BONUS TIME
I have a passage of Scripture for you to examine - Luke 17:11-19. Here is what is says,
Ten Healed of Leprosy
"Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
My knee-jerk interpretation of this verse boiled down to - we should return to God with thunderous praise ("praising God in a loud voice"), fall at Jesus' feet in prayer ("He threw himself at Jesus' feet") and thank Him ("and thanked him") whenever God blesses us in our life, which is every breath, but especially with a healing. However, while this may be an accurate spiritual application for today this healing in Luke seems to be loaded with extra meaning all around.
Something everyone needs to know going into this passage is the proper cleansing from infectious skin diseases according to the Old Testament method given by God through Moses. It is documented in Leviticus 14:1-32. So, here are the details.
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him.
[Notice that the priest has to go outside the camp. Skin diseases, especially leprosy, was a sentence of excommunication, a social outcast as well as hurting and in need of healing.]
If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease,
[Observe how the Scripture gives room for the possibility of healing and that the healing of that person is the first major step in acceptance back into the camp]
4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. 5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. 6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.
[So, it is the priest who acts first. Sprinkling of a bird dipped in another bird's blood on the healed person seems disease-prone to me, but those are the rules.]
8 "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean. 10 "On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil.
[Now, it is the turn of the one who was healed and who is financially secure to make himself/herself ritually clean. What he brings to the table - the sacrifices, flour, and oil - is what Christ refers to in Matthew 8:4.]
11 The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 12 "Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, 16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times. 17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the LORD. 19 "Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering 20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for him, and he will be clean.
[Here, it is the priest's turn once again. He accepts the ceremonial cleansing gift and appropriately deals with it according to Moses' Law. How these people did not get some other disease from the blood of animals and water and oil and such being mixed and sprinkled or tossed or placed back on the healed body I might never know. If most survived it would have to be God's protection for obedience.]
21 "If, however, he is poor and cannot afford these, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, together with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, 22 and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 23 "On the eighth day he must bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD.
[It was so thoughtful of God to make a provision in The Law for the financially challenged.]
24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the LORD. 28 Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering--on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 29 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30 Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, which the person can afford, 31 one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed."
[The priest once again performs his duty. This time he acts in accordance with Law for the poor.]
32 These are the regulations for anyone who has an infectious skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing.
So, with this background information in mind let us go forward with Luke 17:11-19 (The Ten Healed of Leprosy).
Jesus is headed to Jerusalem. He enters a "border village". A village on the border of Samaria and Judah that would include citizens of both cultures - Jews and Samaritans. Because of their physical and social condition of leprosy, the ten men stood at a distance from the approaching Jesus and cried out to Him for help. Jesus' reputation preceded Him for they "called out in a loud voice, 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!'" Jesus did have pity on them. However, Jesus did not touch them like He touched the leper of Matthew 8:1-4. No, here it says, "When he saw them, he said...". No touching involved. It was not necessary for this encounter.
Jesus' instructions of "Go, show yourselves to the priests." suggests to me that the priests were possibly familiar with these individuals and therefore would not be able to discount the miracle in any way. It would be a display of God's power to the ten men and to the "religious men" of Israel. In addition, this showing of themselves to the priests was the first part of ceremonial cleansing described in the Law of Moses for someone with a skin disease - Leviticus 14:1-32 (passage above).
The Luke account states, "And as they went, they were cleansed." The New Testament Greek word used here for "cleansed" is Katharizo, it means ceremonially clean or purified. The Old Testament Hebrew word used for "cleansed" came in two varieties. One word used in the Hebrew was Tohorah (from Tohar). It always occurred in the context of ritual purity. It was the general word used of the process that was about to take place for the re-admittance of an individual back into society. The second Hebrew word used was Taher. It meant clean , pure, innocent, and righteous. This was the more specific goal that was being acknowledged by both the priest and the healed in the ceremony. When Jesus said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests.", all that the ten needed for ritual purity (described in the Law above) was granted them in that instant that they obeyed Christ Jesus. My Bible explains the purpose of the purity ritual was to teach Israel Holiness of God and Righteous Living (Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 16:30; Numbers 8:15). "External ritual does not guarantee purity (Isaiah 66:17; Malachi 1:7-11) and one cannot declare himself pure (Job 4:17; Proverbs 30:12), only God can cleanse sinful man (Jeremiah 33:8)." And it was these last points that got through to one man in particular - the man that returned to Jesus.
