
Over the past few years, one of my favorite things to do is visit high schools during lunch hour just to hang out with the students. After sitting down at a table with a group of teenagers, I soon noticed that there was a boy at the end of the table, disconnected and disengaged from the group. It was clear that he was not invited to be “one of them”. As he ate alone with his head down, my heart was breaking. None of the other teens wanted to talk to him or wanted to eat with him. Untouchable.
Leprosy is an atrocious skin disease. One that is infectious and brings a great deal of suffering. In Biblical times, lepers had to live isolated from other people, and had to shout “Unclean!” as they approached others. I cannot imagine what it would be like to not be able to show or receive affection because of a disease. Cannot imagine not being able to hug my family and friends. Lepers do not have this luxury; they are an exiled and forgotten people. Nobody wants to be around them, and they are disconnected and disengaged from intimacy. Untouchable.
Despite what religion sometimes publishes, God is love. He involves Himself with the untouchables. At times, I have felt disconnected and disengaged from intimacy with Him. That through my sin and massive shortcomings that He did not want or could not touch me with His mercy. I have felt isolated and forgotten by those around me. Like no one understood. We all have felt untouchable.
In Luke 17:11-19, we read a story of ten lepers. Ten untouchable people. While on the way to Jerusalem, they approach Jesus and say “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus told them to show themselves to the priests, and as they went, they were all healed of this disease. Only one out of the ten, when seeing he was healed, turn and ran back to Jesus, thanking Him and falling at His feet. It is at this moment that we see Jesus with a broken heart. He asks, “Were not all ten cleansed?” How much did it hurt Jesus to heal ten and only have one to be thankful?
There are so many things that He does for us that we take for granted. With it being Thanksgiving week, this is an encouragement to turn back and run to Him, giving thanks for all that He has done for you. Don’t forget about the untouchables, Christ didn’t. In all actuality, we are all untouchables until we allow Him to forgive our sins. Remember those that are forgotten, exiled, and isolated. I got up that day and left the group to join the boy at the end of the table. We had small talk and I put the focus on him, treated him like he was the coolest kid in the room, because he was. Now, when I see him in public, we talk, even though he does not fully trust me yet, with each encounter he opens up a little more. I am thankful for that.
If you feel like you are the forgotten, exiled, and isolated, ask for His mercy, He will freely give it just like He did in Luke 17. And when He heals you, trades the pain for sorrow, trades the loneliness for love, turn, run, and thank Him.
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever." Psalm 107:1
Happy Thanksgiving, Shaun.





