TOTAL HEALING

The healing of the ten lepers in the Gospel of Luke (17:11-19) reveals the gift of total healing that only Jesus can give by the power of His Words. It is important that we obey and trust in His Words because nothing is impossible to Him. He speaks and acts in the very person of the one true God. Faith is necessary for healing and salvation. It leads to gratitude, glory and praise. Biblical leprosy was treated as a death sentence and sign of God’s judgment and punishment. It was highly contagious so much so that lepers were isolated, excluded from society, families and worship community. They were invisible to society and reduced to begging. Instead for Jesus, nobody is invisible, leper, outcast and outsider. He sees our misery, pain and suffering. He brings healing and new life. The Samaritan leper healed by Jesus is a model of faith. Realizing he was healed, he returned glorifying God in a loud voice. He fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him. A Samaritan was considered outcast, enemy, hated and despised by the Jews. He was a godless pagan and did not belong to the chosen people of God. He was hated by the Jews because Samaritans engaged in inter marriages with the pagans. Yet this Samaritan was most deeply aware of God’s action in his life recognizing the power of God in Jesus. He saw what the other lepers failed to see. He saw that God and Jesus deserve praise and thanks. The return of the Samaritan leper healed by Jesus marks a new life of faith and worship centered in Jesus. He is the true object of praise and thanksgiving. He is the New Temple, not anymore the temple in Jerusalem. He is the new dwelling place of God. The Samaritan was not only healed but saved. He received total healing. Jesus said, “Stand and go; your faith has saved you!” It is a call to Resurrection, new life and to walk the way of Jesus. Total healing is to become like Jesus, undivided in love. It is to become whole, complete and persons of integrity. It is to imitate Jesus, His total self giving. It is to walk the way of Jesus, the way of total giving and loving to the end. There are many lepers in our society today. People we neglect, hate, condemn, and take for granted. There is racism, discrimination, prejudice, fear, ignorance and intolerance in our midst. We are called therefore to see that for God there are no lepers, outcast and outsiders. All are family. All have the same Father. All are His children. All are brothers and sisters. When we recognize and practice this truth, then we are already totally healed.