SL82N@cc.usu.edu (09/26/90)
This is a story that I happened to come across around Christmas-
time last year and I would like to share-
THE NINE
My name is Ruben Ben Zoro. From my dress you may suppose that I am
one of the ancient Jewish people, but I am not. I am a man of old Samaria.
I come from a wealthy Samaritan family. As I grew to man's estate, the
blessings were multiplied upon me a thousand fold when Ruth, the lovely
daughter of the priest, became my wife. Two sons were granted us--two
beautiful boys.
And then one day, it all came to an end. It was no great calamity, it
was simply a small reddish spot upon the flesh of my hand. . a spot that
would not heal. I hid the spot and spoke of it to no one. But my fear I
could not hide. At last because I could not sleep at night, I went to the
temple on Mt. Gerizim and showed it there to my father-in-law, the priest.
He greeted me kindly, and with rejoicing, as an old man does to the
father of his grandchildren. Then I showed him my hand and the small reddish
spot, and a great and overwhelming sorrow came upon him. He hid his face
from me.
"I shall go to Ruth", he said, "I shall tell her that unexpected business
has detained you and will keep you away from home a fortnight. By then...my
son,...by then we shall know.
Fourteen days I spent there, in a lonely room...fourteen days of mourning,
of wild weeping and of desperate praying that God would spare me this dread
thing...But he did not, and before the fortnight had passed I knew, and so,
too, did my father-in-law.
"Will you see Ruth again?", asked my father-in-law, his voice shaking.
"No", I said, "I shall take the path here through the vineyard, and down
to the olive orchard, and none shall know of my passing.
I did not notice the flutter of a blue scarf from behind the thick trunk
one of our oldest olive trees, until it was too late, for Ruth, weary of my
long absence, had come with the children into the sunshine of the orchard.
We shrank back, my father-in-law and I, but my son was too quick. His bright
eyes caught the movement and he turned and saw us there. With a joyous shout,
"Father, Father!!", he came running straight for my arms. My father-in-law...
oh, may be be blessed,...stepped between us, caught the lad up in his arms and
carried him away, bewildered now, and struggling. And Ruth, her face lovely
with joy and surprise of my coming, gathered the little one in her arms and
rose to come to me. Then, seeing my face, she hesitated, and my heart died
within me as I drew the corner of my robe across my face and cried, in a voice
harsh and rough with pain, "Unclean! Unclean!", and the love in her eyes
changed to a dawning horror and a great fear as she stood clutching the child
tightly to her breast. Then she turned and ran, stumbling along the path
among the olive trees. The sound of her great sobbing came to me upon the
breeze, ...and I was left alone--Unclean.
I will not weary you with the telling of my suffering of the next few
months. You all know the laws of our time concerning the leper...how we were
forbidden to enter any town or approach any person save those afflicted as we
ourselves were. There were none to care for our needs; our clothing became
ragged and dirty; and we ate what was thrown to us in the streets.
I wandered alone those first months, I could not endure the sight of my
fellow sufferers. Then the knowledge that in a short time, a few years, I too
would be as they...blind perhaps, bony, crippled, wretched...misery without
hope. No, it was unbelievable. Surely God would lift His curse and restore me
to health and my loved ones as the Prophet Elisha of long ago had healed the
leprous Syrian. But I knew there was no Elisha in Samaria nor in Israel either,
and had not been for hundreds of years.
Then, one day, I joined a small group. There were nine of them, and when
they first passed me in the field, I watched them in astonishment. They were
hurrying! A leper has no need for haste.
I would have let them pass me by...I still had no desire for their wretched
company...had it not been for the last among them. He was old and crippled
and leaned upon a staff, and as he tried to run with the others, his staff
broke beneath his weight and he fell almost at my feet crying to the others
that they should wait. But they did not. In compassion for his trouble, I
sprang forward and lifted the old man to his feet.
"May you be rewarded", he sobbed, "Help me...quickly...we must reach the
highway! He is there, and we must see Him before He passes!"
So we hurried over the hill to the highway. There was a great crowd upon
the highway, and here, standing apart from the rest were the eight who had
hurried so and their voices were lifted in an agonized cry,"Jesus, Master,
have mercy on us! Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"
Just as we reached them the Man on the highway lifted His hand and as the
voices about Him quieted, He called to us, "Go show yourselves unto the
priests". Then he turned from us and the multitude closed about Him once
again.
We stood and looked upon one another. "To the priests?", said one, "What
have I to show the priest save my blinded eye and my leprous skin?"
But the old man who had leaned on me said simply, "I go.". And as we went,
he leaned no more, but his back straightened, his limbs carried him swiftly
and surely, and he went on alone. So, too, the others. They began to run and
leap and shout, laughing with each other over the lifting of their curse, and
hurrying off to the priests and their loved ones.
And I? I, too, felt the miracle of newborn health within me. A great
gratitude for this, my undeserved blessing, welled up within me. For I had not
looked for this cleansing. Of Jesus of Nazareth, I had known little and
believed less...but, I must know more of Him. Truly God, this Man must be,
and I must worship Him and thank Him and love Him.
So, I hurried back to the highway. I pushed my way through the crowd, no
longer was I unclean. When I reached Jesus, I fell on my face at His feet, and
poured out my thanks and my devotion before Him.
Jesus looked about Him and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But where
are the nine?", "There are none found that returned to give glory to God, save
this stranger." Then gently He lifted me to my feet. He laid His hand upon me
in blessing and said, "Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."
So, because He bade me, I went my way, and was declared clean by the
priests of Mt. Gerizim. I did not go to Ruth, nor have I yet seen my growing
boys, because my task must be accomplished first.
"Were there not ten cleansed?", Jesus asked. "Should not all give glory to
God? But where are the nine?" I must find them!
So I have come to you this day. Help me. Are there among you some who have
received His blessings and have not bowed down in Thankfulness? Are...there...
nine, perhaps? Could...one of them...be you?
-- Dorthy Charlemagne
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another one of your brothers,
Michael