The ten men were given what they requested and needed to rid them of their physical disease and social shame. But only one man out of the ten realized the source of that blessing and realized that only God Himself could grant that request. Scripture does not state the cultural ratio of the group of ten men (Jews to Samaritans) but coming from a "border village" the likelihood of Jews and Samaritans being included in the number of ten lepors was probably good. So, this man returns praising God loudly, falling at Jesus' feet, and thanking Him.
First, after this kind of deliverance who would not make this kind of scene. If you have ever seen or heard the horrors of leprosy, then you know how powerful the joy was when he was healed. Second, this man acknowledged who Jesus was by falling at His feet and worshiping Him. This was quite a scene because the people that were supposed to be at Jesus' feet recognizing their Healer and Savior, the Jews, were not there. Instead, at Jesus' feet praising and worshiping Him for the source of this marvelous turnabout in his life was a Samaratin. Finally, this man thanked Jesus. Wow - at the list of things this man thanked Jesus for while at Jesus' feet. This man was sick with leprosy, shamefully outcast because of the disease, and had always been frowned upon because he was a Samaritan (a minority, among the minorities). That's probably just the start of the list.
And then Jesus' response.
Paraphrased - Did I not answer their request? (emphasis on I) Because He said, "Were not all ten cleansed?"
Paraphrased - I don't like these stats! Because He said, "Where are the other nine?"
Paraphrased - Of all the people to have returned and given praise it should have been mine, the Jews. Because He said, "Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Sozo is the Greek word word for "well". It means to be made whole from physical disease or infirmity.
Paraphrase - You may get up and leave; your choice to believe who healed you and your choice to believe who I Am has granted you a bonus, it has made your body complete or whole. Because He said, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
This event on Jesus' way to Jerusalem was just one of many that fulfilled Scriptures like Matthew 21:42 - Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ? Acts 13:27 says it best, "The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath." Yes, this Scripture passage in context is about the Jewish people, the nation Israel, missing the first visitation of their Priest, Prophet, and King - their Messiah. However, Jesus' offering of everything transferred over to the rest of the world at that rejection. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." - Romans 1:16 It seems that everywhere there was a rejection of Jesus there was also a favorable response to Jesus as well. And although in this case the Jews were at fault because of their rejection of Him, I feel good that there were some Jews that chose to believe in Jesus as their Messiah. The nation as a whole (the nine lepers) rejected Jesus. The Samaritan (representing the Gentiles or rest of the world) was the one who responded correctly.
We should keep responding to Him correctly. Whether it be to return to Jesus to show the world, Jews included, that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life OR whether it be to return to Him with praise, fall at His feet, and thank Him for a miracle/healing in our lives - we should Return! He is deserving of the recognition and His benefits He bestows are mind boggling.
Ten Healed of Leprosy
"Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him--and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
My knee-jerk interpretation of this verse boiled down to - we should return to God with thunderous praise ("praising God in a loud voice"), fall at Jesus' feet in prayer ("He threw himself at Jesus' feet") and thank Him ("and thanked him") whenever God blesses us in our life, which is every breath, but especially with a healing. However, while this may be an accurate spiritual application for today this healing in Luke seems to be loaded with extra meaning all around.
Something everyone needs to know going into this passage is the proper cleansing from infectious skin diseases according to the Old Testament method given by God through Moses. It is documented in Leviticus 14:1-32. So, here are the details.
1 The LORD said to Moses, 2 "These are the regulations for the diseased person at the time of his ceremonial cleansing, when he is brought to the priest: 3 The priest is to go outside the camp and examine him.
[Notice that the priest has to go outside the camp. Skin diseases, especially leprosy, was a sentence of excommunication, a social outcast as well as hurting and in need of healing.]
If the person has been healed of his infectious skin disease,
[Observe how the Scripture gives room for the possibility of healing and that the healing of that person is the first major step in acceptance back into the camp]
4 the priest shall order that two live clean birds and some cedar wood, scarlet yarn and hyssop be brought for the one to be cleansed. 5 Then the priest shall order that one of the birds be killed over fresh water in a clay pot. 6 He is then to take the live bird and dip it, together with the cedar wood, the scarlet yarn and the hyssop, into the blood of the bird that was killed over the fresh water. 7 Seven times he shall sprinkle the one to be cleansed of the infectious disease and pronounce him clean. Then he is to release the live bird in the open fields.
