Simon’s Story of Restoration

Now when Jesus was at Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came up to him with an alabaster flask of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he reclined at table.  (Matthew 26:6-7). 

The story of Simon the leper is told in just a few words—words that are easily skimmed past. But this short story actually has profound implications: it reveals God’s great love and power to absolutely restore His people.

Simon lived in Bethany, which was a very poor town east of Jerusalem. Somehow, Simon became infected with leprosy—a contagious, progressive nerve disease caused by bacteria that leads to nerve degeneration and results in deformation.

Today, leprosy—more accurately known as Hansen’s disease—is easily treatable with antibiotics. However, in Simon’s time, leprosy would have been one of the most terrifying things anyone could experience. The physical implications are numerous: blindness, paralysis, twisted limbs, tumors, and the eradication of pain receptors. Leprosy itself isn’t fatal; yet many people with leprosy died from injuries they didn’t know they had because they couldn’t feel them.

While leprosy was devastating to the body, this condition was also deeply traumatic to the soul.

The religious leaders of Simon’s day falsely considered leprosy a judgment from God for sin. They also believed it could only be healed by an act of God. (They kept diligent records—and up to this point in history, no Jew had ever been recorded as cured of leprosy.) Lepers were considered cursed and impure, which meant they were banished from the temple—their source of forgiveness, spiritual nourishment, and fellowship. When walking in public, a leper was required to announce their condition by shouting, “Unclean!” Some were even exiled to live in a leper colony outside the city—forever separated from family, friends, work, and God.

Appropriately, lepers were often referred to as “the living dead.” Their life, as they knew it, was over.

Does this sound familiar? I don’t know about you, but I found the experience of losing a baby to carry isolation, shame, and hopelessness.

• Church, family, and friends are no longer places of refuge.
• You may find people skirting around you—you’re “the one”… as if somehow your grief will infect them.
• Some of us think we have brought this sorrow on ourselves or that we are being punished by God for our sin or lack of faith.
• Maybe you feel the need to shout, “Undone!” just so people will know you are experiencing a living hell and will be gentle with you.
• Or, like a leper, you are numb and unfeeling toward life. In our grief, we too can walk around feeling like the living dead.

Simon knew this hopeless, tragic life. He lost years of his life to this disease and probably lost business, relationships, and any hope of eternal life with God.

Yet Simon’s story is a story of hope.

The Scriptures reveal that by the time of Jesus’ final Passover festival, Jesus had healed Simon of his leprosy. There is no account of Jesus healing him. So how do we know he was cured?

Because Simon is hosting a party! This decaying, lonely, hopeless man is now full of health, back in society, a homeowner, and entertaining a sizable crowd with the most talked-about Rabbi of the day.

Jesus completely restored this man’s life, turning a living grave-man into a garden. Not only was Simon healed of his decaying disease, but a certain woman attended his house party—a woman who released an extravagant, flowery fragrance, saturating the air and covering Jesus with its glory (Matthew 26:7). As she was preparing Him for burial, everyone in Simon’s house was touched by this Edenic scent (John 12:3).

This is what happens when we let Jesus into the places of our deepest grief. He will perform no less of a miracle in our lives. He can redeem the most tragic stories and turn them into beauty—beauty that not only brings life back to us but also invites others to share the wonder as well.

May God perform an equally astounding miracle in your life.

Kelly

Kelly is the Ministry Support Lead for Hope Mommies. She and her husband Dan live in Brenham, TX with their two earthside children, Annabelle and Eli (and lots of pets). Their firstborn, William, went to Heaven in July 2017. To balance out the fullness of life, Kelly enjoys gardening, yoga, and sipping on some matcha while reading historical fiction. She considers herself beyond privileged to share the amazing news of Jesus’ Hope to all who need it, and loves that William gets to be a part of that message.