Lepers are untouchable. I don’t mean that they’re considered superstars…just the opposite. People shunned them. For good reason too. They carried a highly communicable disease with horrible consequences.
Many of us today aren’t familiar with the terrible suffering caused by infectious disease, as many of the killers of the past like TB, flu, pneumonia, etc are treatable. Back in Jesus day, such conditions took their toll hard.
Who wants to cozy up to the unhealthy, the unclean, or the invalid? Jesus’ mission was to seek and save those that were lost. This includes those that society marginalizes.
But here is what the world doesn’t understand…Jesus isn’t content with the stranger or wounded remaining in the leper colony. He wants to bring them peace, remove their sins, and address their physical problems. He not only brings outward healing, but God oriented change.
God’s servants must cast a wide, inclusive net, but never forget that our work is not to merely “help people.” We certainly offer aid to all, even those who reject our message and even those who consider us the enemy. But we always point to the Master as the source of ultimate healing and accountability.
