The Scourge

February 12

(Luke 5:12 NIV) “While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy.”

(Matthew 10:5-8 NIV) “These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: "Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. {6} Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. {7} As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven is near.' {8} Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”

Cancer and AIDS strike fear into our hearts today. In Christ’s day, it was leprosy. This scourge attacked the nervous system, causing the victim to lose the ability to feel pain. As extremities grew numb, injuries would take place. Infection would set in and overcome the immune system. Because of their grotesque appearance, and fear of catching the disease, lepers were social outcasts. The leper who approached Jesus had probably been isolated for years. Leprosy is curable today, but there is another scourge that disfigures our culture. It’s called sin. It numbs us, cripples us, and isolates us. It can cause injuries that turn us into spiritual and social lepers. Perhaps you are struggling with this disease today. People avoid you. You are isolated and alone. Jesus is still preaching truth, driving out demons, and healing the sick. Seek Him out. He is Lord over all things. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day