The incident recorded in Luke 17:11-1911And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: 13And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. 14And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. 15And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, 16And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. 17And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? 18There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. 19And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole. (Luke 17:11‑19) concerning the ten lepers who were cleansed is full of meaning for us in several ways. It demonstrates the love of the Lord Jesus that overreached the boundaries of Judaism, for the Samaritan was healed along with the others, without any partiality. The story also shows how the Lord Jesus induced these men to exercise faith, for instead of healing them immediately, He simply gives the command, “Go show yourselves unto the priests” (vs. 14). There would be no use in going to the priests unless they were cleansed, but in the absence of immediate and obvious healing, they had to start on their journey in faith. But there is another lesson for us in this incident that we would like to look at, namely, the question of thankfulness.
The Lord Jesus healed “on the spot” many times, whether it were a case of leprosy or many other illnesses. He also raised the dead, fed the hungry, and taught the people. It is noticeable how few expressions of thanks are recorded in the Word of God from those who received all these mercies from the Lord Jesus. Doubtless there were those who were thankful and who demonstrated their gratitude in various ways, such as the sinful woman in Luke 7:36-5036And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat. 37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment, 38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. 39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. 40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. 41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. 42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most? 43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged. 44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. 45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. 46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. 47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. 48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven. 49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also? 50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace. (Luke 7:36‑50), Mary of Bethany, Nicodemus and others. Also, it is quite possible that some did give thanks that are not recorded in Scripture. However, in the story about which we are speaking, it seems that the Lord Jesus puts their hearts to the test, as it were, to see how thankful they really were.
The Test
As we know from the account, all ten lepers had faith and began their journey to the priests. We are not told how far they went, but “as they went, they were cleansed” (vs. 14). What joy must have filled their hearts, as they realized that the Lord had honored their faith and healed them! But then came the test; what would they do now? Nine went on to the priests, but one “turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks” (vss. 15-16). Again, we are not told how far he had to go in turning back to the Lord, but whatever the distance, he took the time and made the effort, in order to give thanks.
There are several things to be noticed here, as lessons for us. First of all, it is evident how much the Lord Jesus appreciated this giving of thanks by the one leper, and how He felt it that the other nine had not come back. His remark, “Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?” (vs. 17), reminds us in a poignant way that our blessed Master values our thankfulness very much and misses it when it is not given. The lepers received cleansing from a temporal illness; we have received eternal forgiveness of our sins, which required the Lord Jesus’ untold sufferings on the cross. Do we take the time to give thanks to our blessed Saviour for what He has done, by answering to His request, “This do in remembrance of Me”?
The Cost
Second, this incident reminds us that there is a cost involved in thanksgiving. Had the lepers been healed instantly, they might all have thanked the Lord Jesus. But He tested them by healing them as they were on the way to the priests, so that time and energy would be needed in order to give thanks. Only one had sufficient gratitude to turn back and do so. Not only did he give thanks, but it is also recorded that he did it with a “loud voice.” Likewise, time and energy is needed in our day; it is much easier to enjoy the blessings of the work of Christ, rather than take the time to give thanks. Many today make it a priority to listen to that which ministers to their own needs, while relatively few make the remembrance of the Lord their first priority on Lord’s Day. But He is worthy of the first place!
Glorify God
Third, it is twice recorded in this story that in giving thanks, the Samaritan leper glorified God. We are reminded of Psalm 50:2323Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God. (Psalm 50:23): “Whoso offereth praise glorifieth Me.” Not only is the heart of the Saviour gladdened, but God is glorified when we praise Him and give thanks. God was not only satisfied, but glorified, when Christ completed the work on the cross; likewise, when we give thanks for that work and thank the One who did it, God is glorified as His beloved Son is honored. In coming glory we shall praise Him for all eternity; surely He is worthy of whatever effort it may take to praise Him down here and to “offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:1515By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. (Hebrews 13:15)).
W. J. Prost