I Am the One

Jesus and the Ten Lepers

Scripture Reference: Luke 17: 11-18 (NIV)

11Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" 14When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. 15One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. 17Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"


Jesus and his disciples are on the move. Jesus is moving the focus of his ministry south from Galilee, getting closer and closer to the final confrontation in Jerusalem. (“As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” Luke 9:51 NIV) Here Jesus is traveling in the border area at the southern extremity of the province of Galilee, and at the northern end of the area where the Samaritans lived. Luke reminds us that this took place in a racially-mixed area.

Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing. It was considered incurable, and those diagnosed with leprosy were banished from society. They were treated as outcasts, like many who have AIDS today. They were required to live outside the city in leper camps (read Num 5:2-3) and were to cry out to warn others to keep away from them as they walked the streets (read Lev 13:45-46).Jewish practice prescribed that while lepers might attend synagogue, they must be the first to enter and last to leave, and they must stay in a special compartment to isolate themselves from the other worshippers.

Pastor Collins, characterized leprosy as a deadly, dogging, demoralizing illness. Being just outside of the village would be common, since the lepers probably obtained food from family members or those in the village who took pity on them. They had no land to till, and no livestock to look after, which left them dependent upon others.

The questions were asked, “Have you ever been bound to a place where you could not see Christ? A place where you had not money or food, and were considered low class? A place where people looked at you with disdain, because you were not on their level?” Pastor Collins’ sermon he speaks of the church as a hospital, where the spiritually sick come together and pray with each other seeking Gods’ grace and mercy.

The lepers asked for pity, the phrase "have pity" means to be greatly concerned about someone in need, 'have compassion/mercy/pity' for someone. “As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance, and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Luke 17:12&13 NIV) They didn’t ask for healing but for pity. They asked for whatever Jesus might give them -- food, clothing, shelter, whatever he decided to offer. They knew Jesus' reputation for compassion. But did they really ask for and expect healing? The scripture doesn't indicate so.

When Jesus told the men to go to the priest to prove that they had been cleansed, it is clear that Jesus had acted to heal them. The request calls for faith; since the men must turn and go to the priests without having first experienced the healing.

There are several points in the lesson of this healing: (1) God's mercy should yield thanksgiving. (2) God works through Jesus. (3) Getting close to God is a matter of trusting him. One who seems far away can really be near. (4) The outsider, the foreigner, is the most sensitive to Jesus in this story. Those who respond to God may not be the ones we expect to respond. (5) God's blessing can be appreciated or underappreciated.

Jesus highlights the last point when he asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"(Luke 17:17 NIV).The group of lepers were in all probability united by their disease despite deep divisions of ancestry, religion, and history. But the Samaritan was the only one to offer thanks. Life's real blessings are not valued, while things that cannot really bless are assigned worth they do not really possess. Many time our families and friends, and more important, the God of life is underappreciated, taken advantage of or ignored--not necessarily to their detriment, but always to ours.

There is one other lesson in the exchange between Jesus and the Samaritan man. God's grace, even though it is extended to all, does not mean that all gain salvation. "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:11-12 NIV). Christian friends, can you truly say “I AM THE ONE?” God blesses humanity in a general way, but only the responsive who appreciate what he has done in Christ receive his full blessing and acceptance.

by: B Stevenson