Jesus Cleanses Ten Lepers

11 On the way to Jerusalem, he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.

12 As he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance

13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

14 When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed.

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

16 He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.

17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?

18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

19 And He said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

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Hello everyone, I am Kiki. The Chinese name of the second phase of our program is “读经大讲堂”. The English name is “Bible Study.”

We will adopt a relaxed and enjoyable learning approach to take you into a new world of learning. Each time, I will share my personal summary and analysis from the perspective of a learner, and then Sister Ingrid will help me explore the passage in greater depth through discussion with everyone.

I hope this interesting and interactive format will bring all of you a new learning experience. The following is my interview with Sister Ingrid on today’s topic. Today is the 48th study of the Gospel of Luke.

Everyone is welcome to leave a message in the comment section for discussion!

My Summary of the 48th Study of Luke

Well, everybody! First of all, here is my personal study summary for today.

Jesus met ten men with leprosy. They stood far away and shouted, “Jesus, have mercy on us!” Jesus said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” They obeyed, and while they were walking, they were all healed.

But only one man came back. He praised God with a loud voice and fell at Jesus’ feet to thank Him. He was a Samaritan—a foreigner.

Jesus asked, “Weren’t ten healed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Then Jesus told the man, “Rise and go. Your faith has made you well.”

The nine received physical healing, but they forgot to give thanks.

The one who returned received something even greater—he found peace with God and a transformed heart.

This story teaches us always to thank God. When we are grateful, we remember that every good thing is a gift from Him. Don’t be like the nine who hurried away and forgot. Be like the one who turned back. Gratitude strengthens our faith and brings us closer to God.

Now let Sister Ingrid give a further summary.

Sister Ingrid’s Comment on My Study Summary

Hello everybody,

This story is very interesting because it shows us the attitude and behavior of many people. Even though the other nine were healed as well, they forgot to return to Jesus and thank Him. In our own lives, we often do something for others without even receiving a simple “thank you.” Therefore, we should not feel disappointed, because Jesus Himself did not receive thanks from those nine men either.

When I read this story, I ask myself why only one man came back. The only one who returned to praise Jesus and thank God was a Samaritan. I assume that the others were Jews. Perhaps they did not return to Jesus because they were afraid of being rejected by their religious system, since the Pharisees could exclude them from the synagogue.

So it is always a challenge. When we receive a blessing from God, do we give thanks and praise to Him by sharing it with others as a testimony, or do we hide it and fail to give Jesus the thanks that belong to Him?

The last question in this story is why Jesus said to the Samaritan, “Your faith has made you well.” It seems that the other nine had not truly become well, even though they had been healed of their leprosy.

So we must clearly distinguish between two things. We may receive physical healing, but that does not necessarily mean that we are truly well. We become truly well when our faith is founded in Jesus and our whole being is able to praise Him without hindrance.

This story seems very simple, but even in its simplicity, I find many profound lessons.

Q&A List Based on the 48th Study of Luke

Okay. Based on today’s Bible study, let me now ask Sister Ingrid some related questions.

We hope the following questions will be helpful to our brothers and sisters.

1. Why did the ten men stay far away from Jesus?

They were suffering from leprosy, and according to the law, people with leprosy were not allowed to come near other people because the disease was terrible and there was no cure for it.

2. What did Jesus tell them to do first?

He told them to go and show themselves to the priests.

3. When did they get healed—immediately or while they were walking?

They were healed while they were walking.

4. How many came back to say thank you?

Only one man came back to give thanks.

5. What did Jesus ask when only one came back?

He asked, “Where are the other nine?”

6. Why did Jesus call that man a “foreigner”?

Because he was a Samaritan.

7. What did the thankful man do when he came back?

He fell down before Jesus, thanked Him, and gave praise to God.

8. Did the other nine get healed too?

Yes, they also received physical healing.

9. What more did the thankful man receive besides physical healing?

He became truly well. That means he had a relationship with Jesus, and his life after his healing was made whole.

10. What can we learn from this story?

Whenever we receive a blessing from God—whatever it may be, even our daily food—we should give thanks to Him for it.