Adventurous Lectionary – The Healing You Need is Here – October 12, 2025
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c and Psalm 111, 2 Timothy 2:8-15, Luke 17:11-19
I have chosen the secondary Hebraic/First Testament passage for this Sunday because I believe it more relevant and universal than the Jeremiah passage in its reflection on the nature of healing and the impediments we put in the way. Sometimes we would do we to follow the counsel, “Keep it simple, stupid,” than get in the weeds of complex and expensive solutions, whether we are speaking of the politics health, relationships, spirituality, or congregational life. As I write, we are in the midst of a government shutdown: while the long term solutions are challenging – efficient, effective, and fiscally responsible government. For self-proclaimed Christians, the answer is simple – feed the hungry and heal the sick, that is, protect children’s food programs and ensure that health care is universal and affordable, if not free, for some members of society.
The story of Naaman is our story. He has a skin disease that is driving him crazy. He wants relief but he wants it on his terms. When the prophet says to dip in the Jordan, he’s outraged. He wants a miracle cure, a spa, a high-priced treatment worthy of his station, and he gets an ordinary remedy anyone get. He rejects Elisha’s counsel, “Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage.
Still dealing with his excruciating itch, he is challenged by his servants, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
The healing he needs is right in front of him. And the healing we need is right in front of us. I tell my grandchildren, “you’re smart, but if you want to get good grades, you have to study, and if you still have problems, swallow your pride and ask the teacher.” As a parent, I’ve learned that good parenting is straight forward, “If you want quality time, spend quantity time, and listen to your child in ordinary settings.” For some of us, it is “take your medicine,” “exercise more,” “eat less,” “listen to your partner.” For our “Christian” leaders, it is ”listen to Jesus, read Matthew 25:31-46 and Luke 4:18-19 and follow the directions.”
God wants to heal us, not harm us. We don’t need supernaturalism. The keys to healing and wholeness of body, mind, spirit, and relationships are right in front of us. The path to a Great Society is found in liberty and justice for ALL and concern for the vulnerable and poor as well as the wealthy and privileged.
In the Gospel reading, ten men with skin disease, which has rendered them ritually and socially unclean, are healed by Jesus. They cry for Jesus’ mercy, and he sends them on their way with the message to show themselves to the priests and get their seal of approval to return to society and temple. One returns, a foreigner. Perhaps he recognizes that he can’t go to the priest because he is an outsider. He has only one place to go, back to Jesus. Jesus responds: hen Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? So where are the other nine?8Did none of them return to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
Jesus singles out the foreigner, the immigrant, the undocumented worker, the outsider for his affirmation. The others followed directions, but they failed to acknowledge the ultimate source of healing. In this time of state-sponsored trauma of undocumented residents, every self-proclaimed Christian from Speaker Mike Johnson and down the list, best read this. God is unconcerned with citizenship when it comes to healing and hospitality. The war on immigrants is, according to this scripture, a war on Jesus, who extends his healing to all and wants us to do likewise in our personal and political lives.
Jesus’ final words to the grateful foreigner describe a healing that joins body, mind, spirit, and relationships, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.” That is God’s word to us: there is healing right in front of us and when we follow God’s path to healing, we will find wholeness, and our wholeness is completed by gratitude.
Where do you need healing? Where does your congregation need healing? Perhaps, start simply with what’s right in front of you and obvious and then as you move forward thank God every step of the way.
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Bruce Epperly is Theologian in Residence at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, Bethesda, MD (https://www.westmorelanducc.org/) and a professor in theology and spirituality at Wesley Theological Seminary. He is the author of over 80 books including: “Homegrown Mystics: Restoring the Soul of Our Nation through the Healing Wisdom of America’s Mystics” (Amazon.com: Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America’s Visionaries: 9781625249142: Epperly, Bruce: Books) “Jesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet “(Jesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet: Epperly, Bruce: 9781625248732: Amazon.com: Books Bruce Epperly is Theologian in Residence at Westmoreland Congregational United Church of Christ, Bethesda, MD (https://www.westmorelanducc.org/) and a professor in theology and spirituality at Wesley Theological Seminary. He is the author of over 80 books including: “Homegrown Mystics: Restoring the Soul of Our Nation through the Healing Wisdom of America’s Mystics” (Amazon.com: Homegrown Mystics: Restoring Our Nation with the Healing Wisdom of America’s Visionaries: 9781625249142: Epperly, Bruce: Books) “Jesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet “(Jesus: Mystic, Healer, and Prophet: Epperly, Bruce: 9781625248732: Amazon.com: Books. His latest book is “Healing the World: Whitehead, Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure on Spirituality and Planetary Transformation” (Healing the World: Whitehead, Francis, Clare, and Bonaventure on Spiritual and Planetary Transformation: Epperly, Bruce G: 9781631999468: Amazon.com: Books)
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