Who are the second class citizens in our world that we dismiss or shun? When Jesus healed a lonely leper he took his place in loneliness (Mark 1:40-45). Are we willing to be ostracized in order to heal? It is far easier to label someone than accept them and love them. We label people liberals or fundamentalists, black or white, evil or self-righteous, low-lifers or filthy-rich so that we can emotionally dismiss anything about them. Yet, it is usually not completely true. The same is true of the word leper as it was used in Jesus’ day. It did not always refer to Hansen’s disease, but could also have referred to a skin rash or severe acne. It was a dismissive term that turned some people into second class citizens. Jesus put people above social conventions. What about us?
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