The Daily: Tuesday November 25, 2025

Scripture

On his way to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), Creator Sets Free (Jesus) took the path following the border between High Place (Samaria) and Circle of Nations (Galilee). He went into a small village where ten men with a skin disease came across his path. They kept a respectful distance from him and called loudly, “Creator Sets Free (Jesus)! Honored One!” They pleaded, “Have pity on us!”

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked at them and said, “Go to the holy men and show yourselves to them.” (Tribal law instructed that a person healed of a skin disease must be pronounced ceremonially clean by a holy man.)

They did what he said, and as they were on the way, they were healed. 15One of the ten men, when he saw he was healed, returned to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), giving loud praise to the Great Spirit. He then bowed down to honor Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and offered him thanks. This man was from High Place (Samaria). (All the people from there were despised and looked down on by the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).)

Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to those who were watching, “Were not ten men healed? Where then are the other nine? Was the only one who returned to give thanks and honor to the Great Spirit an outsider from High Place (Samaria)?” Then he said to the man, “Stand up and be on your way. Your trust in me has healed you.” Luke 17:11-19


Wildman, Terry M.. First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament (p. 364). (Function). Kindle Edition.

While the season of Thanksgiving is an opportunity to root ourselves in gratitude, it is also a painful season for indigenous people and those who walk with them. In honor of them, our readings this week will be from the First Nations Version: An Indigenous Bible Translation of the New Testament.

There's a profound difference between being healed and being made whole. All ten lepers in Luke's story received physical healing - their bodies were restored, their social isolation ended, and they could return to normal life. But Jesus told the one who returned with gratitude something remarkable: "Your faith has made you whole." Wholeness goes deeper than fixing what's broken on the surface. It touches the core of who we are, addressing not just our circumstances but our very being. The grateful leper didn't just receive healing; he experienced transformation that reached into his soul. This distinction matters for us today.

We often pray for God to change our circumstances, fix our problems, or remove our difficulties. And sometimes, it seems, God does  that. But wholeness - true shalom - isn't dependent on perfect circumstances. It's about finding completeness and peace even when life remains complicated. When we cultivate gratitude, we're not just practicing positive thinking. We're opening ourselves to a deeper work of God in our lives. We're allowing Him to address not just what's wrong, but to restore what it means to be fully alive. This wholeness doesn't deny our struggles; it transforms how we carry them. The grateful leper walked away with more than healed skin. He carried within him a sense of completeness that would sustain him through whatever came next. That same wholeness is available to us.

Reflection Question
What would it look like for you to experience wholeness - not just healing of circumstances, but a deep sense of completeness - in your current situation?

Prayer
God of wholeness, I thank You that Your desire for me goes beyond fixing my problems. You want to make me whole. Help me to understand the difference between temporary relief and lasting transformation. Work in the depths of my heart to bring about the wholeness that only You can provide. Amen.