will be thankful, and generally manage in its own fashion to make you understand its gratitude. My darling children, never be ungrateful! Be grateful to God first of all—be grateful to God for everything. Be grateful to your father and mother; and be grateful also to all those who show so many kindnesses to you. Never forget to thank them both with heart and lip.
I am going to tell you to-day of an instance of man’s ingratitude: not that of man to man, but of ingratitude to our Lord Jesus Christ.
We are told by St. Luke that,—“It came to pass as Jesus went to Jerusalem, He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered into a certain village, there met Him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off; and they lifted up their voices, and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’ And when He saw them, He said unto them, ‘Go, show yourselves unto the priests.’ And it came to pass that, as they went, they were cleansed.”
I must tell you that this leprosy, with which these poor people were afflicted, was a terrible disease common among the Jews at that time. It was a disease of the skin, which was hereditary, and also was caught by contagion. Hence those afflicted with it were prohibited by strict laws from associating with other people. They might not enter the walled cities at all, and in the villages they were obliged to live apart from the other inhabitants. You see these lepers “stood afar off” while they cried out to Jesus for mercy.
We must suppose that before anyone recovering from the leprosy was allowed to associate with his fellow-citizens, he had to go before the priests, that they should pronounce him cured; and this explains the injunction of our Saviour—“Go, show yourselves to the priests.” The lepers had faith, and turned at once to obey. They had scarcely moved a step when the change in their condition seems to have taken place; and we may imagine their joy and surprise, on looking at each other, to see the ghastly and loathsome hue of the leprous skin change for the bloom and freshness of health. But now we come to the sad instance of ingratitude.
St. Luke goes on to tell us—still speaking of the lepers:—“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God; and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.”
Thus we find, out of these ten, one only showed himself grateful, and thought, before aught else, of glorifying God, and giving thanks to Jesus. The other nine, in their joy at the blessing which had just been bestowed upon them, forgot the Bestower of that blessing. They hastened on, thinking only of their own good fortune, and eager to make known their recovery to the priests, that they might be restored to communication with their fellow men.
Our Saviour only remarked upon this instance of ingratitude:—“Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?”
