Luke 17:15 Commentary - Dr Peter Masters

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Luke 17:15

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But one of them didn't go all the way; one of them was so overwhelmed that he went back to Jesus. ‘How could this happen to me? No one has ever heard of such a thing before. That Jesus of Nazareth,’ – if he didn't think so before, he thought it now – ‘he is God. He is from heaven. He is the Son of God. He is the one who the Jews expect as the Messiah.’ And this man wasn't even a Jew; he was a Samaritan. He was associating with the other lepers, but he was the one you would least expect to understand these things. And yet he drew all the right conclusions and back he went to the Lord. He fell at his feet and he worshipped him with his face to the ground, and he couldn't stop thanking him, and he pledged himself to him. It is quite obvious he was worshipping as well as thanking. He pledged himself to Christ, becoming his disciple in every way. But he was the only one out of the ten. As one old preacher said, ‘Ten prayed, one praised.’ What a difference. Ten prayed for help, only one understood the significance of what had happened and returned to praise and give thanks. All ten were healed in their bodies, but this Samaritan was also healed in his soul. In him the picture of healing from leprosy was fulfilled. Christ demonstrated his compassion by healing many in their bodies, but all these healings were intended to be pictures of the healing of the soul, and to encourage men and women to desire this. The other nine failed to see their far greater need of cleansing from sin. They did not come to Christ as their Saviour, and received much less than they really needed. They were content with a benefit in this life, and forgot about their eternal souls. Because they did not exercise faith in him as Lord and Saviour they went away with their sins unforgiven.

Application

The Bible pictures sin in terms of the disease of leprosy, but it would be wrong for us to think of sin as only a disease. We are not victims; we are fully responsible for what we do. God has put his law within us, whether we know him or not. No one can sin without knowing what they are doing, and without conscience speaking. That is the way we are made.

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Luke 17:15 Commentary and Bible Study