Luke 17:13Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Though they were physically distant, their prayers drew them close. The Lord is indeed near to all who sincerely seek Him (Psalm 144:18). Their supplications are not directed to an ordinary man but to someone exalted above humanity. They refer to Jesus as Teacher, Master, Guardian—terms that resonate closely with the divinity of God. This separation from God, in turn, pleads for compassion. For the Almighty, who embodies perfect love and yearns to redeem and elevate everyone, is profoundly motivated by the desire that no one be deprived of His goodness.

When the lepers encountered the Savior, they fervently pleaded for Him to free them from their ailment, addressing Him as Master, or teacher. In their time of anguish, they found no compassion from others. However, He who descended to earth to demonstrate love and become flesh for the sake of humanity was moved with compassion and mercy towards them.

Instructor refers to Master or Teacher. This translation of the Gospel of Luke has been crafted by Hierom. Theodore (Yulaev) specifically for Exeget.ru.

They raised their voices, indicating the chasm between themselves and the Lord, pleading, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” “Behold our suffering; see our disgrace, our deformities, and the unnatural hue of our afflicted flesh, for such is the nature of leprosy. Observe the corruption of our very being, the revulsion that others feel toward us, our profound isolation, and in Your mercy, grant us restoration! ‘Jesus, Teacher, have mercy on us!’ - Yet, it seems there was a desire to invoke compassion in their plea, though these were not the words of individuals who genuinely believed or understood their plight. They refer to Him as ‘Teacher,’ a title not befitting the mighty Sovereign. Moreover, their request for healing would seem misplaced if He, who alone can answer their plea, were not indeed Divine.

As the lepers stood at a distance from Jesus Christ to be heard, they raised their voices and called out loudly: ‘Teacher,’ meaning Lord, guardian, sustainer, ‘Have compassion on us!’ They had heard of the numerous wondrous acts of Christ and, believing in His power to heal, they sought remedy for their afflictions, crying out fervently: ‘Have compassion on us!’ What was the response of the Most Compassionate One upon hearing their heartfelt plea?

At the outset of His final journey, the Lord encountered a negative response from His disciples in a certain region of Samaria. To counteract this, one Samaritan approached the Lord and His followers with more gratitude than the nine Israelites. While traveling between Samaria and Galilee, ten lepers encountered Him. Upon seeing them, the Lord instructed them to go and show themselves to the priests. As they proceeded, they were healed of their leprosy. Among the ten, only one Samaritan returned to express his gratitude, falling at the feet of Jesus. The Lord highlighted this distinction for the disciples as a lesson for their future ministry, commending the Samaritan for his faith and assuring him of salvation, thereby drawing the foreigner nearer to the kingdom of Christ.

As Christ prepared to embark on His journey to Jerusalem for the Passover celebration, He did not proceed directly from Ephraim to the city. Instead, He traveled northward to the region bordering Samaria and Galilee. There, He encountered ten lepers, nine of whom were Jewish and one was a Samaritan. Due to their infectious condition, they refrained from approaching the Lord directly and were required to shout warnings to anyone who might unknowingly come near, declaring themselves as ‘unclean.’ Remaining at a distance, they called out to Jesus, imploring Him, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’ Responding to their desperate cries, the Lord instructed them to present themselves to the priests.

Upon witnessing the multitude following Jesus, the lepers recognized Him as the Prophet from Galilee and called out from a distance, “Jesus, Master, have compassion on us.” Matthew 8:2

At the boundary of Galilee and Samaria, near the entrance of a village, He heard a faint, raspy, sorrowful cry. Raising His gaze, He encountered ten lepers, who formed a community bound together by their dire plight. They stood at a distance, unwilling to come closer, knowing that to do so would render others impure, and they were compelled to call out in a heart-wrenching manner, “tameo, tameo!”—“unclean, unclean!” This leprosy was akin to a living death, epitomizing the most dreadful image of agony and despair. It corrupted the very essence of life-giving blood within humanity, distorted their features, rendered their touch repulsive, and slowly spread, enveloping the entire body with sores from an affliction that was far worse than death itself. The sight of those suffering always stirred profound compassion within the Savior's heart, yet never did it provoke a deeper empathy in Him than it does in this moment.

As the Lord Jesus Christ journeyed to Jerusalem, He travelled along the boundary of Samaria and Galilee. Approaching a certain village, He encountered ten lepers, one of whom was a Samaritan. Leprosy was regarded as contagious, and the Mosaic Law mandated that those afflicted with it be isolated to protect the healthy from infection, preventing their residence in any community (Lev. 13:46; Num. 5:2). These individuals, forming groups among themselves, roamed desolate areas and were unable to return to their homes for the duration of their illness (4 Sam. 7:3).