Obedience the Heart of Faith

Luke 17: 11 - 19
HEALTH AND WHOLENESS
A Story of Healing

A story in Luke's Gospel- an incident that happened 2,000years ago- may seem pretty disconnected to life as we live it here inthe 21st century. But there are windows in this particular story that let light shine on the pathways we all must walk. The story of the healing of ten lepers is not as remote as you might think.

I. WHEN THEY CALLED OUT, JESUS RESPONDED
Hopeless, isolated by law, absorbed by their own troubles a small band of lepers skulked around the borders of Galilee and Samariain the northern regions of the Holy Land. They were not only sickwith an incurable disease, they were marked as untouchables, kickedout of fellowship with anyone except other lepers. They foraged forfood. They begged at a distance for anything and everything theyneeded. But the one thing they really needed, the one thing thatmakes life worth living-- hope-- was already lost.
Until Jesus came along, that is. A tiny spark of hopeprompted the ten lepers to approach as near as they could and make along distance shout for help.
"Jesus, master, have mercy on us!"
It may have been just a tiny spark of hope. It may have beenjust a long distance prayer. But that cry was heard.
The response from Jesus was not as spectacular as they mighthave hoped. But it was a response. Jesus heard. And Jesus told themwhat to do. It was a "next step." It had to do with getting legalpermission to re-enter society.
"Go show yourselves to the priests!"This window in the story lets the light in that reveals this truth:Wherever you are God's Word can reach you. You don't need to be lostone more day.

II. AS THEY WENT THEY WERE MADE CLEAN
The story next tells us that as they went, they were cleansed.They had called. Jesus had responded with a brief command. After he spoke they may have looked at their leper sores. Just after Jesusspoke they were exactly the same as they were before he spoke. Theywere still unclean lepers.
But Jesus had told them what to do. They decided they had nothing to lose. They started out to find a priest.And as they went . . . as they walked along . . . they sensedsomething wonderful was taking place. They were changing.
The shaft of sunlight through this window shows us that:
Obedience is faith in action; we cannot obey God and stay in bondage.
The healing of the lepers is remarkably like one of our Old Testament favorites, the story of Naaman and Elijah. Naaman was not poor and socially outcast like these ten lepers. He was a wealthySyrian warrior. But the fact remains he was a leper and knew he wasgoing to die. You remember the story: when Naaman finally found the prophetof God, or rather, found where he lived, the prophet, Elijah, sent hisservant out to tell this wealthy leper to go and dip himself seventimes in the Jordan River.
No dramatics. No incantations. Just a word to obey. Itseemed too easy: simply wash and be clean. Naaman struggled with thesimplicity of it. But it was God's Word. And as he obeyed, Naamanwas made clean of his leprosy.
It seems so simple to call out to God and be saved. It seemstoo easy just to confess our sins and trust that God is as good as hisword and will forgive and cleanse us. Do you remember the lines fromthat old gospel song?:
Chiefest of sinners Jesus will save
All He has promised that will he do.
Wash in the fountain opened for sin
"And I will pass, will pass over you."

III. ONE CLEANSED LEPER RETURNED TO GIVE PRAISE TO GOD
There is one more window open in this narrative: Theimportance of worship.
Sickness has a way of turning us in on ourselves. We becomeabsorbed with our symptoms. We tell about our hospitalprocedures. Sickness is often very self-centered. (I plead guiltyfrom time to time.) Wellness is more than an absence of illness. Itis the quality of being vibrantly alive. God's goal for you and me ismore than being free from sin. More than not suffering for our sins.It is wholeness.

The goal of God's grace is not simply to save us from the damage of sin, but to set us free from our own selfish ego. We arenot just saved so we can pursue our own selfish agenda, but so that wecan discover God, and take our place in the circle of His family.

God does not save us just to make us clean or good. He sharesHis life so that we can come into his home and be part of his family.He takes away our sin so we can be happy in his Presence. The end ofsalvation is more than forgiveness and cleansing, it is fellowshipwith God and the whole family of God.

"If we confess our sins, (God) is faithful and just to forgiveus our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (Then,) "Ifwe walk in the light, as (Christ) is in the light we have fellowshipone with another and the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us(**continually keeps us clean**) from all sin." (1 John 1:7,9)

This Samaritan outcast leper closed the circle of grace thatday of his cleansing. He actually got out of his own way! The centerof his existence was changed. Instead of orbiting around his illness,and his very considerable pain, now he worshiped the God who had sethim free. And that gratitude completed his healing for the moment.As he worshiped he was made whole.

In the Old Testament story Naaman passed the gratitude test aswell. He had been really reluctant to obey the simple command to washand be clean. But then as he obeyed he was cleansed; and to hiseverlasting credit he did not simply rush back to Syria shouting andcelebrating. Instead he returned to the home of Elijah to givethanks.This last window lets in the light that:Worship, thanks, gratitude bring us near to our God.

If this seems too very simple, well maybe it is. Butsometimes I need to remember the very most simple of lessons:
When I call Jesus hears me! (He will hear you, too, whereveryou are!)
As I do what he shows me to do, I will be set free! (Are youwalking in all the light you know?)
When I tell Him "Thank You!" I am made whole!

Prayer: Lord, Help us to give You thanks from our hearts! Amen