"I Saw Jesus." | The Leper's Story

Over the years I've been writing a collection of short stories, hoping someday to publish them in a little book called "I Saw Jesus."  These have come to me in the quiet, and the story in the Bible just speaks to my soul. I recently came across an older one in my files- probably one of my favorites-  and decided to share it here:

He Touched Me: The Leper's Story

“Unclean! Unclean!” The ringing of a bell filled the bustling, cheery, market place with a sense of dread. Mothers grasped their wandering children by the hand as they hurried quickly out of sight. Wooden doors airing out the adjoining homes shut tight with an inhospitable bang. Bakers in the midst of a sale of bread muttered unwelcoming phrases as their customers left, smiles fading as easily as they had appeared. One such unfortunate stall-keeper eyed the approaching bell-ringer with dismay: a leper.

“What sin had he committed?” someone wondered aloud as the place grew silent, all eyes on the man, covered with as many rags as could conceal the oozing, burning, sores on his skin. He drew near the baker, eyes searching for any thread of kindness. Finally, the baker felt the need to act. “Stand back, Leper! You’ll drive away my patrons.” “Please! I have money...” “I don’t want your money!” The leper winced. “Here- here’s a half of yesterday’s loaf; no!” as the leper stepped forward, hands outstretched in gratitude and hunger; and as quickly stepped back without confusion in his eyes as when he first contracted the disease. He had become used to this treatment over the years of pain. If any person had any physical contact with him, the disease would quickly spread to them. “I’ll set it here on the ground,” the baker set the half loaf on the ground, and backed away, “Just go away!” The leper reached the loaf, and felt the lightly browned crust just crumble between his fingers; savoring the last crumbs there in the square. “Thank you, generous and gracious master.”

                The bell began to ring again, warning people in the streets of his coming as he left the square, walking slowly down the streets, giving people time to get out of his way. It was a fear he did not like. But today, a young woman approached him. “Leper?” “Don’t come too near me. I’m unclean.” “I see. Who- who are you? Are you a Jew?” she hesitated as she inquired. The leper glared at her. “A Jew is a man who goes to the temple at Passover and dwells in God’s love; do I look like a Jew?” “God made you,” she began, but he cut her off. “God made me, then He unmade me; stand away, unclean!”

                She persisted, as a little boy ran over and grabbed her hand, “Have you heard of Jesus of Nazareth?” Not waiting for his reply, she continued, “He’s a great rabbi.” “Why are you telling me this?” “He’s a healer- and He preaches the forgiving of sin! He is compassionate.” the woman exclaimed.  He paused. “There is no healing for me. No forgiveness for me, either. God could never forgive me for my sins. My- my mother and father loved me,” he choked. “The day my leprosy was discovered, they thrust me out of the house. I cursed them… I wished them dead. No forgiveness for me.”  “Oh, Leper,” there were tears in her eyes as she entreated him, “He can make you whole. My baby was sightless… blind… and He healed him. The power of God is in Him.” The woman’s hand rested on the boy’s head, as he observed the leper in wonderment, his eyes brown and clear, innocence in his gaze. There was no sign of the blindness the woman claimed had once existed. “Could it be?” The leper looked searchingly at the boy, and then stumbled off, tears flowing down his cheeks. “You can find Him near the Sea of Galilee!” the woman called after him.  “Could it be possible?” The bell began to ring again as the leper made his way down the streets, in the direction of Galilee.

 Jesus and His followers had been making their way down from the mountain side. Crowds flocked behind Him, listening to as much as they could hear of His words, aching to catch a glimpse of Him, praying for healing.

Nearing Galilee, in addition to the constant cry of, “Unclean! Leper!” the leper began to shout, “Is Jesus of Nazareth here?” Simon - Peter, Jesus’ disciple, heard the cry first; and immediately did his best to turn his Master in an opposite direction; but the Rabbi knew what his disciple was doing. “How can I heal the sick if I hide from them?”

 Peter cringed inwardly. He would not have his beloved Jesus walking into danger without him by His side. As Jesus turned towards the cries, Peter contemplated the next few minutes of what would surely be grief.

“Is Jesus of Nazareth among you?” “I’m Jesus of Nazareth, friend.”  “But Master, he’s a leper!” Peter exclaimed.

“But he’s calling Me.”

The leper looked uncertainly at the crowd following this “Healer.” Then, he fell to his knees. “What would you have from Me?” Jesus asked, Peter beside Him, as fearful as he had ever been; but there, nonetheless. “Master?” the leper said, his inner soul just now wondering exactly what he did want. He continued, “If You would choose to, You can make me clean.” There was a double meaning to his words.  “Which do you want me to cleanse: your flesh? Or your heart?” The leper’s heart shuddered at the question. Then, without seeming to realize it, he submitted. “Whichever is the more soiled in Your sight.” “I will. Be clean again.”

As if in a dream, the leper watched as the hand of Jesus reached towards him. For the past years, every time someone had reached toward him, he cowered.

“He touched him!” someone gasped. “Look!” said another at the same time, “Look at his hand!” 

The leper stared, genuinely shocked at his hand. Nothing seemed to happen for a long time; and then, suddenly-  the skin was no longer rough, itchy, and covered in sickly sores; instead, it was a soft and clear as a child’s. He remembered the once- blind boy and his mother who had told him of this Man. In his heart, the leper knew. “Oh, Master!” “He touched me…” his thoughts swirled in amazement.  There was more than that- His soul felt lighter. “He loves me. He looked and saw how weak I was. And still He loves me.” The Lord- yes, in that moment, the leper saw Jesus as his Lord- helped him to his feet. “Thank You!” “What God has cleansed- that is clean, friend.” “God bless You! Peace be unto You.” The leper turned unwillingly to go. “God bless You.”

“Do you really think He healed the leper?” a just-arriving spectator inquired of his companion. “I really don’t know,” the other pondered. “Let’s ask him. After him.” The two rushed after the cleansed man, walking faster than his disease had enabled him to. “Leper! You!” He turned. “That’s not my name anymore.”

“We saw the rabbi touch you?” “The first touch gentler than a hurling stone in years.” “Did He heal you?” The leper smiled. “Come with me to the priest and see. I’m going to show a clean body to the priest. With a clean heart, to show my God.”

“Is there any wonder that Jesus can’t perform?” the stranger asked angrily to his companion, but the leper thought the words were for him. “No,” he whispered, tears in his eyes as he looked down at his hand, where Jesus had touched him. “No. He touched me. He loves me. Like no other.”

After visiting the priest, the leper turned homeward. He wanted to ask his mother and father’s forgiveness, and take them to see Jesus of Nazareth as well. Even if they wouldn’t come, the man already ached to hear His voice and words again, to see the kindness in His eyes, and witness to others in His Name. As he neared home, he saw his father far off in the field, back toward the sun’s rays. As he continued down the dusty, well-worn path, his father turned inward for the evening meal. “Good. They were both inside.” Unable to contain his excitement and ecstasy any longer, he burst into a run the last few yards. Without knocking, he flung open the door, startling his parents, who looked at him first with horror, then after a few seconds, with joy. His mother had tears in her eyes as the three of them embraced. “But… how?” she asked. “It was Jesus, Mother. I saw Jesus. I looked into His eyes as I asked Him to heal me, and I saw only love and hope. Come with me and see Him!” His father’s hand rested on his shoulder, and he nodded. “Yes. We will come to see Jesus.”