They were “katharizō” but only he was “sōzō” (Why Some Miracles Never Lead to Salvation)
First Reading: 2 Kings 5:14-17
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 98:1, 2-3ab, 3c-4
Second Reading: 2 Timothy 2:8-13
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
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Sometimes in life, we hear stories that make us stop and think about the mystery of God’s blessings. Imagine someone who prayed earnestly for a job, got it, and then suddenly forgot the God who made it possible. Or a woman who once cried at the altar for the gift of a child, but after conceiving, never found time to come back to church. There are people who begged God for healing and, when it came, used their renewed health to live carelessly again. Some promise God faithfulness during hard times but disappear when their troubles are over. In our society, many treat God like an emergency line, calling only when things fall apart. But after receiving what they want, they move on as if they did it by their own strength. It seems strange, but that is how we sometimes are. We are eager to receive miracles, but slow to turn them into thanksgiving or conversion. And that, dear friends, is what today’s readings challenge us to look at. Why do some miracles touch the body, yet never reach the soul? Why do many receive healing, but only a few find salvation?
The first reading tells us about Naaman, a Syrian army commander afflicted with leprosy. This story from the Second Book of Kings was written around the 6th century before Christ, during or shortly after the Babylonian exile. It belongs to the larger historical work of the Deuteronomistic tradition, which aimed to help Israel understand why they had lost their land, because they turned from God. The book teaches that obedience brings life, while pride and disobedience lead to ruin. Naaman’s story was meant to show that the mercy of God was not limited to Israel alone but extended to all who believed. In his time, leprosy was not just a disease of the skin; it was a social and spiritual stigma. Lepers were isolated, considered impure, and cut off from normal life (cf. Lev 13:45-46). When Naaman came to Elisha for healing, he expected a grand display of power. But Elisha only told him, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan.” At first, he was angry because it sounded too simple. Yet when he obeyed, his flesh was restored. The Hebrew word used for healing here is רָפָא (rapha), which means to make whole or restore completely. It was not just physical cleansing; it symbolized a return to life and communion. Naaman’s healing led him to acknowledge the true God, saying, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel.” His healing moved from skin to soul. That was the difference between miracle and salvation: one cleansed his body, the other transformed his heart.
The responsorial psalm continues the same message. “The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power.” The psalmist rejoices that God’s grace is not limited to one people. Naaman’s story already showed this, and the psalm confirms it. The nations who once knew nothing of Israel’s God now see His justice and mercy. But the psalm is also a gentle reminder that salvation demands a response. It calls on us to “sing a new song” (Ps 98:1), meaning a new attitude, that is, gratitude that turns into worship. Gratitude that does not just say “thank you” with words, but with changed lives. When miracles do not lead to thanksgiving, they die in silence. But when they lead to praise, they become a testimony.
In the Gospel, this truth is made even clearer. Jesus heals ten lepers on His way to Jerusalem. According to Jewish custom, lepers lived outside the city and had to cry out from a distance, “Unclean, unclean!” (Lev 13:45). When they saw Jesus, they cried out for mercy. He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests,” and as they went, they were cleansed. The Greek verb used here is “καθαρίζω” (katharizō), meaning “to make clean or pure”. It was the same term used for ritual purification, showing that their healing restored not only their health but also their place in the community. Yet out of ten, only one (a Samaritan) came back to thank Jesus. The others received the miracle but missed the relationship. The Samaritan returned, glorifying God, and fell at Jesus’ feet. Jesus then told him, “Your faith has made you well.” Here, the word used is “σῴζω” (sōzō), which means to save or make whole in the fullest sense (body, soul, and spirit). That word distinguishes him from the nine others. They were katharizō (cleansed) but only he was sōzō (saved). The Gospel of Luke, written around 80 AD, often shows outsiders like Samaritans and sinners who receive God’s mercy more deeply than the religious insiders. Luke shows us that salvation is not about privilege but about gratitude and faith that transforms the heart.
The second reading from Saint Paul’s letter to Timothy ties everything together. Paul, writing from prison, reminds his spiritual son to “remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead.” Paul’s message is that even if we suffer, “we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He will deny us.” This shows the difference between those who experience God’s help and those who remain with Him till the end. Paul had experienced many miracles in his ministry, but what mattered to him was not the wonders, but the endurance of faith. Miracles may open the door, but perseverance keeps us in the house.
There are deep lessons for us today. First, not every miracle leads to salvation because many stop at receiving and forget to return in thanksgiving. The miracle of the nine lepers ended in healing; the miracle of the Samaritan ended in worship. Second, gratitude is not just manners; it is faith in motion. The one who returned to thank Jesus showed that his faith was not in the gift but in the Giver. Third, real healing happens when grace changes our hearts, not just our circumstances. Many have been blessed outwardly but remain poor in spirit because gratitude never followed grace. Fourth, God’s justice and mercy reach beyond our boundaries. Like Naaman and the Samaritan, God’s saving power often touches those considered outsiders, while insiders take His blessings for granted. Finally, we must learn to see every answered prayer as a call to a deeper relationship. God’s miracles are not meant to make us comfortable but to draw us closer to Him.
So why do some miracles never lead to salvation? Because some people stop at the surface. They want the blessing but not the change. But those who, like the Samaritan, come back to give thanks discover the greater gift, which is not just a healed body, but a saved soul. True faith does not end with the miracle; it begins there. May we never be among the nine who walked away satisfied but empty. May our blessings lead us back to the feet of Jesus, where healing turns into salvation, and gratitude becomes our song forever.
O that today you would listen to his VOICE, harden not your hearts! (Ps. 95:7)
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Shalom!
© Fr. Chinaka Justin Mbaeri, OSJ
Seminário Padre Pedro Magnone, São Paulo, Brazil
nozickcjoe@gmail.com / fadacjay@gmail.com
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