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Sunday, June 12            Kristina Abbott            Healing and Relationships
Luke 17:11-19
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Jesus Heals Ten Men With Leprosy
Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Faith is something I am continually working on. It seems like one of the biggest oxy morons to call yourself a Christian with a diagnosed anxiety disorder. I mean, if I let it all be and left my worries at God’s feet, how much simpler would my life be! I am human, I am a worry wort – a product of living in a hypervigilant state my entire childhood. I do think that my faith in adulthood has helped tremendously … but there’s always a little inkling inside that analyzes and asks “why”, “what if” and thinks about every possible scenario when trying to decide on something important.
If I were to become plagued with some terrible disease, I’d WebMD every symptom, consult all the doctors, confide in family and friends before I just waltzed off to show myself to an unknown priest. I would be a terrible character in the story of the ten lepers. Heck, if I have a persistent headache, I’m convinced I have a brain tumor or blood clot in my brain.  If my skin was a wreck and sloughing off, I’d probably be distracted while Jesus was talking and instructing. I’d be analyzing my diet, stress levels and factor my findings into my skin symptoms. My brain’s continual navigation down multiple rabbit holes is one of those things I’d love an off switch to. And truth be told, I know exactly what that off switch is … it’s faith. 
I admire the bravery of the ten lepers. They pleaded for pity, they probably looked hideous and felt physically awful; grasping at the only one they knew who could help them. I imagine they were hoping to be met with a healing prayer, and they were told to go elsewhere. Not out of malice, or spite – Jesus knew their hearts, he knew their needs, and he knew exactly what needed to be done for healing. Those ten lepers, who knows if they went begrudgingly, or not. I could analyze their possible mental and emotional state by being told to go see the priests, but I won’t. I will praise them for their faith though! I think the beautiful part of this story is the one leper who returned to thank Jesus for healing him. The imagery I see in my mind is that one leper who was probably in pain, probably annoyed to go find these priests but his faith conquered, and he was rewarded. 
Questions for Discussion:
1.    What does Faith look like to you? What is your biggest struggle in your faith? Why is faith important?
2.    Describe a time when you had to rely on faith, what was the reward/outcome?
3.    How do you think the lepers felt being told to the priests? How do you think Jesus felt when only one returned?

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