Seeing from the outside

Luke 17:11-19

Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus 'feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Sometimes it takes the outsider

to really see

to grasp the momentum 

of an occasion

to gauge the impact

with accuracy.

It takes someone

outside of the crowd

to pick up the cues.

When those on the inside

are too busy

being blinded by tradition

and expectation

the outsider

grasps the import

and closes in

to maximise the potential

and realise the blessing.

Fresh eyes

go a long way

to bringing new perspective

and alerting others

to the miracles

being played out

right in our midst.

Sometimes "the foreigner"

just gets it

bringing fresh vision

and renewed energy.

May we look

for those moments

when "foreigners"

show us the way.