Like Family.....

So it was a little harder to find where encouragement was hiding this past week.  I had gone back to work after a week away, and it was hard to get into the swing of things.  It was also a hard week for me physically, as I seem to have been carrying a lot of stress.  So between my back and my head, I felt like I was in continual pain.  Instead of wanting to encourage, I myself felt pretty discouraged.  So I kept looking for encouragement this week, but found it to be pretty elusive.  

During the week, I sat down with my husband and watched a PBS special on "Italian Americans".  Being one myself, I was interested to watch the story of the Italian immigrants who started to come to this county in the late 1800's.  Those who came to America faced prejudice, racism and a hard life in the midst of the industrial revolution.  They came though, for a better life, and while it was a hard road, they travelled it with their families, community and their faith.       I totally enjoyed the program, but I was not really encouraged by it until Saturday.  That was when I took some time to study for our Sunday lesson.

As I read through the story of the ten lepers that Jesus heals, I was struck by the one who came back to thank him.  He was a Samaritan, a foreigner.  In the Bible account, he is the only one who comes back and gives praise to God.  It is interesting that the author of the story points out the difference of his nationality.  I believe that may speak to the prejudice in Jesus' own time.  It is the same prejudice that affected my forefathers, and the same prejudice I see affecting people today.  It was in that connection, that I heard the quiet whisper of encouragement.  

What was so encouraging was Jesus example.  Instead of bypassing those who were different, He chose to heal and forgive.   He did not pay attention to the prejudice of the day whether it was based on race, nationality, sin, religion or class.   Jesus looked past all these things to the actual person.  It was exciting, even liberating.  For me, it showed a freedom to ignore the classifications that society puts on people.  The freedom to treat everyone as if they were just like me, even if they don't seem like it.    That is the freedom that Jesus gives us.  To accept the foreigner as if he were family.