Wholeness Pt 1: Deeper Dive Social Outcasts

Word of Wisdom Blog Post: Wholeness (10 Lepers)

“There is something in the depths of our being that hungers for wholeness and finality.”

Thomas Merton, No Man Is an Island

Humanity longs for wholeness, being healthy in body, soul, and spirit. When we look in the mirror, the only part of this human trinity we see is our body. We don’t see our spirit or soul, but we sense them. For example, the emotions we feel, the thoughts we think, and the desires we have originate from our soul. Our intuition, the deeper gut feeling we have, originates from our spirit. Wholeness is having manageable stress levels, minimal physical ailments, enjoyable relationships, a secure connection to God, and inner peace. We feel empty and incomplete if we lack any of these.

There are several places in the Bible (King James Version) that directly mention wholeness. In the next few blog posts, we’ll explore some of them. In the first of these Biblical encounters, we’ll witness a leper who’s not just being healed, but being made whole by Jesus. Jesus was interested in his total wellbeing (spirit, soul, and body), not just his physical health.

Wholeness is Better than Healing (Luke 17:11-19)

To provide context for the scripture concerning the lepers, in Biblical times, lepers were people with an incurable skin disease which could eventually leave them maimed and with nerve damage. Consequently, they were treated as outcasts because the skin disease was also contagious (Leviticus 13:45-46). The priests were responsible for declaring a leper’s societal fate by labeling them clean or unclean.

In Luke 17:11-19, after ten lepers begged Jesus to have pity on them, Jesus sent them to the priest. As they were going to the priest, they were healed of their (otherwise incurable) condition. One of the men returned to thank Jesus, and Jesus told him his faith had made him whole. While the other nine leprous men were healed, the one who returned was the only one Jesus made whole.

I believe the ex-leper who returned to Jesus received more than restored health. His soul and spirit were renewed after suffering through a humiliating ordeal. I’m sure he suffered psychological damage because he couldn’t congregate with people (unless they were fellow lepers), much less, touch them. People would have shunned him because of his leprosy, which would prevent his human need for belonging from being fulfilled. In addition, lepers couldn’t worship in temples because they were quarantined in places outside the camp for the duration of their disease and they couldn’t come within six feet of non-lepers. Since worship was confined to the temple, the leper may have lost his God-connection.

The leper was made whole when he returned to Jesus. The scripture says the lepers were healed as they were on their way to the priest. But when one leper saw that he was healed before reaching the priest, he turned back, praising God. Perhaps the other nine lepers were simply obeying Jesus’ instruction to go to the priest, which wasn’t wrong. Afterall, they were healed. I believe the leper who returned to Jesus realized that his obedience to Jesus’ instruction provided his healing. This explains why Jesus commended him on his faith.

Whereas the ex-leper’s obedience to Jesus brought healing, his worship brought wholeness! Jesus restored his soul and spirit as he gave glory to God. Luke 17:15-19 reads:

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

The ex-leper’s wholeness meant that he no longer saw himself as a leper and he no longer battled with the stigma of being a leper. People probably still discriminated against him, but it didn’t faze him the way it used to. His soul was healed. What if he moved to a different part of town to start afresh? No one would know about his history with leprosy and he didn’t have to proclaim “unclean” as he went about in mainstream society. It would be as if he never experienced leprosy.

Wholeness helps us live life without the emotional scars of the past! Enjoying psychological and spiritual wellbeing in addition to physical wellness is a true blessing and the secret to living an abundant life.

There are similar accounts of wholeness in the New Testament, which we’ll explore in upcoming blog posts:

· John 4:5-42 describes a Samaritan woman who’d been married five times and was made whole.

· John 5:1-15 describes a man who had an infirmity for 38 years who was made whole.

· Mark 5:25-34 describes a woman with an issue of blood for 12 years who was made whole.

· Mark 10:46-52 describes a blind man was made whole when he encountered Jesus.

We’ll witness how Jesus made each person whole. Likewise, God knew that we’d be incomplete without Him because He built us with a need for spiritual fulfilment. He sent Jesus to earth to provide the spiritual connection we need to God. Today, the Holy Spirit is still connecting our spirit to God so we may experience wholeness.

Prayer:

Holy Spirit, we need you to make us whole. May the God of peace make us holy in every way, and may our whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NLT)

Exercise:

What does wholeness mean to you? Do you feel whole? Why or why not? What will you do differently to experience wholeness?

Fun Fact:

Today, leprosy is called Hansen’s disease and can be cured through antibiotics.

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Bye Bye Heartbreak explores four milestones to wholeness (acceptance, self-love, spiritual renewal, and new beginning) and inspires you with hope after breakup or divorce. Along with other soul- and spirit-nurturing actions, you’ll learn what wholeness is and how to:

· Rediscover who you are apart from your ex.

· Befriend yourself so you don’t feel lonely.

· Renew your spirit through intimacy with God.

· Take steps to create the life you want.

If you’re ready to wave bye-bye to the excruciating pain, regret, shame, and disappointment and create a new, delightful chapter of your life, this book is for you. Click on the following book title to access Bye Bye Heartbreak.

Resources:

More information about Hansen’s Disease:

https://www.cdc.gov/leprosy/world-leprosy-day/index.html

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/portrait/temple.html

Scriptural references are from the American King James Version unless otherwise noted.