Reading for Proper 23C:
Luke 17:11-19
October 14, 2001
The Rev. Karen Siegfriedt
St. Jude the Apostle Episcopal Church, Cupertino,
CA
This week, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Luke. Tradition tells us that Luke was a physician and companion of St. Paul. He is the author of the gospel of Luke (which we read today) and the author of the Book of Acts. As I began to write this sermon on healing and wholeness in light of this feast day, I heard about the fourth case of Anthrax contamination which happened in NYC. I also heard of the crowds of people who flocked to emergency rooms to be treated for possible infection. The first thing that came to my mind was not that they needed a 60-day regime of antibiotics but rather that they needed an antidote to fear. When St. Luke the physician left his medical practice for the preaching life, he did not stop carrying his black medical bag. He simply repacked it, taking out the bandages, the tincture of iodine, the sutures and scalpel, to make room for the medicine of the gospel (i.e. the healing stories and the good news in Christ.) There is a path from a place of fear to a place of love. This path was shown to us by Jesus and is recorded in the gospels. So let us turn to Scripture to gain some insight into health and wholeness.
In the Bible, there are all sorts of stories about plagues, diseases, and healings. For instance, if you turn to Chapter 9 in the Book of Exodus, you can read about an anthrax outbreak among the cattle in the land of Egypt. Anthrax (as you know) is a disease transmitted from animals to human beings. If you turn to the gospel of Luke, you can read stories about Jesus' healing of people afflicted with leprosy, paralysis, edema, epilepsy, a withered hand, and blindness. Now the purpose of these stories in the Bible is not to give us detailed medical explanations or subsequent scientific treatment for medical problems. If you want to know how to treat Anthrax, Hansen's Disease (i.e. leprosy), or the latest issues in the field of ophthalmology, then I have other books in my library for you to read. The purpose of these stories in Scripture is to remind us of the connection between [the condition of our soul, the level of our faith, the healing power of God,] and our total health and wholeness.
In today's story, ten lepers with torn clothes, messy hair, relegated to the outskirts of society, get a glimpse of Jesus. They cry out, "Lord have mercy on us." It is not clear from the text what kind of mercy they were asking for. Since most lepers were beggars (because they were forbidden to work alongside a clean person), asking for mercy usually meant asking for money. But perhaps they knew of Jesus' gift of healing and were asking for some kind of mercy in the healing department. The first step in any healing process is to know what the real need is and to go to the appropriate place for help. So many people do not understand why they are sick. They do not get below the surface of their symptoms and often seek for an easy cure by taking a pill. But true healing usually takes more than a pill. In fact, the greatest impediment to good health for most of us, is not in the lack of vaccines, antibiotics, or poor HMO's. The greatest impediment to health and wholeness for most of us, is the belief that the body, mind, and spirit are separate entities that are not interconnected. If there is an emotional or spiritual problem going on, you can be sure that the body will be affected in some way. It might not happen immediately but an insult to the soul or mind has deep implications to the body. That is why we need to take care of our spiritual and emotional health as much as we take care of our physical health.
When Jesus hears their cry for mercy, he is filled with compassion. He stops and takes the time to share his gift of healing. In 1st century Palestine, a leper remained "unclean" until he went to the priest who would examine the skin and determine whether or not the person could re-enter society. These 10 lepers must have had a lot of faith because when Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priest, they left before the healing actually took place. It was only when they were on their way that they were made clean. Faith in the healing power of God is an integral part of the healing process.
Now I am not suggesting that if we have faith, then our disease will be wiped away and that if we don't have enough faith, then the disease will kill us. That is magical thinking. However, the power of God working through us can do more that we can ever hope of imagine. Let me give you an example. Fr. Thomas Keating is a monk who advocates the healing method of contemplative prayer. Contemplative prayer is a way of cleaning out the garbage that sits in the unconscious and raises its ugly head, causing all sorts of havoc with the mind and body. I know of a young man who is almost 20 who can't hold a job, lives at home, and expects his mother to take care of him. His father committed suicide when he was young. Unfortunately, he has allowed this event to define who he is. An entire energy center, a false personality, has developed deep within as a result of this traumatic event. Even though he is now an adult, he has taken on the personality of "an orphan" who wants others to take care of him. Unconsciously, he does not believe that he can take care of himself. This is both a spiritual and emotional problem. If left untreated, it will affect his health in the future. If this young man was aware of the spiritual life and the healing power of God, he could engage in contemplative prayer, get rid of that false self - that energy center which paralyzes him from moving forward in his life, and begin life anew. This beginning life anew is at the core of forgiveness.
After the 10 lepers were made clean, one returned to express his gratitude and to praise God from whom all blessings flow. Gratitude is perhaps the most potent medicine there is for health and wholeness. Gratitude is a primitive need of the soul. It is the joyful human response to all that comes to us. In fact, gratitude is the best barometer of spiritual health. If you are grateful for your blessings and give thanks on a daily basis, then you are truly on the spiritual path. The great thing about gratitude is, that it is easy to practice. Begin by listing 5 things you are grateful for before you go to bed each night. Then extend the practice of gratitude to the morning and afternoon and let others know of your gratitude. Unlike anthrax, gratitude can be contagious. Finally, I want to say something about health and wholeness that many people deny. We are all going to die. (Let's sit with that for a moment). No matter how spiritually enlightened or physically fit we may be, we are going to die. Some people die within hours of being born while others live past retirement. There are no guarantees that we will live to a ripe old age. To live in fear of death is a spiritual problem. As Christians, we believe that we are here on earth only for a short time and that life continues on in another dimension. So enjoy life now! Take care of business. Fill your life with love and joy, give thanks, and make the most out of each day.
St. Luke repacked his medical bag with the medicine of the gospel. We who have received this gospel through baptism have the power to become board certified spiritual healers. We are bearers of good news, partners in prayer, and icons of hope. So, "get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."
| Updated 10/14/01 |
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