Even though it’s not an official commemoration or feast of the historic Church year, many Christians will gather on Thanksgiving Day (or Eve). The Gospel for that day is written in Luke 17. You’ll find it familiar because it’s the same text appointed for the Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity, and since it has to do with a bunch of ungrateful people with only ONE Samaritan who returns to give thanks, I guess it’s appropriate to be preached for Thanksgiving. I mean, there’s NO chance that the ten percent of the regular attendance who shows up will be tempted AT ALL by self-righteousness while looking around thinking, “Where are the other 90?” But I digress.

The ten lepers is one of those texts where you’re bound to hear about what leprosy is and the difference between Jews and Samaritans. Some pastors even use the majority of their sermon to explain all of that. I’m sure I’ve also been guilty of rambling on instead of proclaiming the Gospel. One thing this year that especially stands out to me about this text isn’t the disease itself or even the history of the Samaritans, it’s how lepers were forced to live.

When I was younger, I always thought of these lepers as standing out in a random field together when Jesus happens to pass by. I imagined that they lived all together in their own community. If you’ve ever seen the classic Ben-Hur, you’ve seen how the film makers dealt with it. Lepers lived in a community far away from the towns and villages. They took shelter in the caves. Is that accurate? It has to be! Moses himself has approved it! So let it be written; so let it be done! It’s true that these were not allowed to do certain things because of their “unclean” designation, but I truly wonder how lepers went about their day.

The images we get from the Scriptures don’t tell us of “leper communities.” Rather we see lepers “out and about.” Admittedly, we don’t see them engaging in “normal” activities, but they don’t seem to be too far off, either. The true Moses gives us the rule: “The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hand loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean so long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:45).

While not wanderers or cave dwellers, these were certainly on the outside looking in. They were seen as the “living dead” who were cursed by God—an object lesson for sin. No one wanted these people around out of fear of contamination and bearing in their own body the effects as well. It was best to kick them out and to keep your distance.

Does this sound familiar? We have created a new leprosy today. Look at the way the ones who have been infected with the COVID are treated. We exile them from the community until they can be deemed “clean” after a time of quarantine. He needs to cover his upper lip (and nose) lest he infect anyone else. Once marked with a positive test, he’s out! He can’t come to church! He must announce himself! “Unclean, unclean!” Before he’s welcome again, he needs to “go show himself to the priests.” Have you tested negative? Prove it. Go through your 10-14 day ritual quarantine just in case.

Now, before the keyboard warriors attack the comment section, I’m not advocating foolishness, but the Church is dividing over it. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are treating COVID as lepers were treated—as unclean outcasts. In my own experience, most of the ones who get test positive never say anything, probably out of fear of the community response and of the “mark” they fear they will carry forever.

We’re living in days that the devil loves, but no matter how much he might love the chaos, turmoil, and division, your Lord Jesus loves order, peace, and unity all the more. Just as He did not shy away from the lepers, He will not remain away from you. He enters into this uncleanness being present with us in Word and Sacrament and bringing healing to our bodies and peace to our souls. If you’ve found yourselves divided in these days, repent. Return to your Lord Jesus in thanksgiving. You might be the only one, but even for you, the angels rejoice!