October 14th Reflection - Go in His healing - by Bill Lynch

Luke 17:11–19
Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ When he saw them, he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, ‘Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’

Reflection
As they went they were made clean. They were made clean as they took the words of Jesus to heart. They took Jesus' words and believed in Jesus. It's as if the journey began the cleansing process. They wanted the words of Jesus to be true. They believed the words of Jesus and went. Jesus accepted these unclean lepers as children of God and sent them on a journey. A journey that would cleanse them with the very words that Jesus had spoken. Jesus came to the lepers and gave them words of cleansing.

Like Naaman listening to the word of God through Elisha. Like Naaman finally believing in faith what a simple cure God had in store for his own leprosy, these lepers listened to the Word of God in flesh, Jesus, and went to be cleansed.

I am a leper too. Unclean and sinful. I am in need of cleansing. I wake up day after day to relive my baptism. To turn to Jesus and seek those cleansing waters of my baptism. I wake to Jesus to turn to hear his Word and do his will. I wake to Jesus to go on that journey with my priest with me all along the way and I believe in his Word that I will be made clean from my leprosy.

And yes, I too turn to the One God of the universe and proclaim a joy and thanksgiving for what only Jesus could do in my life. I bow to the feet of my Savior and thank him for all he has done. For his love I didn't deserve. His salvation was beyond me and what I am worth. With his own precious blood, worth more than anything else, he came to save me and to save you from the eternal leprosy of sin that we live with. Thanks be to God!

Prayer
Lord, I go this day in your Word to be healed of my disease and made clean through your loving action of grace and salvation. Thanks for your love and salvation. For you are my God and my Savior... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen