Luke 17:11-14

“When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.” vs. 14

For centuries there has been a powerful social stigma attached to leprosy. Those who contracted it were isolated, sometimes by moving them to leper colonies, or, as happened in Jesus’ day, by having them leave community. Separated from family and friends they would wander through the countryside in small groups, totally dependent on handouts for survival. As one familiar with the laws of Leviticus Jesus knew that a simple healing would not be enough. The priests held the keys of restoration, and even a healed leper had to submit to their examination before being welcomed home. That’s just how it is with communities, and Jesus doesn’t protest the procedures. He knows the rules and follows them. We have our ways of dealing with reconciliation too. When someone has been separated from family or community it’s not just a matter of showing up at the front door again. There’s bound to be an examination or at least a period of testing to ensure that the purported repentance or healing has genuine depth. The good news is that lepers can come home again. So can drug addicts and alcoholics and prodigals of every kind. But then comes the test and maybe some waiting, and that’s always the tricky part. And the chances of restoration are always better when Jesus has been involved.

Thought for the Day: What’s the best test for knowing if healing is genuine?