15. Luke 17
12 And as he entered a village, he
was met by ten lepers, who
stood at a distance 13 and lifted
up their voices, saying, “Jesus,
Master, have mercy on us.”
16. Luke 17
14 When he saw them he said to
them, “Go and show yourselves
to the priests.” And as they went
they were cleansed.
18. Joshua 3:8
8And as for you, command the
priests who bear the ark of the
covenant, ‘When you come to the
brink of the waters of the Jordan,
you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”
19. Joshua 3:13
13And when the soles of the feet of the
priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the
Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the
waters of the Jordan, the waters of the
Jordan shall be cut off from flowing,
and the waters coming down from
above shall stand in one heap.”
21. Luke 17
15 Then one of them, when he
saw that he was healed, turned
back, praising God with a loud
voice; 16 and he fell on his face at
Jesus' feet, giving him thanks.
Now he was a Samaritan.
22. Luke 17
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were
not ten cleansed? Where are the
nine? 18 Was no one found to
return and give praise to God
except this foreigner?”
23. Luke 17
19 And he said to him, “Rise and
go your way; your faith
has made you well.”
26. “We often fancy
that we suffer from
ingratitude, while in
reality we suffer
from self-love.”Walter Savage
Landor
27. Luke 17
16b Now he was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were
not ten cleansed? Where are the
nine? 18 Was no one found to
return and give praise to God
except this foreigner?”
28. Luke 17
19 And he said to him, “Rise and
go your way; your faith
has made you well.”
σῴζω (sōdzō)
Literally = Saved You
First Point
Hatred adds hardship to life’s journey.
Luke 17
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.
From the perspective of the Romans, Samaria and Judah are one common region once ruled by Herod’s son, Archelaus. Archelaus was both brutal and ineffective. He was deposed 9 years after becoming “ethnarch” of Judea and Samaria. This province then came directly under the control of Roman governors, as it was in Jesus’ day under Pontius Pilate. That’s how the Romans drew the lines. However, the Jews and the Samaritans felt differently. Not only did they not embrace Roman rule, but they did not embrace one another. So, we find Jesus travelling between Samaria and Galilee. He is moving in the direction of Perea. Here again, we see the Romans drawing lines that do not reflect the culture of the people. Galilee and Perea are the two regions in green on opposite sides of the Jordan River. They were both ruled by the tetrarch Herod Antipas. This is the Herod who took his brother Philip’s wife and then killed John the Baptist for decrying his incest. However, culturally, Galilee is a Jewish province and Perea is a Gentile province.
There is a very practical lesson in all of this. Following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire in WWI, the European powers remapped the defeated empire. They drew arbitrary lines and created countries like Iraq, lumping Shia Muslims, Turkish Kurds and Sunni Muslims together. The same thing happened after WWII when European powers created Yugoslavia, a combination of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes with a long history of animosity. We are still repeating the mistake of the Romans.
So Jesus is traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, avoiding Samaria. He will later cross the Jordan River and proceed South through Perea, on to Jericho and then into Judea.
Second Point
Jesus brings healing in the challenges of life’s journey.
Luke 17
12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
Notice that I highlighted one phrase describing these lepers. “… who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices.” This was a tragic part of their wretched condition… that they were never able to stand in near proximity to anyone other than their own kind. They never spoke quietly except amongst themselves. They always had to shout from a distance and wait for a distant reply.
14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
When did Jesus ask them to go to the priests?
Joshua 3:8
8And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’”
Joshua 3:13
13And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.”
Sometimes the challenge is given with the promise. Sometimes the challenge is given without the promise – as a simple command. Both are tests of our obedience. Will we trust the promises of God? Will we obey the commands of God, even if it means stepping into the absurd?
Third Point
Ingratitude robs our joy in the midst of life’s journey.
Luke 17
15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
16b Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”