Jesus Heals Ten Men with Leprosy

The service today is about the Gospel Reading “Jesus Heals Ten Men with Leprosy”. Good health is, of course, of fundamental importance to humans. Therefore, the lessons taught by Jesus in the Gospel reading touch the lives of all of us today.

There have been questions presented in recent years by health care professionals that are relevant for discussion of this gospel reading. One of these questions is “Is there a relationship between health and spirituality”? The answer to this question will be discussed in the sermon today. This will help us to understand and appreciate the immense impact on our lives of considering our health holistically.

The current understanding of health is not limited to physical well-being but includes spiritual, psychological and physiological well-being or wholeness. The biblical understanding of God is as a God of love, mercy and compassion and Jesus is demonstrated vividly in his compassion for the troubled in spirit (Mark 1: 23). This is extremely encouraging and when, ministers visit patients, we think about the implications for the spiritual life of the patient that are being raised in our conversations. (Becker Arthur H. (1985) “The compassionate visitor´, Augsburg Publishing House Minneapolis).

As we would expect, spirituality depends upon an individual’s personal interpretation or worldview. Spirituality plays various roles in patients during their illness. It provides a sense of direction, new hope and inner peace, allowing patients to accept and cope with proper problems that cannot be solved. Most patients acknowledge that spirituality is an important part of their lives, providing a source of strength, hope and well-being, especially during illness or loss. (Van Leeuwen Rene (2007) ‘ Aspects of spirituality concerning illness: empirical studies’  Nordic College of Caring Science, Scandanavia).

Blessings and good health

Debra