[So, it is the priest who acts first. Sprinkling of a bird dipped in another bird's blood on the healed person seems disease-prone to me, but those are the rules.]
8 "The person to be cleansed must wash his clothes, shave off all his hair and bathe with water; then he will be ceremonially clean. After this he may come into the camp, but he must stay outside his tent for seven days. 9 On the seventh day he must shave off all his hair; he must shave his head, his beard, his eyebrows and the rest of his hair. He must wash his clothes and bathe himself with water, and he will be clean. 10 "On the eighth day he must bring two male lambs and one ewe lamb a year old, each without defect, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, and one log of oil.
[Now, it is the turn of the one who was healed and who is financially secure to make himself/herself ritually clean. What he brings to the table - the sacrifices, flour, and oil - is what Christ refers to in Matthew 8:4.]
11 The priest who pronounces him clean shall present both the one to be cleansed and his offerings before the LORD at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. 12 "Then the priest is to take one of the male lambs and offer it as a guilt offering, along with the log of oil; he shall wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 13 He is to slaughter the lamb in the holy place where the sin offering and the burnt offering are slaughtered. Like the sin offering, the guilt offering belongs to the priest; it is most holy. 14 The priest is to take some of the blood of the guilt offering and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 15 The priest shall then take some of the log of oil, pour it in the palm of his own left hand, 16 dip his right forefinger into the oil in his palm, and with his finger sprinkle some of it before the LORD seven times. 17 The priest is to put some of the oil remaining in his palm on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot, on top of the blood of the guilt offering. 18 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed and make atonement for him before the LORD. 19 "Then the priest is to sacrifice the sin offering and make atonement for the one to be cleansed from his uncleanness. After that, the priest shall slaughter the burnt offering 20 and offer it on the altar, together with the grain offering, and make atonement for him, and he will be clean.
[Here, it is the priest's turn once again. He accepts the ceremonial cleansing gift and appropriately deals with it according to Moses' Law. How these people did not get some other disease from the blood of animals and water and oil and such being mixed and sprinkled or tossed or placed back on the healed body I might never know. If most survived it would have to be God's protection for obedience.]
21 "If, however, he is poor and cannot afford these, he must take one male lamb as a guilt offering to be waved to make atonement for him, together with a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil for a grain offering, a log of oil, 22 and two doves or two young pigeons, which he can afford, one for a sin offering and the other for a burnt offering. 23 "On the eighth day he must bring them for his cleansing to the priest at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, before the LORD.
[It was so thoughtful of God to make a provision in The Law for the financially challenged.]
24 The priest is to take the lamb for the guilt offering, together with the log of oil, and wave them before the LORD as a wave offering. 25 He shall slaughter the lamb for the guilt offering and take some of its blood and put it on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 26 The priest is to pour some of the oil into the palm of his own left hand, 27 and with his right forefinger sprinkle some of the oil from his palm seven times before the LORD. 28 Some of the oil in his palm he is to put on the same places he put the blood of the guilt offering--on the lobe of the right ear of the one to be cleansed, on the thumb of his right hand and on the big toe of his right foot. 29 The rest of the oil in his palm the priest shall put on the head of the one to be cleansed, to make atonement for him before the LORD. 30 Then he shall sacrifice the doves or the young pigeons, which the person can afford, 31 one as a sin offering and the other as a burnt offering, together with the grain offering. In this way the priest will make atonement before the LORD on behalf of the one to be cleansed."
[The priest once again performs his duty. This time he acts in accordance with Law for the poor.]
32 These are the regulations for anyone who has an infectious skin disease and who cannot afford the regular offerings for his cleansing.
So, with this background information in mind let us go forward with Luke 17:11-19 (The Ten Healed of Leprosy).
Jesus is headed to Jerusalem. He enters a "border village". A village on the border of Samaria and Judah that would include citizens of both cultures - Jews and Samaritans. Because of their physical and social condition of leprosy, the ten men stood at a distance from the approaching Jesus and cried out to Him for help. Jesus' reputation preceded Him for they "called out in a loud voice, 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!'" Jesus did have pity on them. However, Jesus did not touch them like He touched the leper of Matthew 8:1-4. No, here it says, "When he saw them, he said...". No touching involved. It was not necessary for this encounter.
