Jesus Heals Ten Lepers

On the way to Jerusalem. Jesus was going to Jerusalem (17:11). He had already told His disciples that He would be killed and raised on the third day (Luke 9:22). Even on that road, He stopped for people who needed Him. Ten men far away. The men had leprosy, a serious skin disease. God's law said a person with leprosy had to live apart from other people for as long as he had the disease (Leviticus 13:46). That is most likely why they “stood afar off” (17:12). They could not come close, but they could still call out. A cry for mercy. “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (17:13). They called Jesus by His name, and they called Him Master, the same word Peter used when Jesus told him to let down his nets (Luke 5:5). Then they asked for mercy. Mercy is kindness given to someone who cannot help himself. They did not ask because they had earned it. They asked because they needed it. Seen by Jesus. “So when He saw them…” (17:14). The men had to keep their distance, but Jesus looked right at them. Being sick does not mean God is angry with you. Jesus cares about people who are sick, and He hears their prayers. What this means for you. You never have to be close enough or good enough before you call on Jesus. If you feel far away from Him, call out anyway. Like the ten men, you can ask Him for mercy, and He will hear you.

The road (17:11). “Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.” Jesus knew what was ahead of Him. He had told His disciples that He would “be killed, and be raised the third day” (Luke 9:22). Every healing on this road happened on the way to the cross. Afar off (17:12). The law said of a person with leprosy, “He is unclean, and he shall dwell alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp” (Leviticus 13:46). The ten most likely kept their distance because of that command. Their disease kept them outside, apart from ordinary life with other people. Master (17:13). They “lifted up their voices” and called Him “Master,” the title Peter used when he said, “nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net” (Luke 5:5). They knew who had the authority to help them. Have mercy (17:13). Mercy is God's kindness toward people in misery who cannot rescue themselves. Distance kept their bodies away, but it could not keep their cry away from Jesus. Later one of them would lift his voice again, this time to praise (17:15). Seen (17:14). “So when He saw them…” The first thing Jesus gave them was His attention. Does being sick mean God is angry with someone? When the disciples asked about a man born blind, Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him” (John 9:3). For you. The ten could not make themselves clean, and they could not come near. All they could do was call. That is still where everyone begins with Jesus: “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).

Leprosy was a serious sickness of the skin. God's law said people with leprosy must live apart. So the ten men could not come near Jesus. They stood far away, but they still called to Him. They called Jesus by His name. They also called Him Master. A master is someone in charge. Then they asked Jesus for mercy. They did not say they deserved help. They asked because they needed help. Being sick does not mean God is angry with you. You can call to Jesus from anywhere. He hears you even when you feel far away.

The ten men were very sick. They had to stay far away. But they could still call to Jesus. Jesus saw them and cared.

A surprising command. Jesus did not touch the men. He said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” (17:14). God's law said that a person whose leprosy was healed should be brought to the priest (Leviticus 14:2). The priest would look at him and say whether he was clean. Walking before seeing. The men were not healed yet when Jesus sent them. They had to start walking while they were still sick. Every step showed that they believed His word. As they went. “And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed” (17:14). Their healing came on the road, while they were doing what Jesus said. All ten trusted Jesus enough to go, and all ten were made clean. A way back home. Cleansed means made clean. Their skin was healthy again. After a priest said a person was clean, God's law said he could come back into the camp, where everyone else lived (Leviticus 14:8). What this means for you. Sometimes Jesus asks us to take the next step before we see how everything will turn out: tell the truth, say you are sorry, keep praying, be kind to someone who is not kind to you. Trusting Jesus often looks like doing the next thing He says.

A command that needed faith (17:14). “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” The law described what happened after leprosy was gone: “He shall be brought to the priest,” and “the priest shall examine him” (Leviticus 14:2-3). The priest's work came after a healing. It had no power to cause one. Jesus sent the men to the priests while nothing had changed yet. Katharizo (17:14). “And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.” The word is katharizo (say: kah-thah-REED-zoh), to make clean. Jesus used the same word when He sent word to John the Baptist that “the lepers are cleansed” (Luke 7:22). Cleansing lepers was one of the signs of who He is. Faith that walks (17:14). The healing came “as they went.” Faith in this story is not a feeling the men worked up. It is trust in Jesus' word, shown by obeying it. All ten had that much faith: all ten went, and all ten were cleansed (17:17). Jesus kept the law. Jesus did not set God's law aside. He sent the men to do what it said. When He healed another man with leprosy, He sent him to the priest “as a testimony to them” (Luke 5:14). The priest would see for himself what the Lord had done. For you. Many of Jesus' commands come before the results do: forgive, give, pray, tell the truth, stay kind. Obeying Him when you cannot yet see the outcome is what trust looks like in real life.

