October
13 Luke 17.11-19 “Faith Heals” Pastor Jacqueline Hines
Health
care is a big topic in our news right about now. In fact, there is a dog-eat-dog fight going
on for health care here and in every corner of the world. We all want the same
thing, and when we work together and share together, good things happen.
Pages
and pages of the Bible are dedicated to details about health issues such as
infectious disease, emotional well-being, sewage systems, and food handling. Health
is emphasized in the Bible because health matters to all of God’s creation.
But,
talking about health care is like talking about oil and diamonds. Politics and profit always get mixed in the
conversation. It was the same way for the ten lepers in Luke’s gospel that we
read about today. They knew Jesus. That
was political in itself. We don’t hear them crying out “unclean, unclean,
unclean.” They were required by law to do so in order to protect everyone else
from getting leprosy - that bacterial infection that affected the nerves.
Instead, they cried out, “Jesus, master, have mercy on us.” They wanted help
for their lives, so they called Jesus.
Don’t
we also ask Jesus to have mercy upon us? Think about it. Every pain we have,
every diagnosis, every wounded feeling, every broken relationship, every
injury, everything that is out of order gives
us reason to cry out, “Jesus, master, have mercy upon us.” Our hope is kindled
when we cry out for Jesus’s help. Our healing begins when we acknowledge him as
master.
Jesus
heard the ten lepers crying out to him and immediately their lives were
changed for the better from the inside out. Simply asking for Jesus’ help
stirred up the healing process in them. When Jesus saw them, he said to
them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they
were made clean.
It
was customary for those who had a scaly itch, a weeping wound, a swelling bump,
or any unpleasant ailment or situation that we can think of to get treatment by
going to the priest. They were directed to go to the priest to get checked out,
to get diagnosed, to get cleared to return to work and a normal routine.
They
knew God was their source of healing. This was written in stone, so they were
to go to the priest because the priest was the stand-in for God. No doubt, that
scriptural direction is an inspiration for the Catholic tradition of going to
the Priest. The priest would ask all kinds of questions about lifestyle, and relationships;
eventually those with ailments would confess something that they needed to let
go of in order to help them regain their health and wellbeing. This confession in
its broadest sense is good for the soul, and revealing one’s
shortcomings and ridding oneself of a guilty conscience is great for our
physical health.
Luke
says, as they were on their way to see the priest as Jesus instructed them, THEY
WERE MADE CLEAN. In the Greek, to be made clean means to be cleansed from physical stains as well as to have a clean bill of health because of
one’s hygiene and moral behavior; to be made clean is to be free from
defilement and faults, purified from wickedness, free from guilt of sin, consecrated and
dedicated. Doing what Jesus guides us to do is to be on a path that is great
for our health and wellbeing.
One
of the ten lepers SAW THAT HE WAS HEALED. All the lepers were made
clean, but Luke makes a point to say that one leper recognized that he was not
only clean, but he was healed. The Greek word for healing in this text meant
that he was no longer a slave to sin.
Whenever
we ask God’s help and the day comes when we are finally free from a rough
responsibility, a sad situation or a sickening sin, we naturally get so
excited. We might even do what this one leper did. He raised his voice and
nothing was even wrong; he bowed at Jesus feet like we humbly bow at the altar
for communion. He was grateful, and so are we.
All
ten lepers were made clean. Only one was specifically described as being healed,
and when that healed one turned around and expressed gratitude at the feet of
Jesus, Jesus went on and did what a priest would do, he declared him well and
told him to go on his way. He said, “Your faith (your trust in God) has made
you well.”
The
word “well” is to be made safe and sound. It indicates that one has been
rescued, or saved from danger and destruction. To be made well is to be restored.
To be well involves a lifestyle of holy habits that begin with gratitude and
humility that make all the difference in the world and in our health.
On
this “bring-a-friend” Sunday, we are here because we have a friend in Jesus. We
have all called upon him for mercy and help. When we follow where he leads us,
our lives get cleaned up. When we take a good look at how beautiful and beloved
God has created us to be, our lives grow better and healthier. When we see the
great work God is doing within us, we are in awe and we long to worship and
give thanks. As friends, we bask in the sunshine of God’s love for all of us,
and our love for God and for each other. May it be so forever. Amen.
