Dear friends in Christ, grace and peace to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.

In scripture, there is a prescription for healing. In the book of Proverbs 17:22 we read that, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  This prescription can only lead to humorous anecdotes.  One day Jesus walked into a coffee shop, where he approached three sad-faced gentlemen at a table.  He greeted the first one. “What’s troubling you, brother?”  The man answered, “My eyes. I keep getting stronger and stronger glasses, and I still can’t see.” Jesus touched the man, who ran outside to tell the world about his now 20-20 vision.  The next gentleman couldn’t hear Jesus’ voice, so the Lord just touched his ears, restoring his hearing to perfection. This man, too, ran out the door, probably on his way to the audiologist to get a hearing-aid refund. The third man, an auto-worker, leapt from his chair and backed up against the wall, even before Jesus could greet him. “Don’t you come near me, man! Don’t touch me!” he screamed, “I’m on sick leave!  And I prefer to keep it that way.”

Or there is the story of Jesus making a quick return to earth for a visit. He came upon a lame man.  He had compassion on him and healed his leg. Further down the road, Jesus came upon a man who could not speak.  He had compassion on him, and healed him, and the man went off praising God. A little further down the road, Jesus came upon a man sitting on the curb sobbing his heart out. Jesus asked him what was wrong. The man cried out in agony, “I’m a pastor!” Jesus sat down beside him, put his arm around him… and cried too.

In this morning’s gospel reading, St. Luke the evangelist and physician, who had written plenty of prescriptions, seems to be struck by the ten lepers lack of cheer and their cry for pity.  Perhaps that was all the ten dared to ask for.  What more could they expect than a fragment of bread, a discarded robe, or a sympathetic glance as a gesture of mercy?   The lepers’ own families had abandoned them to the desolate frontier and their own clergy had declared them unclean with God’s judgment upon them.   As a physician, Luke wondered why the ten lepers hadn’t asked for more. They certainly were in want of more than the prescription for a cheerful heart. Their spirits were crushed.

Of course, we could pity the ten lepers for not knowing what they could ask for, but thank goodness Jesus knew what they needed.  For Luke, that is the beauty of the story.  Jesus showed the men mercy- even beyond their imaginations.  He heard their voices, and he told them to go and show themselves to the priests who had sentenced them to the “no man’s land.”   And to our delight, they went.

Now we could be a bit cynical, and say, “Well, why not?”  In times of need, many people turn to God.  In anxious times, when we do not know what tomorrow will bring, we turn to God.  Yes, even though we may seldom pray or acknowledge God’s presence in our lives, when our lives are tottering for reasons we cannot understand, we turn to God.  For many, sickness is a battle.

A friend of mine, however, who serves as the director of chaplaincy services at Regions Hospital in St. Paul has another insight.  Rob Ruff writes, “Another possibility (for battling an illness) is the metaphor of a journey. With this image, having an illness takes us on a trip, a journey that will be marked by twists and turns, ups and downs, unexpected detours, smooth stretches of roadway, seemingly impassable rocky paths, enemies that threaten us as well as loved ones who support us.  One is often changed even transformed by a journey.  We learn lessons along the way, lessons we may never have learned if we hadn’t been set on this challenging path.”

So, at the Great Physician’s invitation, and in spite of their doubts, misgiving and illness, the ten lepers took the first steps, and went on their way. Interestingly, the men were not healed while waiting. They were healed while they were on their journey.

Unfortunately, without the prescription for a cheerful heart and sense of hope, its hard for many of us to take those first step.  Even though the Bible portrays Jesus as a miracle worker, and we offer our petitions of intercession for those we love, for those wandering in the no man’s land of sickness, and sometimes for ourselves, we can become frustrated. Yes, we trust that miracles occur- and that people do rise again and give thanks for God’s mercy.  But we also know the discouragement and loss many people feel instead.  And so we wonder:  How do people remain faithful to God, when their prayers have left them empty?  Perhaps that is where you are on your journey today.

My friends, do not lose hope and do not let your spirit be crushed.  One truth I know and trust. Even from a distance, Jesus sees you, knows you and cares for you.  So be bold and confident and pray for what you need. I do not know what healing you are looking for in your life or for those you love. You need not be afraid that you are a stranger to God, or that you are a forgotten soul on the no- man’s land of God’s grace.  Be still and listen closely. Hear God’s voice speaking and calling you, follow his direction where ever that may lead you, for you will be healed on the way.

Surprisingly, as the ten lepers’ lives were healed, they kept right on going.  They didn’t turn back, but rather they went on their way to their rabbis, just as Jesus directed them.  Yes, as it happens so often in life, once men, and women and children receive what they want, they never turn back. The nine lepers went back to their families.  They were restored and welcomed to their communities, and then as the saying goes, “they moved on.”  All except for one- and he was a Samaritan.

St. Luke must have delighted in this little detail. Perhaps because he was a foreigner himself.  But it was also a word of wisdom that many of us overlook in the course of our journey with illness.  In order for true healing and wholeness to occur, we need to return to the place of greatest pain and sorrow.  We need to go back to the no man’s land to confront the dark midnight hour, and to announce that it no longer has power over us- and then we can give thanks to God for accompanying us on the journey and for giving us that victory.

My friends, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”  That is a good prescription for those who trust God to guide them.  Amen.

May the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.