Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan. So Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And He said to him, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19)
The Grateful Sinner
Leprosy was the scourge of the Bible world. There was no cure. No medicine would heal it. The disease came with a death sentence. It was a horrible way to die. The body begins to crust over with white scales and causes terrible sores and swellings. Leprosy becomes more horrific as the disease eats inward to the bones, rotting the body progressively, leading to a final relief in death. Under the Law of Moses, leprosy was regulated by the priests who determined the severity of the disease. Leprosy was considered unclean, and lepers had to live alone.
Many lepers lived in the days Jesus taught and performed miracles. A leper appealed to Jesus to heal him, and the Son of God reached out and touched the man and healed him. Jesus sent out the apostles with the power of the Holy Spirit to heal lepers. When John the Baptist asked if Jesus was the expected one, Jesus sent messengers to tell John that great miracles were being done, including healing lepers. Scripture records many miracles, but many more remain unwritten. Lepers were among those who received Christ’s compassion and were healed.
As Jesus approached a certain village, there were ten lepers camped outside the town. They had heard of Jesus and knew of His power. When the Lord came by, the ten cried out to Jesus, calling Him “Master,” and sought His mercy. They believed He had the power to heal them. When Jesus saw them, He told them to show themselves to the priests. He did not heal them immediately, but as they went, they were cleansed. What a remarkable feeling to have the scourge of leprosy removed from the body in an instant. The cleansing was complete, whole, and powerful. What no man could do, Jesus did by directing the men to those who served the law of God.
The Law of Moses required a man who thought he might have leprosy to show himself to the priest and receive the blessing that cleared him of the dreaded disease. This would allow the man to return to his family, his place in society, and his place in the Temple. To be cleansed of leprosy was the most powerful demonstration of God’s grace toward disease known to man. From a disease that meant only a death sentence to the joy of having all the leprosy removed and cleansed of the horrible disease. Ten men went on their way healed, whole, and cleansed.
As one man went his way, he realized what had happened beyond the leprosy. One man turned and came to Jesus to glorify God with a loud voice, giving thanks for Jesus’ compassion, His love, and His abundant mercy. He had been healed of leprosy. There had been no hope. He had hope. There was no compassion. He felt the compassion of Jesus. There was no cure. Jesus took his leprosy away. He wanted to praise God for the cleansing. His heart was filled with thanksgiving because he no longer lived under a death sentence. He had risen from the putridity of disease to the healing by the hand of God.
All men suffer from the same disease. Leprosy is a horrible, disfiguring, painful, stench-filled experience that leads to certain death, but it is only a disease of the body. What all men suffer from is the disease of sin. Sadly, most do not look at sin as a horrible disease. They cannot see how it disfigures the soul. There is little pain in sin because it is such fun. And the stench of sin to the nostrils of God does not bother the sinner. When the one leper realized what Jesus had done, he returned to honor God. Sin, like leprosy, has no cure. The end is death. Yet Jesus came to take away the disease of sin from those who will come to Him for healing. Jesus has the power to wash away all sins. He will turn a death sentence into an eternal life sentence. Through the blood of Jesus, sin can be washed away.
The one leper shows the heart of thanksgiving. Everyone who has washed their sins away in baptism knows the feeling of cleansing. What may be lacking in many hearts is the heart of gratitude suggested by the lone returning leper who came to give God the glory. There must be a deep gratitude for what Jesus has done. Being cleansed of sin is a joyful, thankful time that must never fade. The healed leper rejoiced the rest of his life for what Jesus did. Do you rejoice that Jesus washed away your sins? Listen to the lone leper. Glorify God. Thank God. Show thanksgiving in the way you live – washed from your sins.
