11-13 While traveling to Jerusalem, Jesus passed between Samaria and Galilee.  As he entered a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When he saw them, he told them,  “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And, while they were going, they were cleansed.

15-16 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. He fell facedown at his feet, thanking him. And he was a Samaritan. 17-18  Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?  Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?”  19 And he told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you.” Luke 17:11-19 Christian Standard Bible

In the verses just before today's reading Jesus had spoken about the frequent forgiveness Christians must be willing to extend to those who ask for it. It led to the disciples asking Him to increase their faith! Heartfelt forgiveness is not always easy. Luke now gives an example of faith in action involving a group of lepers who cried out to Jesus for healing. The fact that they called out to Jesus at all was an act of faith on their part. They obviously believed that He had the power to do that. When did their healing take place? (vs 14)

It was as they were ‘on their way’ to do what Jesus had told them to do. Showing themselves to the priests while there bodies were riddled with the disfigurement of leprosy would have been outrageous. But they hurried off in faith to do what Jesus had said. And as they ran, or stumbled along, their bodies became clean. Faith obeys what Jesus says – and receives His mercy.

But the incident had another side to it. One of the lepers, on seeing the wonderful change in his body, turned back to Jesus and in a loud voice praised God for what had happened to him. Jesus draws the disciples attention to the fact that the man was a Samaritan – someone whom the Jews looked upon as inferior outcasts. Can you think if the opening words of vs 11-13 suggest a deeper significance in this?

Jesus was determinedly heading for Jerusalem - even though He knew what awaited Him there. He was going to be rejected by most of the religious leaders and they would persuade the majority of Jerusalem's inhabitants to cry out for Him to be crucified. The apostle John tells us that Jesus “came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” (John 1:11) The prophet Isaiah foretold too how the Messiah would be despised and rejected. He said of the nation “We turned our backs on him and looked the other way. He was despised, and we did not care.” (Isaiah 53:3)

So a big part of faith is recognizing who Jesus really is. The lepers cried out “Jesus, MASTER, have mercy upon us.” That was a word which acknowledged the authority of someone in charge. So, speaking about faith that saves sinners, the apostle Paul said: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe  in your heart that God raised him from the dead - you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” (Romans 10: 9-10 )

Leprosy in those days was regarded as making a person unclean. Sin, like leprosy, also disfigures our lives and makes us unclean in God's eyes. There was no ordinary cure for leprosy and it was usually fatal. Sin is much the same. So this incident is a lovely picture of how Jesus Christ has the authority to forgive our sins and to make us clean. And that happens when we believe that He is the Son of God, and we cry out to Him in faith for mercy. And then, like that healed Samaritan, we ought to give glory to God. Faith believes in God's pardon, and says thank-you. “To all who believed Jesus and accepted Him, He gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)