Luke 17:11 - Meaning and Application

Here we have the healing of ten lepers, a miracle Luke records that the other Gospel writers do not. Leprosy was a disease the Jews often saw as a sign of God’s judgment for some special sin. Because Christ came to take away sin and turn away God’s wrath, he especially took care to cleanse lepers who came in his path.

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, about halfway there. At that point he was in the border country between Samaria and Galilee, where he was less known than in Jerusalem or Galilee. He went that way to meet these lepers and heal them, because he is found by those who were not looking for him.

The lepers came to Christ together. There were ten of them in one group, and even though they were cut off from other people, they could still speak with one another. That would have given them some comfort, since they could share their troubles and support each other.

They met Jesus as he was entering a certain village. They did not wait for him to rest after the strain of travel, but came to him while he was still entering the town. Yet he did not turn them away or postpone their request.

They stood at a distance, because the law required them to keep apart from others. A clear sense of our own spiritual uncleanness should make us humble when we come to Christ. Who are we to draw near to one who is perfectly pure? We are unclean.

Their request was united and urgent. They lifted up their voices and cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us” (Luke 17:13). Those who hope for help from Christ must receive him as their Master and be ready to obey him. If he is truly Master, then he is Jesus, a Savior. They did not ask in exact words to be cured of leprosy, but simply said, “Have mercy on us.” That is enough, because Christ’s compassion never fails.

They had heard reports of this Jesus, though he had not spent much time in that region. That was enough to move them to seek him. If even one of them had begun with such a simple and cheap request, the others would likely have joined him.

Christ sent them to the priest to be examined, since the priest was the one who judged leprosy. He did not first tell them they would be healed, but commanded them to go and show themselves to the priests (Luke 17:14). This tested their obedience, and the test was fitting, just as Naaman’s faith was tested when he was told, “Go wash in Jordan.” Those who expect Christ’s blessings must receive them in his way and by his method.

Some of the lepers might have complained at this command. They may have thought, “Either heal us or tell us plainly that you will not, but do not send us on a pointless errand to the priests.” Yet, though some may have resisted, they all went. Since the ceremonial law was still in force, Christ made sure it was honored, and that the priests were given proper respect in matters belonging to their office. He also likely meant for the priests to confirm the cure and to have reason to ask after the one who had such power over bodily disease.

As they went, they were cleansed. Only then were they fit to be seen by the priest and receive his declaration that they were clean. We should expect God to meet us with mercy when we are walking in the path of duty. If we do what we can, God will do what we cannot. Go attend the appointed means of grace. Go pray and read Scripture. Go show yourself to the priests, that is, open your case to a faithful minister. The outward means do not heal by themselves, but God often heals through earnest use of them.

One of the ten, and only one, came back to give thanks (Luke 17:15). When he saw that he had been healed, he did not go on first to the priest so he could be declared clean and released from confinement, which was all the others seemed to want. Instead, he turned back to the One who had healed him, wanting Christ to receive the glory before he received the full benefit.

He seems to have been warm and sincere in his thanks. With a loud voice he glorified God, admitting that the blessing came from him. He had lifted up his voice in prayer, and now he lifted it up in praise too (Luke 17:13). Those who receive mercy from God should tell others about it, so others may praise God as well and be encouraged to trust him.

He also gave Christ a special thank-you. He fell at Jesus’ feet and gave him thanks (Luke 17:16). We should thank Christ for the favors he gives, especially when he heals sickness. We should do it quickly, before time cools our sense of the mercy. We should also be humble in our thanks, just as we are in our prayers. The children of Jacob should, like Jacob, say they are less than the least of all God’s mercies when they receive them, just as when they are seeking them.

Christ noticed this one man who had set himself apart by his gratitude. He was a Samaritan, while the others were Jews (Luke 17:16). The Samaritans were separated from the Jewish church, and they did not have the same pure knowledge and worship of God. Yet it was one of them who glorified God, while the Jews either forgot to do so or refused when reminded.

Christ especially noticed two things, the thankful return of this man and the ingratitude of the others. The one who was a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel was the only one who came back to give glory to God (Luke 17:17, Luke 17:18). See here how rich Christ is in doing good. Were there not ten cleansed? One word from him healed a whole group. There is more than enough healing and cleansing power in the blood of Christ for all his patients, no matter how many there are. Ten were cleansed at once, and there is no less grace for us because others share in it.

See also how poor we are in returning thanks. “Where are the nine?” Why did they not come back to give thanks? This shows how common ingratitude is. Of the many who receive mercy from God, very few give thanks rightly, scarcely one in ten. Many do not repay God with the praise his mercy deserves.

And often those who are least expected to be thankful are the most thankful. A Samaritan gives thanks, and a Jew does not.

Many who claim revealed religion are put to shame by some who are guided only by natural religion, meaning the light of conscience and reason. They may outdo them not only in moral conduct, but also in devotion and reverence toward God. This makes the ingratitude of the Jews here even worse, because Christ’s kindness was so lightly treated. It also shows how rightly he is grieved by the ingratitude of the world, for he has done so much for mankind and received so little in return.

Christ gave the healed man a special encouragement in Luke 17:19: “Your faith has made you well.” The others were healed too, and their healing was not taken back, though it could justly have been because of their ingratitude, even with such a clear example of thankfulness before them. But this man’s healing was confirmed with a special praise. The others were made well by Christ’s power, in pity for their suffering and in answer to their request. He was made well by his faith, by which Christ saw that he was different from the rest.

Temporal mercies, meaning earthly blessings, are doubly sweet when they come in response to the prayers of faith and return to God in the praises of faith.