Luke 17:11-19

content/bible_journal/luke_17:11-19.md

@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
++++
+title = "Luke 17:11–19"
+date = "2023-01-08"
++++
+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Lk17.11-19)
+
+It's funny how perspective changes when you read through an entire Gospel,
+versus discussing individual stories from the same book. When you take a story
+by itself, it's usually pretty easy to get the surface-level meaning and
+application. In context, with this one in particular, I wonder, "Why is this
+here, in this chapter? What else do we learn from the next and previous
+passages together with it?"
+
+That said, I don't think I have any answers to those questions. As best I can
+tell, Luke is reminding us that Jesus is on His way to Jerusalem for the last
+time, and this is something that happened on the way. Ten lepers met Jesus,
+apparently knew who He was, and asked for mercy. It's interesting that they
+called Him "Master", which is not something people address Jesus with often, if
+ever. More typical is "Teacher", even among His disciples. Clearly these lepers
+are trying to exalt Jesus and humble themselves in the hopes that He will help
+them. Surely they have heard that He has healed lots of people before, possibly
+even other lepers.
+
+It is also interesting that Jesus doesn't heal them then and there. Instead, He
+tells them to go show themselves to the priest with the unspoken expectation
+that they will be cleansed by the time they get there. But as they all had
+faith that Jesus could heal them, they go in faith to see the priest. But then,
+one of them sees what happened, and turns back to praise God and thank Jesus,
+and this one was a Samaritan.
+
+Jesus expresses disappointment, it sounds like, that the other nine did not
+praise God for their healing too. And then there's a text note on the last
+thing He says to the man: instead of "your faith has made you well", it might
+mean  "your faith has saved you". (_v. 19_) Considering that all ten lepers
+were healed, "saved you" makes more sense for Jesus to say to this one who came
+back. We don't know what was in the hearts of the other nine, but this
+Samaritan was grateful for the mercy he was given, and responded appropriately.
+
+* * *
+
+Give us the faith that saves us, for we are sick and need Your mercy.