Stephen Mansfield begins Chapter 6 (“Truths for Getting Whole”) of Healing Your Church Hurt by drawing on Jesus’ cleansing the ten lepers, as found in Luke 17: 11-19. Stephen notes that the Greek word for “cleansed” is katharizo, meaning to “make clean”, to remove “physical stains and dirt, as in the case of utensils.” In other words, it means to make the surface or exterior clean.
The one leper who returned to thank Jesus knew he must declare God’s splendor, even risking stoning to do so- because the priests hadn’t yet pronounced him clean and he was a despised Samaritan. It is then that Jesus tells the leper that he has been “made well”. But the Greek word used by Luke is sozo, meaning that the leper had been made whole, “saved” from the effects of the disease, and not just the disease itself. Jesus first cleaned the surface and then cleansed the leper inside.
The author adds that we are like those ten lepers who experienced a surface cleansing. As we forgive, God is cleaning up our mess and starting to make our life right again. Now it is time to have the effects of our wounding lifted on our inner lives as well- to put ourselves, as Stephen states, in a position to welcome a deeper work of God.
Today’s question: What might you experience as the Holy Spirit begins a “deeper work of God” in you? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Invaders from another planet?”