Jesus smiled as he waved at the little kid who passed by with her mother. It was a nice sunny day, great breeze, just right for travelling.

“why are we even at the border?” Judas asked from the back. Jesus sighed, Judas had been acting up lately, ever since he was caught taking money from the accounts.

“we’re almost at our destination, just through this city” Jesus said as they walked on.

                    *****

Aram sighed and pulled open his eyes. He wished he was dead, wished he’d never been born in the first place. He sat up and noticed that the small toe on his right foot had come off, he poked at it and stared at it. He let his mind wander over to the past month.

   He had been a normal kid, had a job as an apprentice with a craftsman, had friends, had a life. Back then everything felt sure, felt real… but it  all went away the day he got sick. The fevers and the scratching and the white spots that spread until he was a ghostly white. H had thought he was going to die until the priests came. And after a hasty examination he was pronounced unclean. He was made to wear a small bell on his ankle and to leave his family… his mum, his dad and little Tabitha.

  That was about four months ago, after wandering through the city covered in rags to hide his rotting flesh, he’d found this spot with nine others like him, his parents used to come visit him. Standing far off and shouting questions at him with his mum weeping. But they no longer come, so he had to go with the others into the city to beg for alms. He sighed again, this really wasn’t how he thought he’d die. He missed little Tabitha, missed his mum’s cornbread and special lamb sauce.

  “come on lad, it’s time to get goin’ ” a gruff voice called out beside him. He shook himself an sighed as he got up. Everywhere that didn’t hurt was numb or rotten.

“come on! We haven’t got all day” the voice said again, harsher this time.

“yes… yes, I’m coming” Aram retorted, his voice edgy.

As they filed out, Aram saw a man approaching with some people behind him, they looked like they had travelled a long way. A peculiar feeling gripped his chest as he watched them approach.

*****                         

“Lord, I think those are lepers, we’re getting too close,” Peter Said sidling up to Jesus as the sound of tinkling bells drifted over to them. “Let’s turn back” he added slowing down.

“I know, Peter” Jesus said softly as he kept on walking.

“But we might catch the disease” Judas piped up slowing down too.

“Just come along… and have faith” Jesus said with a small smile.

*****                         

“Who’s that?” Aram asked the man beside him. “Doesn’t he see or hear the bells?” he added turning to look at the man who was heading towards them, he was still too far away to make out his features.

“I think they are from out of town, those guys are so clueless… I hope they get the plague” another man said from the front.

Just then Jesse called out, “I think… I think that’s Jesus!”

Jesus? The Jesus of Nazareth? The one who went about working miracles and healing the sick? But it can’t be… Aram felt the peculiar feeling in his chest intensify.
“Jesus!... Jesus< have mercy on me!” Jesse screamed falling on his knees with his arms outstretched as the man drew closer to them. In a moment everyone was on the hard ground raising their voices in desperate pleading

Aram felt his heart beating faster, he too fell on his knees and shouted, “Mercy, Jesus, have mercy!”

          Suddenly the man spoke, his voice was calm and clear but it carried a resonation that made Aram’s skin tingle with anticipation.

He said, “Go Into the city and show yourselves to the priests and let them examine you”.

Aram furrowed his brow in confusion, this wasn’t what he had expected… to be fair he didn’t know what he was expecting but certainly not an instruction to head into the city. The temple was located in the center of the city and lepers were not allowed close to the inner wall. Still the calm way the man called Jesus had told them to go carried a conviction that spurred his heart, Aram shuffled on his feet and as he turned he notice Jesse and the others had already started moving towards the city, hobbling as fast their disease ridden limbs could carry them.

As Aram headed into the city, a sudden hope filled his chest, he had heard stories about this man, how he healed a man who was blind and without eyes,. He’d heard of the dead that he’d raised back to life and even the news of how he’d brought back Lazarus who had been dead four days. Certainly, the man knew what he was doing. At that Aram doubled his speed towards the temple, they had entered the city and the bustling market place and the cacophony of jingles their bells were making attracted many people, some of whom had to leap out of the way when they saw them coming.

“Hey you! Stop right there!”, Aram turned and saw a group of soldiers hurrying towards them and gritting his teeth, he redoubled his efforts, he was so close now, he didn’t know what he expected to find in the temple nor did he know what to say to the priests but he ran on, determined to reach the temple by all means. As he ran, he became conscious of a certain vigour that he hadn’t felt in a long time, his steps became sturdy and surer and he hobbled less and less. He felt his chest swell with pure, clean air and the strength in his bones.

Shocked he skidded to a stop and gazed at his hands, it was unbelievable, they were no longer white, the sores were gone! He ran his hands all over his body… he was clean, he was healed. He still couldn’t believe it, he stooped down and tore at the rags binding his feet. His feet were dirty and muddy but they were no longer rotten, even the little toe that had fallen off that morning had miraculously grown back. With a shout of joy he leapt up into the air, he was totally healed.

He glanced around and saw Jesse and another from their group approaching with huge smiles on their faces.

“Aram! Can you see this… I am healed, I’m totally healed” Jesse said beaming with joy as he spread his arms.

“This is a miracle… That man, Jesus… he healed us… Jesus…” Aram said. “We have to go back, we have to thank him” he added turning back towards the city gates.

“Oh, you go ahead lad… I’ve got to go see my wife and my little girls… ha-ha, I’m whole again!” Jesse shouted as he turned hurrying into the crowd.

Aram smiled as he watched him go,  he felt a strong urge to hurry home to his mum and dad and little Tabitha, to see the look on their faces as they saw his face again. But he ran back towards the gates and there he saw Jesus and his followers approaching and straightaway, he flung himself down at Jesus’ feet his tears pouring freely from his face.

“Lord!” Aram said, “Thank you” he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Jesus looked around and said, “There were ten men who were healed, where are the other nine?”

“I.. I don’t – ” Aram fumbled for words.

Jesus smiled and laying his hands on Aram’s shoulder, lifted him up. Wiping his tears with a smile, a warm smile, he said, “Go thy way Aram, your faith has made you whole”.

Aram’s eyes opened wide, he didn’t know how but this man whom he had never met before now, knew his name. and with a smile he bent and ripped the lepers bell from his ankle, he would no longer need it. He was whole.