NOW 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?” 19Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
Original Meaning
IN THE NEXT section of the journey portion of Luke’s Gospel (17:11–18:8), eschatology becomes a crucial theme. After a miracle that highlights the importance of faith and gratitude (17:11–19), Jesus notes that the kingdom is in their midst (17:20–21). He then details the circumstances that will precede his final return (17:22–37), which will be a frightening time of judgment. In the meantime, disciples should pray for vindication, though Jesus wonders who will keep the faith in the interim (18:1–8). The unit as a whole calls for trust in God’s plan and timing. The saints should walk faithfully with him and look expectantly for Christ’s return, when he will vindicate them.
Luke begins this miracle story, unique to this Gospel (17:11–19), by drawing our attention again to Jesus’ journey.1 This is the fourth of five miracles in the journey section (11:14; 13:10–13; 14:1–4; 18:35–43). Jesus is now moving east to west along the boundary between Samaria and Galilee. In other words, Luke’s journey section is not a straight-line journey, but a journey of fate (note 10:38–42, when Jesus was at Martha’s house, located in Bethany near Jerusalem [John 11:18]).
The miracle contains a double level of cultural tension, since the main figure is both a leper and a Samaritan. Lepers were culturally isolated (see 5:12–16), and Samaritans were disliked by Jews for their religious defection and for being racial half-breeds (see 9:51–56). The idea of a Samaritan leper receiving God’s help was undoubtedly shocking to many, since they had written off people in either category as being beyond help.
As Jesus enters a village, he is approached by ten lepers. The fact that they draw near to him says much, since lepers were expected to isolate themselves from people. What they know about Jesus tells them that he is approachable. Still, they call to him from a distance, honoring the Old Testament command not to mix with other people (Lev. 13:45–46; Num. 5:2–3). As we noted in Luke 5:12–16, leprosy refers to a wide range of conditions, but the possibility of those conditions being contagious meant isolation until the condition cleared.
The lepers ask for mercy (NIV “have pity on us!”). This is a cry for compassion, a request that comes frequently to Jesus (Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15; 20:30–31; Mark 10:47–48; Luke 16:24 [not to Jesus]; 18:38–39). They want to be healed. Given all the conflict that has attended Jesus’ ministry, the reader wonders if Jesus’ healing will continue. Can grace be manifested in the midst of opposition?
Jesus immediately removes any doubt about his desire to show compassion. Those who come to him receive relief, even from a distance. He tells them to go show themselves to the priest, as the law commands (Lev. 13:19; 14:1–11). One does not go to the priest until he or she has been healed, so Jesus’ telling them to go indicates healing will occur. If they believe Jesus, they will obey.2 As the lepers turn, they are healed. This event pictures God’s grace. The healings allow these men to return to a normal life, though subsequent events show that the deliverance is not full forgiveness.
One of the men breaks from the group. Full of praise for God, he falls at Jesus’ feet and offers thanksgiving for his cleansing. Luke notes that the man is a Samaritan, which means he comes from racial roots that represent insensitivity to God. Jesus then notes that ten men were healed, but only one (“this foreigner,” a word often meaning “pagan” or “heathen”)3 has taken the time to stop and praise God for his work. “Where are the other nine?” Jesus asks. His follow-up remark to the Samaritan is similar to 7:9, where the centurion’s faith is commended as being unlike anything found in Israel. In other words, Jesus does two things simultaneously here. He commends the example of gratitude in the Samaritan, and he also shows that response to him is possible from those outside the nation. In some cases, those most sensitive to the gospel came from outside the nation.
