Whenever Jesus is around, people just seem to expect miracles. After all, He is God, so it's not too much to expect. It's almost like it's the special du jour, the special of the day. "Jesus is here. You need a miracle? Comin' right up!" The thing is, the miracles Jesus did when He was here walking around on earth seem more spectacular or at least more visible than what we see today.

We have the miracle of birth, and the miracle of healing, but birth, as wonderful and amazing as it is, has been around since Eve first gave birth to Cain. Healing happens through doctors and medicine, and healing powers God has given to our bodies, so miracles don't seem so miraculous. Occasionally, someone may have a miraculous healing, but it's not what we expect. What we do see, don't seem so miraculous.

We're not wrong to expect miracles when Jesus is around, but they may not be quite as miraculous as we might think miracles should be. Whether it seems like a miraculous miracle or not, there's almost always a message that is part of the miracles, and that is something else we can count on when Jesus is around--a miracle, and a message we can't afford to not hear.

Only one guy got the message in the miracle in today's reading, but countless people who have heard this account, have gotten it. That message is simple, "faith heals." or "life comes to the living."

We consider this as a message because it appears only one who was healed that day was living, that is spiritually alive, and therefore able to be healed. All the rest were spiritually dead. The irony is that it wasn't one who we would have expected to be a believer. It was a Samaritan. These weren't the children of Abraham. They were transplants from the day of the Babylonians. The Samaritans simply lived in the land, cutting off the North from the South. There, in the North and the South, lived the children of Abraham, the Ones who were raised with the hope of a Messiah to deliver them from their sins. But despite their training, they had no faith. They were lost. Only one was living. Only one could be truly healed.

Let's put this depressing realization aside, to just focus on what would have been visible to our eyes that day when Jesus came to the village near the borders of Galilee and Samaria. It was a day for the history books. It was not just 10 men's lives that were changed that day. Imagine all the people who had given them up for dead. Fathers and sons, men of the family who were thought to never return, now coming home to their wives and children, to take their place at the table again, and occupy positions in the town they once filled.

Leprosy was the name given for any number of skin diseases, but if they were in the leper colony, it was definitely a fatal one. The priest had looked at it, and running through the tests, determined it was in incurable. They had given up hope.

But they hear Jesus is coming through the area and have heard of His wonderful miracles. They cry out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." They don't know who He is, or at least don't show any recognition of it. Other times when people call out to Him for mercy, they call Him the Son of David. This title shows they know He is the Messiah. They don't call Him by anything that shows they know He is the Messiah, the Promised One. They simply call Him, "Jesus, Master."

Jesus hears and Jesus heals.

Imagine the shock of the priests who would examine them again. The men return to their hometowns, and went to the synagogue where they would see the priest who had spoken that death sentence. "Yes, this is incurable leprosy." That was before. This is the after: "Look, it's gone." They pull up their sleeves, they pull up their robes. They show their hands, their face. The leprosy is really gone. They turn from the synagogue to return home, but someone has already seen them going to the synagogue, and has already announced to the family that they are back. Wives stand there trembling, with tears rolling down their faces, at the prospect that their husband will be coming home again. This means not only will their partner for life be back, but they and their children won't die because otherwise, there was no legal way for her to make an income.

But in all this joy, in all this celebration, something is missing, even what is visible to our eyes. Ten men were healed. Ten men restored to their families. Ten men believed the word Jesus spoke. Ten men rushed off to their local priest to show them they were healed. Only one acknowledged what had happened.

The healing happened on the way. They looked at their arms, their hands, their legs; they felt their faces. They were whole again. Their pace quickened as they rushed to their towns, to be back among other people, people who weren't lepers. Ahh to be among the living!

But what about the One who gave them life? How quickly they forgot Him. Ten men left their leper village, believing that He actually did heal them, but nine lacked the faith that would take them back and that would make them completely whole.

For the last several weeks, we have talked about the response of faith. We have talked about our neighbor and service to him or her. As you recall, that is not just the person you live next to. Our neighbor is the people who are always around, starting with your family members. Service to them is the response of faith. Before you can even ask what needs to be done, faith has already done it.

