11 "And it came to pass, as they were on the way to Jerusalem, that He was passing 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; and they lifted up 13 their voices, saying, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when He saw them, He said unto them, Go and show yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, 14 they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he fell upon his face at His feet, giving Him thanks; and he 15 was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were not the 16 ten cleansed? but where are the nine? Were there none 17 found that returned to give glory to God, save this stran- 18 ger? And He said unto him, Arise, and go thy way; thy 19 faith hath made thee whole."
NOTE.—The lesson section includes the lesson and all references to leprosy in the New Testament.
(1) Through what portions of the country was Jesus passing on His way to Jerusalem? V. 11. Note 1. (2) Who met Him as He entered a certain village? What were they required to do when persons approached them? V. 12. Note 2. (3) What did they cry out to Jesus? V. 13. (4) In replying to their supplication, what did Jesus tell them to do? What occurred as they went on their way to obey the Saviour's command? V. 14. Note 3. (5) How many of them turned back, when they saw they were healed? What did he do? V. 15. Note 4. (6) In what way did he express his gratitude? What was the nationality of this man? V. 16. (7) What questions did Jesus ask him? V. 17. (8) What other question follows the two which He asked the Samaritan leper? V. 18. (9) What did Jesus then tell the restored man to do? What did He declare in reference to the leper's faith? V. 19.
NOTES.
1. Passing through the midst.—The country through which Jesus was passing was a country infested with lepers, and many colonies of lepers exist there to the present day. "No towns, and few large villages in the central region, are without the little lazar colony, the denizens of which sit by the roadside all day, crying aloud for help, and lifting up their voices as they hear or see each traveler approach. It seems as tho the curse of leprosy had continued to overshadow those districts especially."
2. Stood afar off.—Leprous persons were forbidden by law to approach others. It was a sort of quarantine which they were compelled to maintain against themselves. If persons approached a leper, he must give them warning of his condition by the sad cry, "Unclean, unclean."
3. Go and show yourselves unto the priests.—This command was in accordance with the law laid down in Leviticus 14. The person who was cured of leprosy must show himself to the priests and make an offering, after which he was officially pronounced clean. The lepers to whom Jesus gave this command understood what it meant, that Jesus had answered their prayer. It meant the same to them as His reply to the leper recorded in Mark 1:41, "I will; be thou clean," and yet the record indicates that their healing did not manifest itself until they began to carry out the Saviour's command. They showed their faith in that they started while the evidence of leprosy was still upon them.
4. Glorifying God.—There was no disobedience in this turning back, but a sincere desire to render praise to God for a great blessing. There was no disobedience in the other nine going on; but between the course of the one and the nine there was a great difference. The one must show his gratitude before anything else; the others must have their cleansing recognized and themselves reinstated among their people. But the one who was more anxious to glorify God than to please himself received a blessing which the others never knew. This is indicated by verse 19. Being made whole was more than having his disease removed. What leprosy does for the body sin does for the soul. Being primarily a result of sin, it illustrates in an outward form what sin is doing in the inner man.
