In a terrible typhoon which struck Japan in 1934, the leper colony at Sotojima, near Osaka, was swept away in less than an hour.
Of the five hundred and ninety-four inmates, one hundred and seventy lost their lives, as well as fourteen of the staff and their families. The chief nurse, Miss Nakano, was one of those who perished while helping to save the blind and helpless patients.
The survivors were distributed among five other leper institutions in various parts of the country, and on October 10, a funeral service was held which a thousand lepers attended.
During the service one of the surviving Sotojima patients told with much feeling how he himself had been saved by Miss Nakano.
He was blind, and she was guiding him through deep water when a high wave struck them. He was saved, but he wept bitterly when he heard that the chief nurse was missing. He wept again at the funeral service, crying: "She died instead of me, helpless, blind, ugly leper!"
Because of his blindness, the leper was helpless. He could not see the way to escape.
The leper stated that he was half-dead. God uses the very words to describe in parable how Satan leaves his victims: "He fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half-dead." Luke 10:3030And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. (Luke 10:30).
The leper gave himself the least attractive name: "me, ugly leper." Sin has ugly results in the heart and soul. It affects the character and sooner or later leaves its mark on the faces of those who practice sin.
With all our striving, all our supposed good works, we could never make ourselves attractive to God, for our hideous sin, like leprosy, remains, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags.
Still he bids us come to Him just as we are. "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin." 1 John 1:77But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7). Thus He can cleanse the vilest and make him fit for His eternal presence.
Will you be there? Trust the Lord Jesus as your own Savior now then thank Him for dying in your stead.