Jesus heals the lepers, Luke 17:11-19. November 13, 2019 by Corky

Dia Dhuit ( Hello)

Greetings friends, brothers & sisters on here. My offering for today comes from a background of a windy and cold island of Ireland today, as we transition into our Autumn/ Winter season. To our brothers and sisters in Australia, you are in my prayers, in respect to the Wildfires that you are currently experiencing in some parts of your land.

Today’s Reading for reflection is to be found in the Gospel, the book of Luke Chapter 17:11-19. Speaking of Jesus on the road, and healing the ten lepers.

Leprosy! A skin disease that when this event occurred, there was no cure for. To contact this disease was to receive a death sentence. Because it was a contiguous disease, that could be passed on by touch or embrace, those who suffered with it could not associate with others who did not. They were isolated from society. They were marginalised.

But they were known to form a fellowship among themselves, fellow suffers, who shared a common trial. Devoid of hope, day by day been eaten away . It must have felt hopeless. Help could only come from outside themselves.

This passage of Scripture, this ” Good News”. Questions me today. It reads me. It holds up a mirror to my soul. Do I suffer Leprosy? At first glance or thought I am answering of course not, that’s absurd!

Then I am thinking of leprosy of Spirit, of character, of behaviour. Do I doubt God? Do I half believe Him, in what He says about Himself and me? Do I honour God in the way I live my life? Is He Lord of my life? How does my day to day life as a Member of the God’s Squad Community line up with daily life of Jesus on the Road and in community? What’s my opinion or interaction with the marginalised? In this story we read of Ten men who cried out to Jesus and called him Master! Was He? or was He just their Saviour? , One who had saved them from a terrible disease , but not their Master. Not the Lord of their life,perhaps!

Still holding up this mirror to my soul, I examine further, do I suffer from the leprosy of unforgivness? Of taking offense? Of gossip? of a hard heart? What’s my relationship with my brother like? Is the condition of my Heart like the flesh of the Ten men spoken about here, rotting and stained, are the consequences of wrong choices and positions, eating me away day by day! If there is any chance that this is true, would it not lead me that To drive myself out, from those who love me? to form a fellowship with despair and hopelessness and isolation, like these Ten men?

In this passage we read that Jesus ” seen” these men. Here is the hope available to us all. Christ Jesus, see’s us! You and me, in our everyday lives. Yes! But He, as the great Physician who came to heal those who are sick, Jesus throughout the Gospel stories invests time to heal those who are sick. But, we too have a responsibility, a part to play. like the one man, of the Ten who ‘ seen’ that he was healed and went to thank Jesus. We must see ourselves , in our present condition . For this man to recognise that he was healed, he was obviously aware of what his condition was, when he was sick.

We are made for community, we are made to associate with each other, in a healthy loving and supportive way. God took me from a fellowship of Trial, hopelessness and helplessness. That’s part of my story. But! Look again to this passage. What responsibility did these men have? There was an instruction from Jesus! Go! and show yourself to the priests. Jesus is the Higher Priest, the Chief Priest. These men had to take a step of faith. It was in the turning to ” Go” that they received there healing. Jesus said that their faith ( in Him and what He could do,)made them well.

Lastly. I’m guessing like me, you live a busy life. Have I taken time, yes! Taken time, to thank God today? because I won’t just find it, I, personally have to make time to thank God. Only one of the Ten men returned to thank Jesus. Friends I have so much to be thankful for.

The photo that I have attached today, for me, depicts Community. Taken in Switzerland this year at our European Gods Squad CMC Run. This is my community and I thank God for them. If you are sick today, and you know it, if anything written here resonates with you and you see that you need healing or right relationship, with God. Or you are the marginalised, the outcast, dwelling in the community of isolation and despair. Do as these men did, cry out to Jesus, unlike them, we don’t need to stand from afar, as Scripture tells us that God is never far from any of us.

Slainte

Corky – Pilgrim chapter, Ireland