Luke 17:11-19 – Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers
Jesus is on the final leg of his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. He told his disciples how important genuine faith is. Lepers were outcasts from society; people considered them ritually unclean, believed the disease to be infectious by touch, and thought they were possessed by evil spirits. All ten acknowledge Jesus as who he is, “Master” (v.13): they have faith. To be restored to society, a leper needed certification from “the priests” (v.14) that he was free of the disease.
While all ten acknowledge Jesus as God, only one, a “Samaritan” (v.16), a “foreigner” (v.18), gives thanks to him (v.16); he worships God differently. All ten are healed of leprosy but only one is wholly “made … well” (v.19) – for the Greek word bears with it the idea of rescue from impending destruction or from superior powers. Much earlier, Jesus has infuriated synagogue worshippers by recalling the story of Naaman, the foreigner healed of leprosy by Elisha. Then no Israelites were healed of the disease, only an alien. Now one whom Jews despised is saved. See 7:27 for cleansing of lepers being a sign of the coming of the Kingdom.
© 1996-2025 Chris Haslam
Prayer of the Day
O God, you have made heaven and earth and all that is good: Help us to delight in simple things and to rejoice always in the richness of your bounty; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.