Jesus told the men to show themselves to the priests. God's law said to visit a priest after leprosy went away. The priest would check the skin. Then he would say the person was clean. But Jesus did not heal the men right then. They still had leprosy when they started walking. They had to trust what Jesus said. So they did what He said and went. As they walked, their skin became clean! Jesus' words are always true. Doing what Jesus says is one way to show we trust Him. We can obey Him before we see how things will turn out.

Jesus told the men to go. They did what Jesus said. As they walked, they got well! Jesus' words are always true.

One turned back. “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned” (17:15). All ten were made clean. Only one turned around and went back to Jesus. Loud praise. He came back “with a loud voice” and “glorified God” (17:15). The voice that had cried for help now shouted praise. To glorify God means to tell how great and good He is. At His feet. He “fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks” (17:16). He did not only thank God in a general way. He came to Jesus Himself and thanked Him. Jesus said this man had come back “to give glory to God” (17:18). Thanking Jesus is giving glory to God, because Jesus is God the Son. A Samaritan. “And he was a Samaritan” (17:16). Jews and Samaritans had been divided for a long time. Jesus healed him just the same, and he was the one who came back. What this means for you. When God answers a prayer, it is easy to hurry on to the next thing. Stop and come back. Tell Jesus thank you out loud, and tell other people what He has done for you.

He saw (17:15). “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned.” All ten could see the same healthy skin. Only one turned back to the One who had healed him. Two loud voices (17:13, 15). At first all ten “lifted up their voices” to ask for mercy. Now one man returns “with a loud voice” to glorify God. Asking and thanking belong together. God hears our requests, and He is glad to hear our thanks. Face down (17:16). He “fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.” He gave glory to God and thanks to Jesus in the same act. Jesus then called the man's return giving “glory to God” (17:18). Jesus accepted honor that belongs to God, because He is God the Son. Allogenes (17:18). Jesus called him “this foreigner.” The word is allogenes (say: ahl-loh-geh-NAYS), someone of another people. Jews and Samaritans had long been divided; John 4:9 says plainly, “For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.” The outsider of the group was the one who came back. For you. Thanks is more than good manners. It is coming back to the One who gave the gift. Our memory verse says it simply: “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!” (Psalm 136:1). Make it a habit to return to Jesus with thanks as often as you come to Him with needs.

All ten men were healed. But only one man turned around. He did not keep his thanks quiet. He praised God so loudly that others could hear him. He bowed low to show that Jesus is great. Saying thank you is one way to love God back. This man was a Samaritan. Jews and Samaritans did not get along. But Jesus healed him too. Jesus said the man came back to thank God. So thanking Jesus is thanking God. When God helps you, stop and come back. Tell Jesus thank you out loud.

One man came back to Jesus. He praised God with a loud voice. He bowed down at Jesus' feet. He said thank you!

Where are the nine? Jesus asked three questions: “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (17:17-18). Jesus counted. He noticed who came back and who did not. He wanted all ten to come back to Him. The nine. The nine did what Jesus had told them to do. But they took the gift and did not come back to the Giver. We are often like them. We pray hard when we need help, and then we forget to say thank you. Arise, go your way. Then Jesus said to the man, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well” (17:19). His faith was trust in Jesus. It sent him walking toward the priests, and it brought him back to Jesus with thanks. More than clean skin. All ten were healed. This man also heard Jesus speak to him face to face and send him on his way with kind words. Coming back to Jesus is always worth it. What this means for you. Make a habit of coming back. At bedtime, name one thing God did for you today and thank Him for it. Jesus loves to hear from you, and not only when you need something.

Three questions (17:17-18). “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” Jesus was looking for more than bodies made clean. He wanted people who would come back to Him. The nine. They obeyed the command they were given, and the law did send a healed person to the priest. Yet Jesus' question still stands: they received the gift and did not return to the Giver. Most of us are more like the nine than we like to admit. We pray hard in trouble and go quiet when the trouble is gone. Sōzō (17:19). “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” The verb is sōzō (say: SOH-zoh), which means to heal, to rescue or to save. Jesus spoke the same words in Greek to a forgiven woman in Luke 7:50, where they say, “Your faith has saved you.” Many Christians see that this Samaritan received more than healthy skin: he came back to Jesus and went away with Jesus' own word over his life. Whose power? His faith did not heal him by its own strength. It was trust in Jesus, and Jesus did the healing. Faith is like an empty hand that receives what Jesus gives. For you. The person who says thank you is the person who keeps coming back. Bring Jesus your thanks as freely as you bring Him your requests, and you will keep finding Him near.

Jesus asked, “Where are the other nine?” Jesus noticed who came back. He wanted all ten men to come back to Him. The nine men did what Jesus told them. They went to see the priests. But they did not come back to say thank you. Sometimes we forget to thank God too. Then Jesus told the Samaritan, “Stand up and go on your way.” He also said, “You were healed because you believed.” The man believed in Jesus. His trust brought him back to Jesus. Let's come back to Jesus with thanks too.

Jesus asked, “Where are the other nine?” Jesus wanted all ten men to come back. Jesus is so good!