1 When he came down from the mountain, great crowds followed him.
2 And behold, a leper came to him and knelt before him, saying, "Lord, if you will, you can make me clean."
3 And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, "I will; be clean." And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
I wanted to tell you what happened to me. You look at me today, and I'm old, but my skin is beautiful, and I'm healthy. One day, long ago, I heard Jesus preaching. He was telling people how to live, and He spoke with great power. I had watched Him heal other people, but, you see, I was a leper. I was full of leprosy, disfigured, terribly ill, and weak. I was afraid to come to Him. I didn't know if His power applied to me. I know, you think, "how silly!" But you weren't me. I could never enter society. I was always on the fringes. I could do nothing with anyone, except other lepers, and I was so ugly, so deformed, so sick that even they would have nothing to do with me. I could hardly walk, because my feet had literally been eaten away by my disease, and I lived on the outskirts of life, wearing rags and eating scraps that people left for me. I had no pity from anyone. They all thought it was because of something I had done.
When Jesus came down from the mountain (I had sat where I could barely hear him, and away from the people that always showed up to keep me away from public events), I couldn't help myself. He just looked so...attracting. His eyes pulled me to Him, and I could tell He saw me. So I went up to Him and knelt. And I said, "You could make me clean, if you wanted." I don't know what came over me. I knew He could do it when I saw Him. I had watched Him do so many healings, but I always thought, "That's not for lepers." I was very afraid. I thought He might look at me, and say, like everyone else, "Get out of here!" I couldn't have stood that.
You know what He did? He took me by the hand, and put His hands on my shoulders, and said, "BE CLEAN!" Suddenly, I was well. I can't describe it. It was like years of sickness and pain were all gone, and I was OK again. I looked down at my crippled feet, but they were completely whole now. I could feel things in my hands and fingers. My face was right again. Then he said a mysterious thing: "Don't tell anyone!" But how could I keep it a secret? Everyone who saw me, no longer in rags, would wonder. So I told them. I know it brought Him many like me, and a lot of trouble, and I am sorry for that, but I am so happy for what He did for me that I followed Him. I still do.
When Jesus came down from the mountain (I had sat where I could barely hear him, and away from the people that always showed up to keep me away from public events), I couldn't help myself. He just looked so...attracting. His eyes pulled me to Him, and I could tell He saw me. So I went up to Him and knelt. And I said, "You could make me clean, if you wanted." I don't know what came over me. I knew He could do it when I saw Him. I had watched Him do so many healings, but I always thought, "That's not for lepers." I was very afraid. I thought He might look at me, and say, like everyone else, "Get out of here!" I couldn't have stood that.
You know what He did? He took me by the hand, and put His hands on my shoulders, and said, "BE CLEAN!" Suddenly, I was well. I can't describe it. It was like years of sickness and pain were all gone, and I was OK again. I looked down at my crippled feet, but they were completely whole now. I could feel things in my hands and fingers. My face was right again. Then he said a mysterious thing: "Don't tell anyone!" But how could I keep it a secret? Everyone who saw me, no longer in rags, would wonder. So I told them. I know it brought Him many like me, and a lot of trouble, and I am sorry for that, but I am so happy for what He did for me that I followed Him. I still do.
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