30th Mar 26 | 13:54
Studies by Book
Luke 17 11-19 Surrender, Thankfulness, Gratitude and Worship of God 03 Confronting and breaking the socio-cultural barriers
📖 Luke 17:11-19
27Jul2020 - *Confronting and breaking the socio-cultural barriers* - _Luke 17:11-19_ - THANKFULNESS AND GRATITUDE TO GOD 3 - Bible reading: _Luke 5:12-13_
_Luke 17:11-12 Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. (12) Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off._
Jesus was going to Jerusalem to complete His purpose for all of creation to be reconciled with God.
As He went, He passed through the border area between Samaria and Galilee. A place consisting of both the Samaritans and the Jews. We know that these two communities were not on friendly terms with each other. The Jews, especially the religious leaders, looked down on the Samaritans. The Samaritans too carried a negative attitude towards the Jews.
We see that Jesus was moving toward His purpose, He was also simultaneously addressing a socio-cultural issue, of this barrier between the Samaritans and the Jews. He dealt with this barrier on several other occasions too. The woman at the well / the parable of the good Samaritan, cast against the attitude of Priest and the Levite, are two examples that immediately come to mind. Jesus being a Jew was hitting hard at this mindset barrier between the Jews and the Samaritans.
We too, as we pursue our God-given purpose in life, must not ignore the socio-cultural barriers that are erected amongst us. We are all aware of several such barriers and every socio-cultural setting has its own specific barriers. Often, we do not like to disturb the current circumstances. We walk by. Jesus did not walk by; He confronted the socio-cultural barriers of His time.
We must always keep in mind that as we confront such issues, we must be led and empowered by the Holy Spirit. These are not simple matters. These are deeply entrenched, spiritual-socio-cultural-traditional bondages and that is why we must always operate in the Holy Spirit as we confront these problems.
Leprosy was a distasteful disease both for the Jews as well as the Samaritans. By law, a leper must remain outside of human circles. Even a person coming in contact with a leper would have to be isolated. The disease caused startling physical symptoms. The person's extremities would be severed. The person would be highly disfigured and bleeding because of the lack of sensitivity. Leprosy at that time was a terminal condition. Lepers’ colonies existed and once inside a leper colony, it would be a place of no return. Whenever and wherever a leper went he/she would have to cry out, “unclean...unclean”, by law.
Jesus broke the barrier on the matter of lepers and leprosy. _Luke 5:12-13 And it happened when He was in a certain city, that behold, a man who was full of leprosy saw Jesus; and he fell on his face and implored Him, saying, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean." (13) Then He put out His hand and touched him, saying, "I am willing; be cleansed." Immediately the leprosy left him._
The tax collectors of Jesus’ time were also a discredited group of people. They were seen and referred to as sinners. Jesus reached out to the tax collectors. _Luke 18:13-14 And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me a sinner!' (14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."_
There are similar stigmatised issues in our day. The LGBT community is one such matter. Homosexuality is categorically against the character and nature of God but the Lord desires for us to be instruments in His hands to help people caught in this trap, to know Him. Will we as the church be detached from people caught in such issues? Or will see our role to be the hands and feet of Jesus to such people?
God has come not only to redeem and reconcile each of us back to Him but He has also come to redeem the world, which is in the grip of the devil. Our perspective must be, be the hands and feet of Jesus, to confront and set people free from the spiritual-socio-cultural-traditional bondages of our times and bring in the rule and reign of Jesus.
*Thought to ponder*
```People shall know the Truth and the Truth will set them free. The church is the fullness of Jesus and is the pillar and the ground of the Truth.```