Leprosy.

It had ravaged his body, leaving behind deformed fingers, toes, ears, and nose.  He watched with despair as His appearance became unearthly.  But, the physical misery of leprosy was surpassed by the extreme social ostracism this disease incurred.  Because it was believed that leprosy was contagious through touch, he had become a social outcast.

 No longer permitted to embrace those he loved.

No longer welcome to join family celebrations.

No longer allowed to worship in the temple or enter the synagogue.

No longer able to earn a living, reduced to a life of a beggar.

His identity had been changed – from blessed to “unclean.”  He was not quarantined for 21 days, he was quarantined for life.  What years remained would mean living a rejected, lonely, desolate life.

No cure.

No mercy.

No hope.

But one day hopelessness was replaced with a glimmer of hope.  A man named Jesus was nearby and rumors had proven true; He was a healer.     Three of the four gospels document the healing of this leper, and in each account, whether it is in Matthew, Mark or Luke, the details are the same:

 The leper knelt before Jesus and begged to be healed, to be made “clean.”

Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

Jesus then declared, “Be clean.” (Be healed.)”

And the leper was healed.

As I was reading yet again the concise account of the leper’s healing, I was struck by one these recurring details, one in particular:  Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man.

Jesus did something that must have caused those who witnessed this encounter to gasp in unbelief.  Without a hazmat suit, defying every social norm, Jesus reached out and touched the leper.  What struck me was that Jesus didn’t have to touch the leper in order to heal him.  After all, he healed the centurion’s servant without even being his presence.  He resurrected Lazarus by simply commanding him to come out of the tomb.  Jesus could have easily, said to the leper, “Be healed.”

But Jesus touched him first.  It may have been years since that man had been touched, years since anyone had reached out to him with compassion.  Jesus touched the person before he touched the disease.

And that is what Jesus continues to do for us today.  We may not suffer from a debilitating, stigmatizing disease, but we may suffer from wounds of the soul.  Harsh words, vengeful actions that have pierced our hearts.  But if we come to Jesus, with a sincere heart and honest request, He will reach out and touch us.  He will heal our heart and bind up our wounds.  He will touch our lives and make us whole by His great love.