136 14 Habits of Highly Effective Disciples
Ten Lepers Plead for Pity (Luke 17:12–14)
17:12. To add insult to injury, not only was Jesus willing to fraternize
with Samaritans, he was willing to enter into conversation (and contact;
note Luke 5:12–16) with lepers. We tend to equate leprosy with Hansen’s
disease5, though in biblical times leprosy connoted all sorts and sundry
of skin diseases (including the now known to be harmless “white lep-
rosy”).^6 Were we to think of leprosy in biblical antiquity along the lines
of “scale disease” we would be closer to the reality of that age. Luke indi-
cated that in keeping with Jewish law, the lepers (ten in number) kept
their distance as they approached Jesus (note Leviticus 13:46; Numbers
5:2–3).
17:13 –14. From afar these ten lepers, whom others kept at more than
arm’s length, lifted up their voices and cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy
on us!” The cacophonous, leprous chorus caused Jesus to notice them.
Seeing them, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” Although
Jesus was more than able to heal them instantly (compare Luke 5:13), he
instructed them to “Go and show [themselves] to the priests [for exami-
nation]” as prescribed by the law (note Leviticus 13:2–8; 14:2–3; compare
Luke 5:14). En route, Luke reports, “they were made clean.” The English
term catharsis comes from the Greek term that Luke employs here.
One Leper Offers Thanks (Luke 17:15–19)
17:15 –16. Realizing that he had been healed by Jesus, one leper stopped
dead in his tracks, did an about-face, and returned to the Source of his
cleansing. As he made his way back to the Way, he glorified God with
a loud voice. His cry for pity was transformed into a shout of praise. As
this once leprous man came close to Jesus, he fell on his face at Jesus’
feet and repeatedly offered him thanks. What is more, Luke notes, the
person who returned to offer Jesus his thankful praise was of all things
a Samaritan. Even as the Israelite prophet Elijah cleansed Naaman,
the Syrian commander, of leprosy in Samaria (see 2 Kings 5:1–27), the
Galilean prophet Jesus cleansed an anonymous Samaritan of leprosy in
a village on the border between Galilee and Samaria.
17:17–19. Far from regarding the Samaritan’s obeisance for his benefi-
cence off-putting, annoying, or inappropriate, Jesus responds to his act