The Grateful Leper

There are some experiences a mother never forgets ... experiences such as when all three of my children had chicken pox at the same time. Matt was seven, Brad was four, and Meghann was three when Matt came home from school one day and said he had a bunch of bug bites that itched really bad. Within just a few hours, he was covered with the itchy spots and running a high fever. And by the next evening, both Brad and Meghann had begun to blister and scratch ... that was a fun week for sure, almost as much fun as the week when all four of us got a stomach virus within a few hours of each other. But back to the chicken pox week ... I remember putting my kiddos into the tub so they could soak in oatmeal baths several times each day, and putting socks on their hands to keep them from scratching the itchy sores that covered their little bodies. There's one thing in particular that sticks in my mind, however, when I think about chicken pox week with my children ... the isolation that accompanied the illness. We were stuck in the house for a week, and my friends with children who had not yet had chicken pox certainly were not willing to walk through my door ... and for good reason. As I thought about when my kiddos had chicken pox, I began to think about a story from God's Word ... a story about 10 guys whose disease made chicken pox look like a walk in the park.

The story is found in Luke 17:11-19, and I especially like the way it is recounted in The Message translation. "It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!' Taking a good look at them, he said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus' feet, so grateful. He couldn't thank him enough -- and he was a Samaritan. Jesus said, 'Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?' Then he said to him, 'Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.'"

There are so many lessons in this story, friends ... so many lessons. Each time I read it, it seems that God speaks to my heart about something different and over the last week, He's been speaking to me in a big way about acceptance and faith ... in a really big way. Read the story again ... the only leper who returned to express his gratitude to Jesus was the outsider, the one who was different from all the others, the one who was considered a lesser member of society ... not because of his illness, but because of who he was ... a Samaritan ... a man scorned by the Jews because he was born a Samaritan. And yet, Jesus accepted him ... accepted him and healed him and commended him for his faith. Yep, it was the outsider ... it was the one who was the outcast who was the most grateful for the touch of Jesus.

A few days ago, one of my friends posted a song by Casting Crowns on Facebook ... a song that I immediately downloaded onto my iPod, and I've probably listened to it at least a hundred times. The lyrics are powerful ... and they are true ... and I think they should be sung in every church in every land. Jesus is the Friend of sinners, and those of us who call ourselves by His name ... those of us who are Christians ... should love like He does. We should put down our swords, open our hearts, stop judging, welcome the outcasts ... we should love like He does, friends ... we should love like He does.

"Jesus, Friend of sinners, we have strayed so far away
We cut down people in your name but the sword was never ours to swing
Jesus, Friend of sinners, the truth's become so hard to see
The world is on their way to You, but they're tripping over me
Always looking around but never looking up, I'm so double-minded
A plank-eyed saint with dirty hands and a heart divided

Oh Jesus, Friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus friend of sinners break our hearts for what breaks yours

Jesus, Friend of sinners, the One whose writing in the sand
Made the righteous turn away and the stones fall from their hands
Help us to remember, we are all the least of these
Let the memory of Your mercy bring your people to their knees
Nobody knows what we're for, only what we're against when we judge the wounded
What if we put down our signs, crossed over the lines and love like You did

You love every lost cause; you reach for the outcast
For the leper and the lame; they're the reason that You came
Lord, I was that lost cause, and I was the outcast
But you died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet

'Cause You are good, You are good And Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever
You are good, You are good and Your love endures forever

Oh Jesus, Friend of sinners
Open our eyes to the world at the end of our pointing fingers
Let our hearts be led by mercy
Help us reach with open hearts and open doors
Oh Jesus, Friend of sinners, break our hearts for what breaks Yours

And I was the lost cause, and I was the outcast
You died for sinners just like me, a grateful leper at Your feet."