Page 451 - Bible History

424 CHRIST'S TEACHINGS, MIRA ES AND CHURCH
But in the time of our Lord the case of the leper was almost hopeless. The disease was looked upon as in­ curable, and those who su ered from it were driven from their homes and never allowed to set foot in any city or town, or to mingle with the people in any way whatever. They lived out of doors, on the rocky hill­ sides or in the desert. Their heads were shaven and they were forced to wear torn garments and a veil over their lips, so that those who passed by could see at once that they were lepers. If anyone came too near them, the lepers were commanded by the law to warn them by crying out, "Unclean, unclean!"
From time to time a leper would be cured. Then, ac­ cording to the Law of Moses, he had to go and show himself to a priest in the Temple. For eight days he
would remain in seclusion, washing his body again and again, according to the manner of puri cation pre­ scribed in the Law of Moses. At the end of this time the priest would proclaim to the people that he had been cured.
One day, our Lord met ten lepers as He was going to Jerusalem. They stood afar o and, lifting up their voices, cried out. They did not say, "Unclean, un­ clean,'' but ''Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!'' Jesus said to them, ''Go, show yourselves to the priest." They started out in great haste for Jerusa­ lem and the Temple and as they went along they were suddenly cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was cleansed, stopped and, going back, fell on his face before Jesus and gave thanks, and this
man was a Samaritan. Jesus said, "Were not ten