“And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.” Luke 5:12-13
In Bible times, people with leprosy were treated as social and spiritual outcasts. They had to leave their homes and families and live outside the town limits. They wore ragged clothing and forced to keep their faces covered. When anyone came near them, they would cry “Unclean.” No one wanted to get close for fear they would contact the disease. But Jesus looked on them in compassion.
Jesus not only allowed the man to come near to Him, but He reached forth His hand and touched him. I can imagine the crowd backing away in horror to think that Jesus would do this. The man received immediate healing. Jesus told him to go and show himself to the priest as required. How joyous his family must have been to receive him back home whole again.
Again, in Luke 17, we have the story of the ten lepers that met Jesus as He was passing through Jericho. In this instance they stood back and called out to Him for mercy.
Luke 17:14 “And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.”
Another group considered as outcasts were the tax collectors. And yet Jesus took time to reach out to them. He called Matthew to be one of His disciples. Today we have the Gospel of Matthew to read and to inspire us because Jesus cared. Also remember the story of Zaccheus. He was so eager to see Jesus that he climbed a tree. Jesus saw him, told him to come down because he was going to his house for dinner. Zaccheus made restitution to the people he had wronged.
Because Jesus saw beyond the reputation these groups had in their communities, their lives changed and they had new hope for their future.
Thought For Today: Jesus is still changing lives today. He looks beyond what the world sees and looks into hearts. He sees the potential that is there, and in His love and mercy meets them where they are and uses them for His glory.
Devotion by: Anne Johnston
