Luke 17:11-19; When Turning Back is the Right Thing to Do

"11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, 13 they called out, 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 made clean. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, 'Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.'"

I. Introduction

This charming story illustrates the breaking down of barriers and the reversal of expectations--two themes that bulk large in Luke's Gospel. The barriers here are two: leprosy and Samaritan status. The former is, at first blush, a physical barrier while the latter a religious or cultural barrier. But, upon closer examination, each functions as a social wall--a way to keep people separated from each other and "safely" isolated in their respective communities. We know from the Fourth Gospel, for example, that "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans," and we know from the Book of Leviticus that the leper was to be rigidly sequestered from others in the society. What this story illustrates is that outsider status is no obstacle to inclusion in the movement Jesus is beginning. In fact, we can say it more positively; "outsiders" are welcome in the Kingdom of God. If we really let that message sink in to our hearts, our lives would probably look different than they are.

What is often overlooked in this passage are two interesting literary techniques used by Luke in telling the story--that of the special knowledge of the lepers (how, in fact, do they know that Jesus is "master"--their unique term of address to him in v. 13?) and that of dropping in the fact of Samaritan status at the last and unexpected literary moment (v. 16).

I will try to provide a rich narrative description of this text, believing that in a sensitive re-telling of the story are jewels of insight that beckon us from the text.

II. Meeting the Lepers (17:11-14)

Our story opens with Jesus on the move, between Galilee and Samaria. Luke drops in this little detail as a reminder to the reader that Jesus is still "on the journey" he began in 9:51, when he "set his face" to go to Jerusalem. Though Luke's Gospel is by no means a travelogue of interesting sights and sounds of Jesus' trip, Luke reminds us every once in a while that Jesus is "almost there" or "on the way." Jerusalem is the goal, the theological and historical epicenter of world history from the perspective of the Christian story. Jesus has lamented over Jerusalem in 13:33; it is the goal of his journey to reach the place where all the prophets die, the place where he will be offered up to God.

As he is making the trip, Jesus encounters all sorts of people. The "bottom line" concern for Luke as he writes, however, is what kind of person shows faith, what kind of person responds to the message and acts of Jesus. Perhaps surprisingly, the ones who don't respond fully or don't understand Jesus are those with him from the beginning: the disicples. As this travel section draws to a close, Luke finally declares the truth about them--

"But they understood nothing about all these things; in fact, what he said was hiddent from them, and they did not grasp what was said" (18:34).

How many times do you need to say that people missed the point?

Jesus arrives at a village. It isn't named, nor is it said whether it is a "Samaritan" or "Galilean" or "Jewish" village. All we need is the backdrop of a village. Ten leprous individuals come to meet him just as he is planning to enter the town. Though the Greek participial phrase can be read in a few ways, the translation "as he was going into the village" is probably best. In other words, the lepers would be the first people to encounter Jesus since they were, by Jewish law, obliged to remain outside town. Luke in fact drops in the words "who were standing outside" or "far off" at the end of v. 12. Notice Luke's literary technique, which he will use to positive effect in v. 16. He gives us a picture of the action, but then he inserts a phrase that clarifies the picture--the lepers were outside (and outsiders).

Someone has to make the first move in human encounters. Who breaks the social distance by speaking first? Would you have expected Jesus to stop and make an observation about the ten leprous people outside of town? Why doesn't Luke portray him as initiating the conversation? Nevertheless, it is they, the lepers, who lift up their voice and say, "Master Jesus, have mercy on us" (v. 13). We don't know if it is like a rehearsed chorus, but the pronouns are in the plural here. One person isn't the designated spokesman. They all, seemingly, raise their voices for help.

But the way they address Jesus is unique. Well, to put it differently, the only other times that the word "Master" (epistata) is used in the NT are when people who are clearly identified as disciples, or are about to become disciples, address Jesus. Luke, in fact, is the only author to use the word in the NT. Peter uses the word in addressing Jesus when he is out fishing and has not caught a fish all night (5:5); the disciples en masse use the term when their boat is about to sink and they call to Jesus for help (8:24); Peter uses the term on the Mount of Transfiguration when he says to Jesus that it is good that they are all present with Jesus (9:33).

How did they know that it was that Jesus was among them? Why did they use the special term "epistata"? Luke doesn't give us a clue, but that is no reason for us not to think about the question. I think it suggests that the outsiders have special knowledge, knowledge that isn't possessed by those who think of themselves as "insiders." The longer I live, the more I have learned to respect "outsider knowledge." This doesn't mean that I invest my money with any person coming along telling me that s/he has a scheme to make me rich. I am rather conservative on that issue, in fact. But it does mean that when I seek insight on people, on the way things are going in our world, on the pain felt by people, I take more time to listen to "outsiders" than I do in reading "referreed" articles in leading publications. How did they get this knowledge? Luke doesn't give us a clue, and that probably is best. How do you think that "outsiders" get their knowledge?

They address Jesus as "master," a special term of reverence and adoration. They have already, in Luke's mind, become disciples or are on the verge of that commitment, and so they don't hold back in calling Jesus by this name. We already have had stories in Luke's Gospel of the healing of a leper (5:12-14), and so we as readers know that something of the sort may happen here. But Jesus doesn't touch. He doesn't apparently approach them. All he says is for them to show themselves to the priest. The form of the command in v. 14 is interesting. It can literally be translated, "Get you going and show yourself to the priests.." In other words, there is a sort of urgency in Jesus' response to them, a sense that, as we would say, "What are you standing around for? Go and do what the law requires."

We know from Lev. 14 what the law requires in such an instance:

"2 This shall be the ritual for the leprous person at the time of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the priest; 3 the priest shall go out of the camp, and the priest shall make an examination. If the disease is healed in the leprous person, 4 the priest shall command that two living clean birds and cedar wood and crimson yarn and hyssop be brought for the one who is to be cleansed..." (14:2-4).

Jesus, the one who doesn't mind breaking the Jewish law on other occasions, such as "harvesting" wheat on the sabbath under the watchful eye of the Pharisees, is directing them to the fulfillment of the law.

But notice the act of the lepers. They are apparently not immediately healed. The text says that it was "in their going" they became cleansed. How does that work? I suppose that since they already had confessed their discipleship, that the healing flowed from the Word of Jesus and their faith in his healing power.

The next essay completes my thoughts.

2930