Jesus is breaking barriers through us (Luke 17:11-16)

Introduction

All over the world, there are cases of extreme poverty, hatred, violence, and genocide caused by ethnic prejudice, racial discrimination, health, economic, and social class marginalization. These social issues we struggle with are not peculiar to our times because Jesus experienced them in the first century Mediterranean society. But how did Jesus respond, and how might he help us today?

The title of my message today is: Jesus is breaking barriers through us, and the anchor scripture is taken from Luke 17:11-16. Let us pray.

¹¹ On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance ¹³ and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” ¹⁴ When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. ¹⁵ Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. (ESV)

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The Message

So, just as we are plagued with ethnic tensions and barriers, Jesus had a similar experience with the Jewish and Samaritan tension (cf. John 4:9).

According to historical sources, three pilgrimage routes were created from Galilee to Jerusalem.

• There was the central route that goes through Samaria. This was the shortest (only three days on foot), but Jews would rather avoid it.
• There was the eastern route which took pilgrims five to seven days. The Galilean Jews preferred this route.
• The third route, closer to the Mediterranean Sea, was the safest but longest route for the Galileans.

Preference for the longer routes sheds light on the social tensions of Jesus’ time. Notwithstanding these tensions and barriers that existed at the time, Jesus, on his way to Jerusalem, opted for the shorter route through Samaria, thereby breaking the barrier that existed between the two groups.

Several other passages record Jesus breaking barriers to encounter Samaritans or other Gentiles (Matt 15:21-28; John 4). On this particular journey through Samaria, Jesus encountered ten lepers – considered unclean and socially marginalized according to Jewish religious customs (Leviticus 13-14). While ensuring he did not violate the laws, he asked the lepers to present themselves to the priests so that they could be certified clean. One of the lepers seeing he was healed, went not to the priests but to Jesus. At this point, Jesus breaks not just one but two social barriers:

• Accommodating a leper who was not yet certified clean demonstrates Jesus as our High Priest.
• Associating with a Samaritan

This parallels another experience where Jesus journeying through Samaria led to a Samaritan woman and her community encountering Christ. Social barriers are encountered every day 

• Ethnic and racial prejudice
• Social and economic marginalization
• Divisions within the church communities

But Jesus is inviting us to participate in breaking barriers. So it is about modeling the example of Jesus Christ in our society. Jesus invites us through his actions to break barriers and divisions – barriers in our communities, polity, churches, and marketplace. Aside from this passage, Acts 1:8 sums up Jesus’ call for us to break barriers for the sake of his gospel and the kingdom. But we can’t do this without Christ in us (John 15:5; Phil 4:13) 

⁵ “…Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, ESV)

Therefore, if you do not have Jesus in you but would like him to dwell in you and help you participate with God in breaking barriers, I would like to pray with you.

Prayer

• Dear Jesus, I accept you as my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my heart, renew me, and help me to be an instrument you will use to break barriers in these times. This I pray with thanksgiving. Amen.

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