Simon the Leper - Devotional 11/13/2015

Matthew 26:6 King James Version (KJV)
⁶ Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,

Leper's were considered unclean in bible times...they'd have to cry out, "Unclean," when people approached them. They had to live outside the city and families and friends could no longer associate with them. Can you imagine never ever being hugged again, or gather with family for special dinners. Never attending church or football games or hold your child in your arms...it would be unthinkable!

This is the third time in three days I've heard the word leper. This morning as I was reading this scripture it jumped out at me, I'd never paid attention to it before...Simon the leper. The focus was always on the woman and how she showed her great love for Jesus.

Today leprosy is treatable thank God for that. But when I was a child and heard about lepers and how their body parts would fall off...that was before it was explained what really happens to the body. It scared the pee doodle out of me. (pee doodle...meaning caused great fear.)

Jesus not only touched the lepers he healed ten and one returned to thank him. He didn't condemn the woman caught in adultery. He went to a tax collector's house, Zacchaeus, because he wanted to get to know him.

Jesus ate with sinners and publican's. The religious of the day were appalled and wanted to stone him for his behavior.

He had common fishermen as his disciples...

Can you imagine, the son of God hanging out with "these kind of people?" This was the attitude of the Pharisees...

But Jesus loved them, why, because their hearts were open to his love. They were rejected, looked down upon, outcasts and yet the King of Glory loved them.

Can we honestly say that we would do the same? Are there people you would run from and say, "Oh no I can't associate with them? They are unclean?"

Let the Holy Spirit be your guide, let the love of God saturate your hearts today and reach out to the ungodly...they are lost souls who need love too! The love, that, Jesus gives freely...after all, but for the grace of God it could be you or I, who's unclean.

 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8 (KJV)

Jesus help us your children, to love others as you have loved us. Amen!