The Bible talks of leper colonies, but says nothing about them–what it was like to live in one, how they functioned, etc. Because of the nature of the disease and the way it spreads, it would not be too difficult to assume that families resided there. Because of the nature of humanity and our need for community, it is easy to believe that a sort of community developed. So, when a leper decided to leave the colony to seek healing, it was not without a cost. The same is true when we seek emotional healing….there is a cost involved.
History shows us that leper colonies weren’t emptied of its inhabitants. One would think that once word spread of Jesus’ willingness and ability to heal such a dreaded disease, those living in those colonies would flock to Him for healing. But evidently, they didn’t. Was life in the colony so good that they stayed? I highly doubt it. Then why? Why not leave and seek the healing that so many had already received? I would imagine a small percentage actually liked the disease…to some degree. They enjoyed the pity of others; the handouts meant they didn’t have to work for a living, etc. For some, they may have grown accustomed to the disease and life in the colony. It was the only life they knew. They simply couldn’t imagine any other life. But, for many, the cost was too high. It meant leaving the only family, friends and community they knew with no certainty of family, friends and community in the healthy world.
People often respond to the possibility of emotional healing in similar ways. Some relish their pain, stroking it, embracing the victim mentality and basking in the sympathy of others. Some have grown so accustomed to life with their pain, they cannot imagine life any other way. And, for many, the cost is too high.
What are those costs? For the lepers, they were willing to lose some relationships if those with whom they related decided to not leave the colony. This is also a major cost of healing: relationships. Recently, I heard a brother explain this cost by saying that since the fall, we all function with some degree of dysfunction. It is normal to us….we often don’t realize we are even dysfunctional. Furthermore, we tend to associate with others of like dysfunctions and stay away from those whose dysfunctions we cannot tolerate or relate to. When one seeks healing, those in relationship with that person must find another way to relate to them. Sometimes they refuse and it cost the relationship. It happens in all sorts of relationships: marriages, parent/child, friendships, churches, businesses. Like the leper, we must be willing to heal even if family and friends decide not to follow…even if it costs us some relationships.
This is a cost we find hard to swallow, especially those observing. We can easily accept this truth when one spouse leaves another because the one no longer desires to live a sinful lifestyle that they have enjoyed together. However, we are not so accepting when it involves dysfunctions we cannot see or have grown accustomed to. We are so uncomfortable with this concept that we erroneously believe that because it caused division, it cannot be of God. The division is not of God…..the healing and growth is. The enemy uses it as an opportunity to cause division. It wouldn’t be the only scenario in which the enemy of our souls uses something good to cause division.
I’ve experienced such opposition since my healing that it has caused me to question if some would rather I live with leprosy-even those who have the responsibility of helping me grow and achieve health. When one has been healed of this type of leprosy, the excitement and passion cannot be contained….and that makes some uncomfortable. Sometimes the response is eerily similar to that of the Pharisees when Jesus healed someone. Rather than rejoicing that someone is healed of something that has crippled them for years, they questioned the validity of the healing because it didn’t match their long held beliefs. They could only see that He had healed on the Sabbath which made Him a lawbreaker and a lawbreaker cannot have power or authority from a righteous God to heal. They even questioned whether He had obtained His power from Beelzebub!
Another cost is that the process of learning to live in a healthy society can be difficult. It takes time-as well as some trial and error-to learn to relate without your dysfunction. Just like the first few moments on land after an extended time at sea, it takes some time for your walk to become steady. Unfortunately, there is little grace for adults in the midst of this process. Also, this causes greater doubt among the skeptics who are seeking reason to discredit your healing. There is the risk of unrealistic expectations being placed upon you. Just like a new sailor is ridiculed for his weak stomach and inability to walk on a rolling sea, there is a risk of mockery.
Yes, the cost is great for some….but not all. Not everyone must pay such a high price. But, everyone will pay a price. Healing comes with a cost. Only the one seeking healing can determine what cost he/she is willing to pay. We can all lessen the cost by not forcing those we know to make a choice between our relationship and their health/growth and by extending grace and mercy as they get their land legs back. We can determine to not partner with a Pharisaical attitude by expressing joy rather than skepticism and allowing time for the fruit of their healing to ripen before we judge its validity.
We can cry out, “Son of David, have mercy on me! If You are willing, You can make me clean!”. But, we also must ask ourselves if we are willing.
Trust me, it is so worth the cost!!