Back in the days of the Old
Testament, at least among the Israelites, anyone with leprosy, probably a
generic term for skin diseases, was responsible not only for staying outside
the camp, but also shouting “unclean” when nice people – those without a skin
disease- might approach. We might put
people in an isolation room today if they have an infectious, contagious
disease, but the hospital also provides gowns and masks so that people can
approach.
That’s not the case in many parts
of Asia today; there’s a Hindu caste system in effect for over 3,000 years
which keeps people in bondage. Hundreds of millions of people, the Dalits, are
still considered the untouchables: they are despised, viewed as sub-human and treated
like dirt. In many places they are still given the lowliest of jobs, and
excluded from ‘polite society’. Education is usually not an option, and they
live in slums, vast tenements with others of the same caste. Granted since the time
of the British Raj, the system is starting to change – slowly, but still it’s
changing. But for millions and millions of people it’s too late. Yes their
children may someday have opportunities, but many of the older people will
never learn to read, will never leave their tenement housing, will never be
able to change from something they’ve always known to something which has
always been off limits.
In Jesus’ time the caste system was
already being practiced, and Jesus was already teaching that even the lowest of
the low deserved justice. Ten men with leprosy asked for mercy and he healed
them (Luke 17:12-14). Another man with leprosy said “if you are willing, you
can make me clean” Jesus touched him, and the healed him (Matt 8:1-4), Jesus sat
and talked with the Samaritan woman (John 4), and he healed the daughter of the
Canaanite (Syrio – Phoenician) woman (Matt 15: 21-28 or Mark 7:24-30).
The apostle James (2:2-4) would
later write that the Christian community shouldn’t show favoritism. ‘Judges with evil intent’ is how he describes
those who would offer the rich man the best seat in the house, and then
suggesting that a poor man could sit on the floor.
Today people from Gospel for Asia
are starting to minister to the Dalits. They’re teaching adults to read and in doing
so give their children an education and a future. They touch the ‘untouchables’
with the love of Christ. They establish relationships and fellowship with ‘the
least of these’ (read another passage from Matthew: the parable of the sheep and
the goats, Matt 25: 31-45 to put that in context). And best of all they share
the message of God's salvation and redemption with a people who have always been
told that nobody wants of loves them!
Today the untouchables, the Dalits,
are learning what it means to be loved.
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