The ten lepers cry out, "Jesus! Master! Take pity on us", when they see Jesus as he enters a village. We know they are living banished from their community, isolated and alone because of their dreaded disease. They could not enter the town. Social and religious laws made them outcasts. What they did from day to
day, living on the outskirts of the village, we do not know. However, we can assume that they lived a life of suffering and misery, and their only human contact was fellow sufferers.
Perhaps Jesus' reputation for healing had already reached their ears. When they saw the itinerant preacher and healer come past, they could not miss the opportunity and called out to him. Jesus sees them and follows religious
tradition by telling them to go to the priests.
Notice how Luke tells us Jesus "saw" them. They were not supposed to be seen but to ensure they stayed away from people. Jesus sees them, not just physically. He sees beloved children of God who suffer and immediately responds to their cries for mercy. Jesus sees not just their physical ailment but also the deep psychological, social and spiritual suffering they endure. But, notice that the lepers cry
out to Jesus first.
There are different ways we can respond to the suffering in our lives and the misery we experience in various forms. There are unhealthy ways of dealing with the pains of life. We can, for example, become angry, bitter or violent. We can choose to isolate ourselves. We can become emotionally numb. We can escape into alcohol, drugs or gambling.
But there are also healthy ways of processing the hurts of life. First, we, like the lepers, can turn to the Lord. And when we do, God uses many instruments to help us. For example, a trusted life companion offers us an ear and some counsel. We might use the services of professionals who help us understand, process and live with our suffering. God works for us in the ordinary if we ask God for what we need and pay attention, as the lepers do, to
the people who cross our path.
Take time today to consider who or what you turn to when faced with disappointment and suffering in your life. Do you tend to move towards healthy or unhealthy ways of reacting to your struggles? Can you, like the lepers, cry out to the Lord for help?