Jesus' instructions of "Go, show yourselves to the priests." suggests to me that the priests were possibly familiar with these individuals and therefore would not be able to discount the miracle in any way. It would be a display of God's power to the ten men and to the "religious men" of Israel. In addition, this showing of themselves to the priests was the first part of ceremonial cleansing described in the Law of Moses for someone with a skin disease - Leviticus 14:1-32 (passage above).
The Luke account states, "And as they went, they were cleansed." The New Testament Greek word used here for "cleansed" is Katharizo, it means ceremonially clean or purified. The Old Testament Hebrew word used for "cleansed" came in two varieties. One word used in the Hebrew was Tohorah (from Tohar). It always occurred in the context of ritual purity. It was the general word used of the process that was about to take place for the re-admittance of an individual back into society. The second Hebrew word used was Taher. It meant clean , pure, innocent, and righteous. This was the more specific goal that was being acknowledged by both the priest and the healed in the ceremony. When Jesus said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests.", all that the ten needed for ritual purity (described in the Law above) was granted them in that instant that they obeyed Christ Jesus. My Bible explains the purpose of the purity ritual was to teach Israel Holiness of God and Righteous Living (Exodus 19:10; Leviticus 16:30; Numbers 8:15). "External ritual does not guarantee purity (Isaiah 66:17; Malachi 1:7-11) and one cannot declare himself pure (Job 4:17; Proverbs 30:12), only God can cleanse sinful man (Jeremiah 33:8)." And it was these last points that got through to one man in particular - the man that returned to Jesus.
The ten men were given what they requested and needed to rid them of their physical disease and social shame. But only one man out of the ten realized the source of that blessing and realized that only God Himself could grant that request. Scripture does not state the cultural ratio of the group of ten men (Jews to Samaritans) but coming from a "border village" the likelihood of Jews and Samaritans being included in the number of ten lepors was probably good. So, this man returns praising God loudly, falling at Jesus' feet, and thanking Him.
First, after this kind of deliverance who would not make this kind of scene. If you have ever seen or heard the horrors of leprosy, then you know how powerful the joy was when he was healed. Second, this man acknowledged who Jesus was by falling at His feet and worshiping Him. This was quite a scene because the people that were supposed to be at Jesus' feet recognizing their Healer and Savior, the Jews, were not there. Instead, at Jesus' feet praising and worshiping Him for the source of this marvelous turnabout in his life was a Samaratin. Finally, this man thanked Jesus. Wow - at the list of things this man thanked Jesus for while at Jesus' feet. This man was sick with leprosy, shamefully outcast because of the disease, and had always been frowned upon because he was a Samaritan (a minority, among the minorities). That's probably just the start of the list.
And then Jesus' response.
Paraphrased - Did I not answer their request? (emphasis on I) Because He said, "Were not all ten cleansed?"
Paraphrased - I don't like these stats! Because He said, "Where are the other nine?"
Paraphrased - Of all the people to have returned and given praise it should have been mine, the Jews. Because He said, "Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?"
Sozo is the Greek word word for "well". It means to be made whole from physical disease or infirmity.
Paraphrase - You may get up and leave; your choice to believe who healed you and your choice to believe who I Am has granted you a bonus, it has made your body complete or whole. Because He said, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."
This event on Jesus' way to Jerusalem was just one of many that fulfilled Scriptures like Matthew 21:42 - Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes' ? Acts 13:27 says it best, "The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath." Yes, this Scripture passage in context is about the Jewish people, the nation Israel, missing the first visitation of their Priest, Prophet, and King - their Messiah. However, Jesus' offering of everything transferred over to the rest of the world at that rejection. "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." - Romans 1:16 It seems that everywhere there was a rejection of Jesus there was also a favorable response to Jesus as well. And although in this case the Jews were at fault because of their rejection of Him, I feel good that there were some Jews that chose to believe in Jesus as their Messiah. The nation as a whole (the nine lepers) rejected Jesus. The Samaritan (representing the Gentiles or rest of the world) was the one who responded correctly.
We should keep responding to Him correctly. Whether it be to return to Jesus to show the world, Jews included, that Jesus is The Way, The Truth, and The Life OR whether it be to return to Him with praise, fall at His feet, and thank Him for a miracle/healing in our lives - we should Return! He is deserving of the recognition and His benefits He bestows are mind boggling.
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