# Jesus and the 10 lepers



## ReformedWretch (Dec 25, 2006)

Thoughts on this passage? As I sit and pray about our daughter I feel strongly lead to this passage and I can't figure out why exactly. I've not read the story in some time nor considered it. Anyone want to tackle this for me?

Luke 17:11-19 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."


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## larryjf (Dec 26, 2006)

I have some thoughts on this passage...

Thankfulness is part of the Christian character. When our attention is on the gift/healing then our thankfulness will stray, but when our attention is on the gift giver our thankfulness will be well placed.

In general, only 1 out of every 10 people are thankful  

When our focus is on God with thanksgiving there is a greater blessing. All ten lepers received physical healing, but only the one who returned was made completely whole. When the one leper is told that his faith has made him "well," that word is "sozo" which can also mean to be saved.

In this passage we see many things that we should always be thankful for...
God's goodness, God's greatness, God's grace, God's gospel, God's guidance, God's government, God's gifts.

I have come across a couple of quotes on thankfulness that i love...

*Matthew Henry* understood that thankfulness was not a matter of circumstance. On the night that he was robbed he prayed this prayer –
“I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.”

*G.K. Chesterton* said “You say grace before meals. All right. But I say grace before the concert and the opera, and grace before the play and pantomime, and grace before I open a book, and grace before sketching, painting, swimming, fencing, boxing, walking, playing, dancing and grace before I dip the pen in the ink.”


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## VirginiaHuguenot (Dec 26, 2006)

larryjf said:


> *Matthew Henry* understood that thankfulness was not a matter of circumstance. On the night that he was robbed he prayed this prayer –
> “I thank Thee first because I was never robbed before; second, because although they took my purse they did not take my life; third, although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed and not I who robbed.”



That's a wonderful quote -- worth adding to this thread.


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## Semper Fidelis (Dec 26, 2006)

I delivered this message in July of this year. Rev. Buchanan had helped me with this in discussion on a thread here.

You can also find it posted at http://www.solideogloria.com/story/2006/07/21/01.09.30


> Luke 17:11-19
> 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.
> ...


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## larryjf (Dec 27, 2006)

> That's a wonderful quote -- worth adding to this thread.


Done.


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## Contra_Mundum (Dec 27, 2006)

SemperFideles said:


> I delivered this message in July of this year. Rev. Buchanan had helped me with this in discussion on a thread here.
> 
> You can also find it posted at http://www.solideogloria.com/story/2006/07/21/01.09.30



I preached my own sermon on leprosy, _The Untouchables._ Mt. 8:1-4 was my basic text, but I surveyed the Scriptures; it only had a slight reference to this story from Luke.


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