Rotation.org Writing Team

JESUS HEALS TEN LEPERS

BIBLE BACKGROUND

STORY

Luke 17:11-19

KEY/MEMORY VERSE

Luke 17:15 NRSV

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.

Psalm 136:1

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.

OBJECTIVES FOR ROTATION

Children will:

Find the story in Luke

Explain the terms leper and Samaritan and understand that they were both labeled as outcasts in Jesus’ time

Learn that Jesus’ love is for everyone, even outcasts.

Recognize that faith results in acts of obedience – doing what God asks.

Discover that when we show a wholehearted response to God’s love, such as by being thankful and worshipping, we become closer to God.

Learn the key Bible verse in their own words.

BIBLE BACKGROUND

“On his way to Jerusalem…” This story is part of the “journey” narrative that Luke begins in Chapter 9. Along the way to Jerusalem, Jesus encounters many people who demonstrate a faithful response to this question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8b, NRSV). Those Jesus met included a leper, foreigner, Samaritan, widow, tax collector, infants, and children. Glaringly absent from this list are his disciples.

Jesus is traveling from north to south, and passes near a region between Samaria and Galilee. Luke’s knowledge of this area seems somewhat vague. As Jesus enters the village, ten men with leprosy meet him. Keeping the proper distance, they call out to Jesus. Jesus looks at them.

“When he saw them” may not seem significant, but it is. One can “see” another person’s plight, but not respond, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The first two people “saw” the injured man, but did nothing. The Good Samaritan not only saw the man, he acted. In this case, Jesus sees and acts.

The Number Ten

The story is about ten lepers. In the Bible the number ten has particular relevance. It is the basis of the numerical system largely used in the Bible, and the fraction one-tenth formed the tithe. It also expresses completeness and perfection. Examples of completeness:

-- “And ten princes with him, one prince each for every division of all the tribes of Israel” (Joshua 22:14).

-- “But ten men were found among them that said to Ishmael, “Slay us not” (Jeremiah 41:8).

-- Then he said, “Oh do not let the Lord be angry if I speak just once more. Suppose ten are found there.” He answered, “For the sake of ten I will not destroy it” (Genesis 18:32).

Other examples

-- Ten expresses the concept of the tithe: “When you take from the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then shall you separate there from a heave-offering of God, the tenth part of the tithe” (Numbers18:26).

-- There are ten patriarchs from Adam to Noah (Genesis 5).

-- Ten persons from the generation of Noah to Abraham (Genesis 11:27).

-- The Israelites put God to the test ten times (Numbers 14:22).

-- Ten Commandments

-- Ten plagues

There is an interesting contrast in the New International Version and the New Revised Standard Version on the descriptions of the men. The NRSV says, “… ten lepers approached him.” The NIV says, “… ten men who had leprosy met him.” This subtle difference reflects a humanizing and dignifying recognition of personhood.
Following Levitical law, he commanded them to “go and show the priests.” But which priests? If these were Jewish men, they would go to Jerusalem, but the Samaritan wouldn’t be admitted. He would have to go to Mt. Gerizim, which was the holy place for Samaritans. “Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God in a loud voice” (Vs. 15). “Seeing” what Jesus did, the Samaritan took action -- he fell at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. To fall at the Master’s feet usually signified a cry for mercy, but here it was an act of gratitude.

At first glance this seems like a simple story of healing, but there are many more aspects to it:

-- A Samaritan story: once again, the despised turns out to be good.

-- Distance: by law, lepers had to be separated from the community.

-- Faith: to be healed/receive God’s grace, we must have faith.

-- Gratitude: it is imperative to show gratitude to God.

-- Lepers/leprosy: a collective term to describe a skin disease, but may not have been actual leprosy.

-- Ritual/priests: once someone asked for/received healing, they were to show the priests for verification. Sometimes ritual bathing was required.

-- Obedience: “Go and …” is heard often from Jesus. If we didn’t obey, then how can we receive the grace?

-- Praise: all our responses to God should include praise.

In several of the healing stories Jesus declares, “Your faith has made you well” (Luke 7:50, 8:48, 18:42). The nine got what they wanted, but the tenth received much, much more.

Questions for reflection

Are you distancing yourself from God? How? From one another?

Who do we consider to be outcasts?

Should we expect a “thank you” when we do something for someone?

Do we always, thank God for what we receive?

What would our worship be like if only ten percent offered praise to God?

SOURCES

Editors. New Interpreter’s Bible Commentary, Volume IX. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, Nashville, TN, 1995, pages 325-326.

Editors. New Interpreter’s Study Bible. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press, 2003.

Isaacs, Ronald H. The Jewish Book of Numbers. Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson, Inc., 1996, Pages 77-80.

Rotation.org Writing Team Discussion

CONTRIBUTOR: Julie Burton

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ken Wezeman,