He Healed Even Me

“What a hot day it is! And this blasted leprosy isn’t helping me either! I can’t even bear to look at it; it makes me sick to even think about it. I wish I were like I used to be a year ago: healthy, laughing with my friends, having fun.” I started daydreaming about how things used to be, until reality came back into view. “But now I’m banned to this life away from everyone.” I scoffed to myself. “Well I guess not everyone, I have those other nine lepers to stay with. But they’re not much company. They just moan and bewail their own leprosy. And since they’re Jews they don’t talk to me much.” I could feel the resentment building up inside me. “You’re a Samaritan,” I said to myself in a sneering way. Then I started laughing to myself. “Oh well, I guess I’ll go over and see what they’re doing. Can’t be much, all they really can do is rot away.”

As I approached them I could see the hard looks on their faces. They just couldn’t get over me being a Samaritan. Why can’t they just get over it? We’re all just rotting away here; we might as well make the best of it.

“Good morning Simon!” I said, trying not to smirk. “How’s your morning been?” Simon was a carpenter by trade and was a larger man than the rest of us. He was much stronger than the rest of us from many years of hard work. From what the other lepers tell me, he was man very jolly and boisterous man before he was plagued with leprosy. You wouldn’t be able to tell now with the way he was always downcast about everything.

Robert Godfrey, usually referred to as Bobby, is in his first year at Fairwood Bible Institute. He is nice. And cool. And fast.

“What’s so good about a morning when you’re rotting away?” snapped Simon back to me. “How can you be so positive when you have the same problem?” His eyes glared at me to see what response I would give him. I could feel them burning into me. His look could have made a lion turn and run the other way.

“I don’t know. I was just trying to be friendly.” I didn’t have any other answer, so before he could say any more to me, I decided I would go over and talk to Levi. Levi used to be a shepherd. He was a quiet man and had a softer heart towards me than all the others so I kept company with him more than the others.

“Hello, Levi.” I could see a look of hope on his face, something that very seldom came on any of our faces, and I was now very curious to see what it could be about. “What are you thinking about?”

“Have you ever hoped that maybe, just maybe, Jesus would come by this way and heal us?” His eyes were shining almost. I’d never seen him like this before. “I’ve heard of all the great miracles he’s done with the sick and it gives me hope that we might be healed.” He looked intently at me for my answer. I fumbled my thoughts together as fast as I could.

“Umm, well, I can’t say that I ever have.” I knew that wasn’t the answer he wanted to hear, so I quickly gave an explanation. “Well I mean, since I’m a Samaritan, I wouldn’t think that Jesus would even think about healing me.” His eyes met mine and I could see a look of compassion on his face.

“Well don’t be too discouraged; I hear he cast a demon out of a Canaanite woman’s daughter. He also says to ‘love thy neighbor as thyself,’ so I’m sure he would.” He patted me on the back and went to sit down under the shade tree.

I decided to take a walk to the brook to get some water. All these thoughts were swirling in my mind. Would Jesus heal me? Is he that compassionate to others beside Jews? All other Jews hate my people, why wouldn’t he? I couldn’t help but doubt that he would heal me, a Samaritan. I kicked my foot into the dirt by the brook as I went to go sit down. “Who am I trying to kid? He would never heal me.”

The brook was so peaceful. Just watching it quietly flow made the dark shadow of doubt on my heart go away. What I would do to be healed from this leprosy, I thought to myself. While I was sitting there I heard someone coming up behind me, it was Simon.

I could tell by his skeptical countenance that he must have talked to Levi too. I was hesitant to ask, but I just had to. “What you thinking about?” I could tell that I was in for it.

“Oh, Levi has got himself thinking about getting healed by that Jesus of Nazareth. Yes it would be wonderful, but do you think he’s ever going to come our way and see us to heal us? It’s not like we can go and travel and find him because no one will talk to us to tell us where he is!” His blood was beginning to boil now and I began to wish that I hadn’t asked him that question. “Unclean! Unclean! That’s all we can say to people! So our chances are one in a million that we’re going to be healed.”

I felt sorrowful for Simon. A man once fun and excited now dropped himself to being the most skeptical man alive. I knew under it all he was still the same man but the leprosy was getting the best of him. Even through all his skepticism I could see a faint hope in his eyes that had never been there before. It was nice to see it. I filled the goatskin with water and decided that I would leave him to think alone and go back to the others.

On my way back I couldn’t get what Levi had said to me out of my head. It gave even Simon hope, even though he would not come out and say it. To be healed from this leprosy! To get back to a normal life! Even though Levi’s words were encouraging, I couldn’t get what Simon said either. Our chances of getting healed were very slim, nearly impossible.

As I approached the others I could see they were all under the shade tree out from under the sun’s rays. All of them were napping or lamenting over their leprosy, except Levi. He sat away from the others with his eyes looking out across the land as if he was waiting for something. So I sat myself down next to him. “You want some water?” I asked him. He smiled, took the goatskin and drank.

