The men stood in the street of a village of Samaria—ten brokenhearted men.
The eastern sun lit up mountain and valley with a splendid glory. But what charm had this for them? The sunshine had faded out of their lives, the sun of their hopes had set forever.
The notes of singing birds sounded sweetly from bush and tree. What had they to do with singing? The music had died out of their hearts long ago.
The sound of children’s laughter came ringing up the street and reached where they stood. The sound awoke old memories not yet dead, touching hearts almost turned to stone, but not quite.
There, amid the sunshine, the singing of birds, the laughter of children, they stood—ten wretched outcasts—ten blighted lives.
So the ten lepers stood.
Through the village gate came a little band of strangers. The eyes of the ten turned toward the group for a moment and then turned away.
Their ears caught the sound of a name, a wonderful name, the name of Nazareth was great Physician: JESUS.
Then from ten pairs of eyes a new light gleamed, the light of newborn hope, and from ten tongues a piercing cry leaped forth: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:1313And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. (Luke 17:13))! Instantly, without delay or question, the answer came: “Go show yourselves unto the priests.” The word of grace went forth, and with it divine power, for “it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.”
The ten stepped out of the shadow of their misery into the brightness of a new life; the sun shone on the hills and valleys of Samaria as they had never seen it shine before.
And the birds still sang, but to the ten they sang as they had never sung before.
And the children still played and laughed, and as they laughed the cleansed ten laughed too, a happy, joyful laugh, for had they not met Jesus, and had He not turned their sorrows into joy and their night into morning?
Jesus meanwhile journeyed on with His face set towards Jerusalem—the city of the cross—towards the place where His life would be given in the lepers’ stead, but as He journeyed, that heart gathered refreshment from the knowledge that He had lifted the shadow off ten lives and had flooded ten weary hearts with a joy that had never been there before.
Blessed, wonderful Saviour! Have you met Him yet? Has He turned your sorrow into joy and your night into morning? Has His blood cleansed away your guilt, and is His love flooding your heart with its heavenly sunshine? Jesus said, “Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out” (John 6:3737All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. (John 6:37)).