Luke 17:11-19 "On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee..."

 “On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.’ When he saw them he said to them, ‘Go and show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then said Jesus, ‘Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give thanks except this foreigner?’ And he said to him, ‘Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well’” (Luke 17:11-19 RSV).

Question:

This passage is confusing because Jesus said to the leper who praised him, Your faith has made you whole. It is suggests the other nine lepers were healed of their leprosy in that they were told to show themselves to the priests. Does this mean whilst the others were healed physically the one who praised Jesus with thanks was made whole spiritually as well? It doesn’t seem to be saying the leper recognized the Christ in himself but was recognizing the power in Jesus. Many thanks, Rev. Ed.
 

Comment:

Jesus taught that a healing, or any other manifestation of the kingdom of heaven, requires only a spark of faith—as tiny as a mustard seed. Not a faith in God—these 10 already believed in God as a punishing power responsible for their affliction. The spark of faith that’s needed is faith in the possibility of healing, which requires faith in the Christ—the Power of God that is the healer. They had enough faith to effect the healing—as manifest in their willingness to go to the priest. If they had shown themselves to a priest in their diseased state, they would have been arrested—or worse. So they had to have at least a spark of faith. But only one—and he a Samaritan—had enough faith to fully grasp what had happened—and enough gratitude to return to give thanks. He recognizes the Christ, and it is to the Christ that he prostrates himself. He may not yet know that he himself is also the Christ in potential. But his faith and gratitude ensure that he is on that path. As for the other nine, I think it’s very likely that their lack of gratitude indicates that their slight initial faith will not last—and neither will the healing.   Blessings!

Rev. Ed