Your Faith Has Made You Well

Ten lepers were healed of their disease. Ten cried out for help, and ten were answered. As the story goes.

Ostracized people standing at a distance (always at a distance), on the outskirts of the village, excluded. We are not welcome there was their commonality.

Makes one wonder what the chatter in town was like about these outsiders, these scary folk on the edges, these dirty folk who don’t fit.

Makes one wonder what the religious folk had to say at the well and in the marketplace and in the carpool line. How dare these people try to come into our village. Who are they, anyway? And what about our children? These people aren’t clean…

Makes one wonder what the religious folk thought when they saw someone actually talking to these outsiders at the outskirts of the city gates.

What the leprous outcasts wanted was mercy – “Master, have mercy on us,” they said, wondering if anyone was listening.

There is good news in a story like this: there’s always someone listening. Someone imbued with the power of Heaven heard them and healed them. It’s as simple as that, as the story goes.

The newly-cleansed looked down at their fresh, new skin and ran back to town, ran back to the norm, ran back to tell the religious folk they were good enough now to return to the fold.

Nine healed people ran back to town.

One stayed back. Only one took a long look at the clean skin of his arm, his fresh hand. One saw the gift. One fell to his knees, fell on his face at the feet of the Healer and gave Him thanks.

One acknowledged the giver. And the gift.

“Where are the other nine?” the Healer asked. “Weren’t ten healed?”

Ten were healed, but only one gave thanks. Perhaps the other nine were too busy, perhaps they were ready to forget their troubles and move on.

Perhaps they were angry that they’d had the problem in the first place, and got right back to the important business of complaining about the inequity of things.

Without question, they failed to acknowledge the truest truth – it’s all a gift.

All of these people were healed of their disease, but only one was made whole. The grateful one, the one whose heart held gratitude, no matter the circumstance.

Thankfulness is the key to a life that is full.  Thankfulness is the key to living well. Thankfulness is the key to being whole.

“Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Gratitude is the path. As the story goes.

 

Luke 17:11-19