Jesus My Lord and My God   Ajit Leons Ministries

Mysteries within the Word of God: Ten Men with Leprosy are healed by Jesus

Ten Men with Leprosy is healed by Jesus (Lk 17.11-19) 

(Lk 6.31&Mt 7.12; Mk 9.40; Mt 12.30; Mt 12.25; Lk 16.15)

Lk 17.11-19: 

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? 18 Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” 

A few facts we need to keep in mind in respect of the practices of those times are:

–In those times, when there was no treatment for leprosy, lepers were not allowed to stay within the mainstream society. They had to live in caves outside their community. Food and other things needed were usually placed at some distance from these caves by people of the community. The lepers took this help and lived in their secluded place. It is comparable to how we quarantine people with communicable disease today. Also, if lepers were found in the area where the community lives, they would be stoned and driven away or may even be killed in the process.

-If any leper finds that he is healed, he cannot just walk into the community and declare that he is healed. Such a person had to go to the priests to be examined. If the priests declares that he is healed or “cleansed,” then and only then will he be allowed into the community areas; otherwise, he will have to go back to his leper community.

–In the times of Jesus, the Jews looked down upon the Samaritans as people of low standing and would never associate with them in any manner whatsoever. This is revealed in the incident of Jesus meeting the Samaritan woman by the well (Jn 4.4-9). 

Keeping these facts in mind, let us look what mystery this parable of Jesus reveals.

This parable is preached by many and is spoken of as a story of ingratitude; which is true. Its highlight is that when Jesus healed ten lepers, only one came back to thank him. 

Initially, I also thought the same and preached it too, till our Lord Jesus Christ revealed the “mystery within this parable.” I am most happy to share with the world, as it was given not just for me but for everyone, to help each one of us make this world a good home for everyone.  

Lk 17.11-13: On his way to Jerusalem, ten lepers met him. They did not come near him but stood at a distance as per the practice of those days.

This can be understood today because we have a similar practice, in respect of the COVID-19, and call it ‘physical distancing.’

From where they stood, they requested Jesus to have pity on them and their condition of leprosy and all that they were suffering because of it.

A very important thing to note here is that all of these lepers were standing together when they met Jesus. At this point, there is no mention of who these ten lepers were. So, we assume they were all Jews. 

Lk 17.14, 19: Jesus saw them and heard their request, he told them to go and show themselves to the priests. At that time they were not healed and as per their practice they would not have been declared healed or “clean” by the priests (according to pt. 2 above).

Yet the fact that they went, in spite of not seeing any healing, shows that they had tremendous faith in Jesus and in what he said. This is an example of extraordinary obedience and faith.

And their faith is the reason that they were healed as they were going to the priests. This is confirmed beyond any doubt by the statement of Jesus himself in vs. 19.

Lk 17.15-16: As soon as they were healed, one of them came back, praising God in a loud voice, full of gratitude. His joy was so great that he did not think of his surroundings or what people may think of him. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. 

It is at this point we are told that this grateful man was a Samaritan. The same is also confirmed by Jesus in vs 18. 

Lk 17.17: Jesus reveals that he knew that all the ten were healed or cleansed. He says so to this man and asked him about where the other nine were. 

Lk 17.18: He also asked him why, except for this “foreigner,” no one else returned to give praise to God. By this Jesus reveals to us that the other nine were Jews. 

This question is also put before us and the world.   The answer is to be found by us too. This is where the mystery begins. 

This is indeed a story of ingratitude. Yet there is much more to it than the eye reveals.

Disease causing agents, like fungus, bacteria or viruses, do not consider your position, color, race, ethnic background, religion, education, wealth, intelligence, skills or abilities, or whether you are rich, powerful, strong, weak, or any other worldly or human measure. For them we are all the same; just human flesh, to feed on and destroy. They do not usually differentiate mankind in any way. A good example of this is the COVID-19 virus of these times which is spreading all over the world and infecting anyone and everyone, except those with resistance to it. 

Illness makes us forget our differences and helps us to come together as human beings; making us equals without any man-made discriminations. 

In this parable, when the ten men were suffering from leprosy, they stood together, free of their man-made discriminations; they did not think of being Jews or Samaritan.

Once they met Jesus and he told them to go to the priests. In obedience and faith they walked together to the priests, and on the way they were healed because of their great faith. 

Yet when they got healed their human values and differences came back to them. The Jews became Jews, and in their eyes, the “foreigner” became the Samaritan that he was. Along with this the Jews concept of being of a much higher status than a Samaritan also returned. The pride and arrogance of the Jews would never allow them to think of walking together with a Samaritan. To them he was of low standing and not to be associated with, in any manner (see pt.3). Their pride and arrogance was so great, they did not mind being ungrateful to Jesus and not giving praise to God. 

Before being healed, they stood together as one people, suffering together, and seeking healing. But the moment they got healed, they became divided or scattered on man-made differences.

Regarding those who cause divisions, Jesus has spoken. In Mt. 12.25, he tells us that divisions cause ruin.  Also, in Mk 9.40 and Mt. 12.30, he effectively says that whoever causes divisions or scatters is against him. 

We know that the one who works against Jesus is the Devil. In other words, anyone who works against Jesus will be effectively doing the Devil’s work. 

Of course, man has a way of justifying all that he does, even the worst. However, God sees through all man’s pretensions and hypocrisy (Lk 16.15). 

Jesus sums up, in simple words, how we should be to others in Lk 6.31 and Mt 7.12. He says that we should do to others as we would have them do to us; because the tables may get turned against you anytime; and you may end up at the receiving end. History proves this: at one time Rome was the center of the world; today they are nowhere at the top; and other similar stories are there at various levels.

Today we have discriminations of all sorts, even among the people who belong to the same country, community, religion and so on, all over the world. 

Among Christians, we have some who qualify themselves as “superior Christians” based on their conversion by caste or class or wealth and so on. On what basis they do all this is a great mystery, known and justified only by them for themselves. 

Man has introduced things like community, caste, family, wealth, professional standing and other factors that determine your level of Christianity! All these and other similar traditions, today cause divisions among Christians. And, as mentioned above, all those who cause divisions will be doing the work of the Devil.   

It is high time these “superior Christians” realized that their man-made “values” will not have any value before the Lord our God, our Father in heaven. (Lk 16.15) Whenever anyone, be he a member of a church or a priest or a bishop or anyone higher, speaks in ways that promote any discrimination that causes division, he is doing the Devil’s work, and not God’s work. Merely because of your position, no matter how high you are, whatever wrongs you say does not become automatically right. Such people should be careful because they will bring judgement upon themselves. 

In short, although this parable is about being ungrateful, there is much more to it. It is about faith, obedience, gratitude, thankfulness, pride and arrogance, and most importantly it is about the evils of discrimination at all levels. Praise God!!!

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