Luke 17:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

From this, it becomes evident that no one is barred from pleasing God, regardless of their background, if they possess a sincere heart. As Jesus was approaching a certain town, He encountered ten lepers. They stood outside the city because, due to their affliction, they were deemed unclean and forbidden to reside within (Leviticus 13:46). They maintained their distance, seemingly ashamed of their condition, and hesitant to approach, fearing that Jesus would reject them as others had. Instead, they called out for His mercy. This miracle also symbolizes the universal salvation available to all humanity. The ten lepers represent the entirety of human nature, tainted by sin and bearing the shame of iniquity, dwelling in spiritual barrenness, away from the heavenly city and distanced from God.

The Savior once more reveals His glory to us, and through divine miracles, seeks to inspire faith in the obstinate people of Israel, who remain hardened in their disbelief. What justification could they present on the day of judgment to reject salvation offered through Christ, especially when they had heard His teachings and witnessed His astounding miracles?

Upon entering a village, He encountered ten lepers. Among them were nine Jews and one Samaritan. A shared affliction had brought them together upon hearing that Christ was in their vicinity. They stood at a distance, considered unclean.

The entirety of the Old Testament law served as a representation, functioning as a type and a shadow: thus, this law classified leprosy as a sinful, defiled, and repugnant affliction, labeling lepers, those with gonorrhea, and anyone who associated with them, as well as those who came into contact with a corpse, as ‘unclean.’ This symbolically illustrated the spiritual impurity of those who transgressed against God and those who aided and engaged with them. The term ‘lepers’ referred allegorically to deceivers, scoundrels, and individuals filled with wrath and vengeance; just as leprosy disfigures and damages the body, deceit and anger destabilize and corrupt the soul. The law alluded to these more serious conditions of the spirit, which surpass the plight of physical leprosy.

Leprosy was a severe affliction, often contagious and regarded as unclean. According to Mosaic Law, anyone who made contact with a leprous individual was deemed unclean and required to undergo purification rituals. This law may have been established to prevent the spread of infection, or it may have symbolized the moral decay associated with leprosy. The sacred scriptures illustrate this, as seen with Miriam, who was afflicted with leprosy for her rebellion against Moses, Giesias, who suffered due to his deceit against the Prophet, and Hosea, who was punished for his irreverent interference with the priesthood. Lepers were marginalized, isolated from community and companionship.

This entire area, specifically a small town, was situated between Samaria and Galilee. As our Lord Jesus journeyed toward Jerusalem, traveling in that region, He encountered it (Luke 17:11). Approaching the town, He was met by ten lepers. They stood at a distance, reluctant to approach Christ or kneel before Him, for the law of the Jews prohibited lepers from mingling with the clean, declaring, “let him be excommunicated” (leper), “outside the regiment let him abide” (Leviticus 13:46). Furthermore, Josephus Flavius remarked that Moses completely expelled the lepers from the city, noting that they had no association with anyone and were considered akin to the dead.

At the onset of His final journey, the Lord encountered a hostile attitude from His disciples in a particular region of Samaria. In contrast to this initial rejection, one Samaritan approached the Lord with far greater gratitude than the nine Jewish men. As the Lord traveled between Samaria and Galilee, He came across ten lepers who pleaded for His mercy. Upon seeing them, He instructed them to go and show themselves to the priests, and as they proceeded, they were miraculously healed of their leprosy. However, out of those ten, only one Samaritan returned to express his gratitude, prostrating himself at the feet of Jesus. The Lord highlighted this notable difference in response to His healing to instruct His disciples for their future ministry. He commended the Samaritan for his faith and assured him of salvation, indicating that the Samaritan's humble attitude brought him closer to the kingdom of Christ.

As Christ set out towards Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, He did not head straight to the city from Ephraim but first ventured as far north as the boundary between Samaria and Galilee. There, He encountered ten lepers: nine of them were Jews, while one was a Samaritan. Overcome by their affliction, they stood at a distance, fearing to approach the Lord, as their contagious condition required them to shout out warnings to anyone who might come near, declaring themselves “unclean.” From afar, they cried out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” The Lord heard their desperate cries and instructed them to go and present themselves to the priests. As they made their way, they were miraculously cleansed of leprosy.

The Restoration of the Ten Lepers As Jesus approached a village along his journey, he encountered ten lepers who, adhering to the stipulations of the law, were kept at a distance.

At the border of Galilee and Samaria, near a village entrance, He heard a faint, raspy, sorrowful cry. Upon looking up, He saw ten lepers, bound together as a community by their grievous condition. They stood at a distance, for they feared coming too close, knowing that doing so would render others unclean. They were required to shout a heartbreaking warning to anyone who approached, declaring ‘tameo, tameo!’ - ‘unclean, unclean!’ This leprosy was akin to living death, epitomizing profound suffering and anguish. It tainted the very essence of life-giving blood, disfigured their features, made their touch repulsive, and gradually overran their bodies with sores, a plight that was more dreadful than death itself. Those who suffered from this illness always evoked a strong and vivid compassion in the heart of the Savior, but at this moment, His empathy reached an even deeper level.

"Lepers": refer to the commentary on Matthew 8:2. - "Which stayed afar off": distanced from the Lord and the community, as the law barred them from approaching the healthy or entering the towns due to fear of infection (Leviticus 13:46, Numbers 5:2-31). It is clear from 1 Samuel 7:3 that lepers sometimes banded together, possibly for mutual support and assistance. - "Have mercy on us": an expression of their faith in the Lord Jesus, accompanied by a plea for His help and healing from their severe and painful condition (cf. note on Matt. 20:30).