Then he said to him, ‘Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.’” vs. 19
Luke 17:15-19
Sometimes the details in the gospel’s healing stories are important. In this instance we note that Jesus never touched the lepers. Nor does he offer any prayer for their healing. He simply told them to go and show themselves to the priests which was the standard prescription in the book of Leviticus for dealing with any kind of skin disease. But according to Luke as they were on the way to see the priests they saw they were already healed. And when one of the lepers, a Samaritan, turns back to thank Jesus, Jesus sends him on his way saying that his faith had made him well. There are many in today’s healing professions who understand what Jesus meant. Physicians know that faith is an important ingredient in the whole healing process. Without it people can waste away no matter what is being done for them. And with faith miraculous recoveries are made. That’s the innate mystery of healing! And that’s why we pray when someone is ill! There’s power in communal prayers and while they don’t guarantee recovery, they do make a difference. Of course, ultimately, we are going to come up against some disease or condition that will hasten our endings. That’s pretty much inevitable. But there’s also no doubt that faith affects the whole person and even increases the days of our lives.
Thought for the Day: How is my faith making me well?
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