“Ah, that really hit the spot,” he said with a chuckle. “Thank you, I needed that.” He handed the bottle back to me and I took and drink also. Then he turned his attention back to where he was looking before. He sighed; the look on his face was that of a man with a heavy heart. “Jesus goes into Galilee often, maybe he’ll come by this way.” His whole focus was on seeing Jesus.

“Maybe Levi, just maybe.” I turned my attention towards the village near us. I could hear the sounds of children laughing and the bustling of the marketplace. The village seemed more active today than normal, as if they might be expecting something.

Simon had come back from the brook now and also noticed the commotion in the village. “What’s all the fuss about?” He scowled, his eyes fixed on the village. “There’s nothing special happening that I know of.” None of us knew, but were sure that something was going to happen. “O well, let’s eat something I’m starving.”

We all gathered under the tree to eat the bread we had. Chuckling I said, “I’m glad that kid threw this bread at us to keep us away from him.” We all looked at each other and burst out in laughter remembering the moment. “Remember how he like threw it to bait us away from him when we weren’t even trying to get near him.” We all were laughing so hard our side were hurting. The leprosy had taken all our feeling away but on this occasion he definitely were feeling some pain.

It was pleasant sitting there together. Somehow we all managed to be pretty cheerful. This time they didn’t treat me as an outcast and even Simon was happy. It was the best meal we ever had together.

Then all our attention was quickly directed to Levi. His face was glowing radiantly. “Jesus! Jesus is here! He’s coming this way!” We all quickly got to our feet and looked down the road coming to the village. Could it be true? Is Jesus really here? All of us filled with new life as we all looked with mixed feelings to where some men were coming down the road to the town.

I counted to myself: ten, eleven, twelve. Twelve men were walking behind and to the side of the man who we thought to be Jesus. Suddenly without warning Levi lifted his voice and cried, “Master, have mercy on us!”

We all joined in together, “Master, have mercy on us!” All of our hopes of being fully restored to health were in this man’s power. All of the adrenaline left in our bodies was pumping threw our veins. Would he stop and even look at us? Will he heal us? What if he just keeps on walking and doesn’t even stop? All these thoughts were plowing threw my mind. My heart was in my throat.

Looking in his eyes I could see love and compassion. There were no downcast looks from Him as he looked at us all. Almost as soon as we had asked for mercy he said unto us, “Go and show yourselves unto the priest.”

Without any hesitation Levi quickly responded to his command. Then to my amazement Simon turned towards the village and started walking. “Come on you heard what the master said, let’s go and be healed!” I was amazed at his faith. Simon the one who always shot down any hope of being healed was now being a leader to bring us to the priest.

All the men were praising the Lord, but I couldn’t seem to. I’m, a Samaritan Jews just do not do kind and caring things to our people. Did he mean for me to go to the priest also? The doubt in my heart was overpowering. I couldn’t rejoice with the others.

While my thoughts were spinning in my head, Levi put his arm around me, “have faith.” His words were comforting. But those thoughts were not the only things on my mind. Here we were walking to the priest and still had leprosy. What happened to getting healed and then going to the priest? What if we do not do not get healed before we come to the synagogue?

While I was still in deep thought about all these things, all the men began to shout and praise God. All of them were crying out with joy, “We are healed! We are healed!” I couldn’t believe my eyes! They were healed! Then I looked on myself but I was not. My heart sank. I knew it. I knew he wouldn’t heal me. My doubts were becoming a reality. But then I remembered Levi’s words, “Have faith.”

Could it be true? If I have faith would I be healed also? All the others were healed by faith, wouldn’t I too be healed if only I believed? My heart was racing, could this be all that I needed to do was believe? Yes, it was! All the doubt in my mind was erased. I choose to believe! I have faith that he will heal me! With new rigor I perked up and pressed on.

I could feel a new spirit within me. My faith was overflowing as I walked. I was beaming with my new found faith. I was startled by Simon’s voice, “Look your healed!”

I looked down at my skin. No more was it crusty with black patches. When I touched it I could feel my touch. “Praise the Lord!” I couldn’t udder any other words but praise.

All of us went on rejoicing but then I suddenly remember Jesus. I had to go back to thank him. I whirled around and ran past the others. “Where are you going? The priest is this way!” Their words could not stop me. I was going back to him.

He healed even me, a Samaritan! Running I fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet. “Master I praise and thank you!” I looked up in his eyes. They were kind and soft. He stooped down and put his hand on my shoulder. His touch was soft and gentle. Love seemed to flow out of his body.

His eye still looking on me now had a puzzled look in the. “Were there not ten cleansed?” His voice was soft but firm. “But where are the nine?” Were there none found that returned to give God glory, save this stranger?” His puzzled look left his face as he smiled at me and took my hand. “Arise, and go your way: your faith has made you whole.” He pulled me up and looked at me. The look of kindness was overwhelming; I could feel it pouring on me.

I turned and leapt, “Praise the Lord!” My heart was full of joy and praise! Jesus healed even me!