HEALING : One Out of Ten

Luke 17:11-19

Ten men came to Jesus. At first, at a distance, as they would with anyone, so that their skin disease wouldn't scare them off. But then, they made their plea for help. Jesus sees this, and gives them instructions, which they follow: show yourselves to the priests, you'll be clean before you get there. Result: all ten left to do as required, and as they were leaving, all of them were being cured of the disease.


However, one of them turned around (Greek hypostrephô). No little term here: in Acts 22:13-17, the apostle Paul uses it to describe his own change of life direction. The one leper came back to thank Jesus, throwing himself at Jesus' feet. That's not just thanks, it's worship; it's not just that, it's touch. It's a level of closeness that the man hadn't experienced since getting the disease. Jesus then says, "Your faith has made you well".


What did Jesus mean by that? All ten were cured, made clean of the disease. No small act for even a celebrated healer, and no small thing for any of the ten men, a turning point in their lives. But only the one who turned away from everything else and gave full-out praise, only that one was declared "well". By way of his worship of Jesus, he opened up to God's wide panorama of what it means to be made whole. Notice that he's not thanking the other nine lepers, nor was he heaping praise on the strangers around him, not even of the disciples who were with Jesus - the ones Jesus originally was addressing at the start of this scene. No. He went back 'praising God', and 'thanked' Jesus - to him, the two things were pretty much the same. This now ex-leper saw, and understood. He was no longer one among the label 'the sick', no longer one of ten in misery that was company. He was himself - finally! And he knew who he belonged with. The act of returning to Jesus was an act of faith, and that faith made him "well" - wholly a part not only of the society around him, but also the Kingdom of God, which is the very definition of what it means to be "well" and whole. God is not just paying attention, but is hard at work all of human life. The ex-leper now knew this from his own skin. There was no separation of being healed of a medical illness and spiritual healing, to him it was all just healing, and he was joyous over it. He goes, but not just in a self-beneficial obedience like the other nine. He goes as living, breathing evidence of Jesus' ministry and work on earth and beyond.


This sense of being "well" comes in the context of the kingdom. In the immediate case, it means wellness in the context of core matters and acts of faith, such as confession and forgiveness, bearing one's cross, and self-giving to others.

http://www.spirithome.com/healings.html#godtalk