James, the brother of our Lord, says in His letter, "Faith without works is dead." In fact he challenges anyone who would say, "You have faith and I have works." He counters them by saying, "Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works." IOW, you want to see I have faith, look to see what I have done. Again, before even asking, faith has already done good works in the form of simple service to his neighbor.

No, I want to make sure this is clear. You are not saved by your works. You are saved by God's grace and mercy which come in Christ's work done on our behalf. His death and resurrection become ours, but when a person realizes it was done for him--when you realize it was done for you, that is faith. The Holy Spirit convinces you this was what you needed, and then convinces you that it has already been done for you.

When you realize this has been done for you, realize you have been given spiritual health, you have been restored, when you realize you have been made whole, alive, by Christ's death, then before you can even think, What is to happen next?" you will be doing works of service for your neighbor. You won't think, "What can I do to show my gratitude?" you will have already done it. It is like a reflex.

When the doctor takes his little hard rubber hammer and bangs your knee, you don't have to wonder, "What is he doing, and what am I supposed to do?" If he does it right, your leg will automatically kick up. It's a reflex.

Did this man who had leprosy contemplate turning around, wondering what can he do to show his gratitude? No, he saw that he was healed and without thinking turned around immediately to thank Jesus. It was a reflex.

When we are healed spiritually, we can't help but serve our neighbor all the time. We have been made into a new creature, one that thinks only about the other and never the self.

We just saw the miracle of this new creation this morning. Two, in fact. Ethan and Emma were brought into God's family by baptism. Remember when I said if Jesus is around we should expect miracles? He's here and therefore we shouldn't be surprised that a miracle has been done among us. Now, this miracle may not look like the one we read about today. Two children were made God's children, but nothing spectacular looking happened.

It's possible at Ethan's age, he may have already understood what Jesus has done for him. In fact, I remember hearing from him last week, a statement that convinced me he does. Still, just as it is for Emma, he can say, "On August 24, 2008, I know for a fact God made me His child, His new creation. Maybe faith was already there, but now it is locked in. Now as a new creation, led by the Holy Spirit, my only thought is to think of others and what they need."

It sounds crazy putting these words in the mouth of a child Ethan's age, but according to what happened, this is what we should expect. After all, this is the reflex of faith. It's what we should expect out of each of us.

But is that reflex missing? Do we see ourselves as Christians, always and only thinking of other people? Or if there is any kind of reflex, isn't it usually one of self preservation? Self-service. If anyone does something we don't think is fair, aren't we ready to cry "Foul?" That's the more natural reflex. It is the desire of the flesh.

What does this show? What does it mean when we don't act selflessly, when our reflex is to make sure we get what we want?

It indicates a lack of faith. Does this mean we are lost? Yes, it does. After talking about how a Christian's reflex is to serve his neighbor, when we don't see it, when we don't have it, it should cause us concern that we may not be Christians. It is every indication that we are not what we think. Does that make sense? It's really very simple.

What can we do? Cry out for Jesus. That's what the lepers did. "Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!" He is our only hope, but He is a hope that is secure. His sinless life and His sacrificial death completely cover us.

Just as Emma was covered with a white gown, and Ethan was dressed in complete white, this is how you stand before God as our judge in Christ. He sees only purity. We, on the other hand, see reason to be concerned. That's why we cry out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on me!" That's why we never stop crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on me."

We will never stop until He takes us to be with Him in His heavenly habitations forever. Until that day, we will struggle with our sinful selfish selves. St. Paul said it very clearly, "The desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing what you want to do."

And yet, despite the struggle we have been told we will endure--what was demonstrated in our Gospel lesson, described in our Epistle lesson, and was the warning a father gives his son in the Old Testament lesson--we have also witnessed a miracle besides the new birth of baptism. Ethan and Emma aren't the only ones who experienced a miracle. Again, as I said before, when Jesus is around, expect a miracle. It is the special du jour, the special of the day, especially Sunday. This miracle was your own. The Law was spoken and the flesh with its passions and desires was crucified. In its place, a new man was raised up. As you have listened and heard, you have experienced a death and resurrection. It doesn't seem like a spectacular miracle, but as you are already living, you have experienced again the gift of life, and the miracle of faith's healing.

AMEN