The Illness of Selfishness

In the healing of the Ten Lepers (Luke 17.11-19) we witness just how deep selfishness can run. Faced with ten men suffering an awful disease, Jesus says, “Go, show yourselves to the priests. And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” (Luke 17.14) In this particular healing, Jesus didn’t ask if they wanted to be healed, He didn’t question their faith, He merely sent them on their way according to the Law. As they were obedient to the Law and to His direction they were healed.


But in the case of nine of them, their illness was so deep they couldn’t return to give thanks to God. Jesus asks, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (Luke 17.17) We can presume that since they were content with being healed they saw no real need to say ‘thank you’ to Jesus. In fact, the very Law that Jesus instructed them to follow in going to the priests required thanksgiving to God for the healing, and yet they were unable to return to Him. Maybe they thought they were above the Law since Jesus had already healed them. Either way; not giving thanks, or being above the law, are both indications that these nine men were suffering from a deeper illness than leprosy. They were suffering from selfishness.

Whenever we receive a blessing and don’t give thanks to God we suffer the same illness as these nine men. Whenever we think we are above the Holy Traditions and Canons of the Church established by Jesus Christ and His Holy Apostles, who were guided into all truth, we suffer the same illness as these nine men. Selfishness is an illness that, if we allow it, will run deep into our hearts and effect every action of our life. The deeper this illness grows the more difficult it becomes to lift ourselves up and seek the Lord’s blessings in the first place because we begin to depend upon ourselves rather than God’s love and compassion.

Nip selfishness in the bud and defeat it by being in Church at least every Sunday to give thanks to God. When we do this Jesus will say to us, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17.19)