Jesus then issues a final encouraging commendation. He tells the man that his “faith has made [him] well.” Jesus is probably saying that although ten have experienced the blessing of healing, only one has faith and has turned to establish ties with Jesus that indicate the presence of salvation (cf. 7:50; 8:48; 18:42). The deliverance Jesus affirms here is greater than the healing the man has experienced. He had learned everything the miracle can teach him.4 Faith and salvation again merge.5
Bridging Contexts
THE PORTRAIT OF Jesus’ compassion, even in the midst of rejection, is a crucial theme here. Jesus continues to minister to any who reach out to him. None is turned away. When people cry for pity, Jesus offers it. God is not an ogre who hoards his compassion and needs persuading to exercise it. All he asks is that we approach him humbly and on his terms, recognizing that he is ready to help.
Also significant in this story is the example of who is helped. Jesus reaches out to those who are regarded as outsiders. He touches especially those whom others have often given up on. Similarly, our ministry needs to share the scope of audience that Jesus’ ministry had.
The notes of faith and gratitude are also responses that span the centuries. The Samaritan knew that God cared and that Jesus had a major role in that response. His turning to Jesus in praise and recognition pictures the link between God’s activity and Jesus’ work. The gratitude the Samaritan showed represents a fundamental response of faith to God’s work. He appreciated his restoration to life and expressed his appreciation toward God and life through what Jesus did. To understand the isolation that sin produces is to understand the freedom that salvation brings.
Contemporary Significance
EXPRESSING APPRECIATION TO God is an attitude that is growing in the church today, and that is a good thing. When I was in college and seminary, the major feature of worship was teaching. We sang a hymn or two, but the goal of the hour was to give the preacher as much time as possible. Teaching is still important (cf. 17:1–10), but our hearts need to commune with God and express praise and gratitude to him. Luke is filled with passages where people take the time to thank and praise God.
Praise is important because it reestablishes our relationship with God on its proper terms. We appreciate his activity in our lives. In the communion of praise comes the cleansing of attitudes that life often implants in our hearts. It allows us to recount God’s goodness. Restoring the balance between teaching and praise reminds us that God is not only to be understood, he is to be honored as well.
Allowing time for personal thanksgiving is also important. Much of the evangelical tradition highlights the quiet time. Such time is important, not only because we study about God through the Word, but we enter into relationship with him. A good quiet time includes moments of quiet reflection, prayer, and praise. We should stop in the midst of life’s activities, as the Samaritan did, and give thanks. A healthy proportion of time spent with God, reflecting on his care and goodness, may save us from the bitter pills we tend to swallow because we move so hectically through life.
The reaction of the nine in not returning thanks to Jesus shows how often we tend to take God’s gracious actions for granted. I have made it a habit to thank God for his grace virtually every time I pray. I hope this is not merely a formulaic exercise but a way of concretely expressing from the heart gratitude for those many gifts that come from him daily. When the blessings of life are seen as a result of God’s grace, it makes us into gentler, more grateful people. Such an attitude prevents us from assessing life in terms of what we are owed, an attitude that can sow seeds of anger and bitterness.
As with many texts, a fundamental picture of salvation is present here. The Samaritan stopped to recognize that God was at work through Jesus. He understood that God’s blessing came through his agent. In turning to thank Jesus, he showed how he personally appropriated the blessing Jesus had given him. In return, the Lord gifted him even more—the declaration that faith had made him well. Luke’s Gospel has consistently called for decision about Jesus. Here he pictures someone who made the right choice. If we have not chosen him, Luke calls for us to follow in the Samaritan’s footsteps.
The fact that the Samaritan is the example warns us against unduly limiting our ministry and whom God might bless through it. Some methods of evangelism today assert that a homogeneous ministry makes for a better community. I am not sure. It makes community easier, but there is something to be said for forging a community out of disparate elements to show just how far and wide God’s reconciliation can go (Eph. 3:2–13). We must be careful to model ministry in such a way that the suggestion never exists that God blesses some but not others. Sometimes faith shows up in surprising cross-cultural places; sometimes God crosses social or racial lines to remind us his grace is for all. Our ministries may have a natural audience, but in the midst of such ministries, we must communicate values and attitudes that make it clear that the gospel is for all who trust in Jesus.