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Introduction: The Tragedy of Leprosy

The New Manners and Customs of the Bible 8:2 Leper, Leprosy

Leprosy is a generic term applied to a variety of skin disorders from psoriasis to true leprosy. Its symptoms ranged from white patches on the skin to running sores to the loss of digits on the fingers and toes. For the Hebrews it was a dreaded disease that rendered its victims ceremonially unclean—that is, unfit to worship God (Leviticus 13:3). Anyone who came in contact with a leper was also considered unclean. Lepers were therefore isolated from the rest of the community.

The New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge Embracing Biblical, Historical, Doctrinal, and Practical Theology and Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Biography from the Earliest Times to the Present Day, Volume I–XII 2. Biblical Conception

By almost all peoples and races, leprosy has been regarded as a visitation of God on account of some sin, and the lepers have been kept apart from the rest of the people. The Jews were told that it came upon a man for idolatry, blasphemy, un-chastity, theft, slander, false witness, false judgment, perjury, infringing the borders of a neighbor, devising malicious plans, or creating discord between brothers. Lepers were considered unclean (Lev. 13:44–46), had to rend their garments (excepting in the case of the women), cover their faces, go with unkempt hair, and cry, “Unclean, unclean!” They had to live without the camp or city; had a special part of the synagogue reserved for them; and any thing they touched, or any house into which they entered, was declared unclean. An elaborate ceremonial was prescribed for the cleansing of the leper when the disease had left him (cf. Lev. 14, and see DISEASES AND THE HEALING ART, HEBREW). Among the Jews, not only was leprosy considered as attacking human beings, but also it was declared to be in garments, houses, and vessels (Lev. 13:47–59, 14:33–53); and ceremonies were prescribed for their cleansing. The exact nature of this leprosy of garments and houses is not known. Its distinctive signs were, in a garment, greenish or reddish spots which spread; in a house, greenish or reddish streaks lower than the surface of the wall which spread. This was, probably, in either case, a species of mildew, or else indicated the presence of some fungus, which, by contact, would generate disease in the human (see HOUSE, THE HEBREW, AND ITS APPOINTMENTS). The Jerusalem Targum regarded it as a visitation on a house built with unjust gains.

Most of us cannot comprehend the drastic terror of being a leper, because we have all sorts of ointments and medical resources that make us well. However, if we want to make things practical, leprosy is the state of being bound by something that prevents your ability to worship God.

Leprosy makes you unclean, therefore, making you unfit for worship.

God grants access to those who cannot gain access for themselves.

The lepers were restricted to a specific place that prohibited them from working. They were not allowed to enter certain spaces out of fear that they would spread their disease and prevent the flow of worship that was to come from the community.

But when you can’t get to God, be glad that God can get to you!

Luke 17:11–12 KJV 1900

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

Jesus intentionally went to a place that He knew was occupied by lepers, but because they couldn’t get to Him, He came to them.

Some of us are in conditions that have been preventing us from getting to Jesus. Whatever is blocking you, don’t worry about it, because God is making His way to your village.

This is encouragement for those that have been burdened and blocked; the fatigued and disabled. God is taking a detour to get to you, so He can enable you to do what you were created to do!

Pay attention, else you might miss your chance.

Lepers were supposed to pronounce their condition before others as to prevent from spreading their leprosy. Therefore, they would go around saying, “Unclean, Unclean!”

However, when the lepers ran into Jesus they went from self-abasement to travail; from demeaning themselves to petitioning God.

Luke 17:13 KJV 1900

13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

When Jesus enters the room, you have to learn to change your language.

The only reason they were walking around declaring themselves unclean was because they knew they were in the presence of those who could do nothing about their condition. However, the moment they ran into Jesus, they knew they were in the presence of the one who could make a difference! They went from declaring themselves unclean to asking for mercy!

Jesus is the difference-maker!

The phrase “have mercy on me...” is another way of saying, “help me!”

Seek the Lord right now to make a difference in your life! Try him now, to see if He can’t give you a miracle.

Your miracle will happen “as you go!”

Obedience will always grant us cleansing! Listening to God is essential and important.

Major blessings don’t always come in a dramatic way. They often come subtly. As you go, you one day realize that everything in your life is different and what once hindered you is now gone!

Luke 17:14 KJV 1900

14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.

Some of us have been too still to get a miracle. We haven’t been moving enough. We have just been standing in one spot. Miracles take movement.

Tension: Why does Jesus question their actions?

Luke 17:15–18 KJV 1900

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

Why does Jesus expect all ten of them to return? All of the lepers got cleansed. Yet, only one returned? Didn’t they do what Jesus said they were to do?

First, the command does not suggest that they go to the priest in Jerusalem or Samaria. It simply says, “go show yourselves to the priests.”

Gospel according to Luke X–XXIV: Introduction, Translation and Notes Notes

The pl. “priests” does not necessarily mean the Jewish priest on duty in the Temple of Jerusalem and his Samaritan counterpart at Mount Gerizim. That would be to read more into the generic statement than may have been intended. The pl. is called for in the story because there are “ten lepers.”

It’s not what you do to get the miracle. It’s what you do after you get it that determines the rest of your life!

Only one of them got the message! This Samaritan obviously had a conversation with the woman at the well and learned a thing about worship.

The others were too steep in their religious program to get what Jesus said. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest and the other ten when back to Jerusalem. However, this Samaritan turned around and recognized that the only priest he needed to know was Jesus!

This Samaritan did not care about the religious system or the order of ritualistic cleansing. All he cared about was being in a place where he could glorify God in spirit and truth.

(Obviously he had a conversation with the woman at the well.)

Deliverance over cleansing.

Luke 17:19 KJV 1900

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Many people settle for cleansing. Yet, deliverance is better.

Obedience gets you clean.

Faith gets you deliverance.

Many people are clean—they don’t cuss, steal, lie, fornicate; their dress length is right and they are always presented well. But they are still bound.

Just because you keep the law, it does not mean you are delivered! So many people keep the law, but they need deliverance because they want to do the things they refuse to do.

Though they don’t cuss, they want to cuss; they want to lie, they want to steal.

If we are not careful, we will have a whole lot of people obeying, but they still need deliverance.

Obedience without faith = bondage, necessitating deliverance!

Conclusion: Because you turned around, God is about to turn some things around in your life!

Our theology must lead to doxology. If our study of God does lead to the praise of God, something is wrong with our study. If our purpose for studying God is not for praising God, something is wrong with our heart.