Luke 17:16Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Consider this: as we initially observed, out of ten individuals, nine remained ungrateful despite being Israelites. In contrast, the Samaritan, an outsider, returned to express his thankfulness (noting that the Samaritans were Assyrians), ensuring that none among the Gentiles should lose hope, nor should those from esteemed lineages take pride in themselves. The Jews, although cleansed from all leprosy by the hand of the Lord, failed to show gratitude and did not turn away from their pride to honor the Savior God, believing that He, the true God, was willing to endure the most severe afflictions. Indeed, the Flesh and the Cross reveal the glory of God. Consequently, they did not recognize the Incarnate and Crucified One as the Lord of glory.

Nine individuals, who were Jewish, exhibited a profound lack of gratitude by failing to return and honor God. This highlights the insensitivity and ingratitude of Israel. In contrast, the traveler, a Samaritan from a foreign lineage who had come from Assyria—a detail that carries significance, considering the location ‘between Samaria and Galilee’—returned glorifying God with a loud voice. This illustrates the gratitude of the Samaritans, while the Jews, despite having received assistance, remained unthankful.

He approached His feet, expressing gratitude to Him, for he had been healed and had come close. Notably, he was a Samaritan. Jesus responded, “Were not ten healed? Where are the other nine? Why is it that only this outsider returned to give praise to God?” This demonstrated that the Gentiles exhibited greater thankfulness than the Jews, who swiftly overlooked the grace they had received, showing ingratitude to both the Father and the Son.

The Samaritan, who was of Assyrian descent, was one of the ten lepers who witnessed the miracle and received the blessing he longed for. In this moment, he recognized the divine presence in Jesus Christ and became ready to believe. He returned to express his thankfulness and faith through meaningful actions: he fell at the feet of the Benefactor, praising Him as the true God who had granted him healing.

Out of the ten lepers who received healing, only one offered gratitude. Upon realizing he had been restored from leprosy, he immediately turned back from his journey, exalted God with a loud voice, and prostrated himself at the feet of Jesus Christ, expressing his thanks for His mercy. This Samaritan was a man filled with appreciation. While Samaritans typically had less faith than the Jews and did not honor the Jewish priests as much, this Samaritan, without hesitation, sought out the priests as Jesus Christ had instructed. It is clear that, despite being of Samaritan descent, he shared in the same faith as the Jews, accepting and believing all that they held to be true. Thus, Jesus Christ did not regard him as an outsider or of differing beliefs, but rather recognized him as one who belonged, emphasizing that he was a man of another era rather than of another creed.

At the outset of His final journey, the Lord encountered a negative attitude from His disciples in a particular region of Samaria. To rectify this, one of the Samaritans approached the Lord with greater gratitude than the nine from Israel. As He traveled between Samaria and Galilee, ten lepers approached Him. Upon seeing them, the Lord instructed them to present themselves to the priests. As they made their way, they were healed of their leprosy. However, out of the ten, only one Samaritan returned to express his gratitude, falling at Jesus' feet.

As Christ prepared to embark on the journey to Jerusalem for the Passover festival, He did not proceed directly from Ephraim to the holy city but traveled first to the northern boundary of Samaria and Galilee. There, He encountered ten lepers—nine were Jews, while one was a Samaritan. Due to their affliction, they stood at a distance, not daring to approach the Lord, for they were required to warn anyone who might come near by shouting, "unclean, unclean." From afar, they called out to Him, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" In response to their heartfelt cries, the Lord instructed them to go and present themselves to the priests. As they journeyed to the priests, their leprosy vanished.

The Evangelist does not specify how soon this miracle occurred, but notes that one of those healed, a Samaritan, upon realizing his healing, returned to Jesus, fell at His feet, and joyfully glorified God. In contrast, the nine Jews who were also healed felt no need to express gratitude to their Healer. Observing this ungratefulness, Jesus remarked with sorrow, “Were not ten made clean? Where then are the nine? Is there no one found to return and give praise to God, except this outsider?” Turning to the healed Samaritan, He said, “Get up and go; your faith has made you whole.”

The individuals who were healed failed to consider returning to God. Among them, only one, a Samaritan, took the initiative to express his gratitude, as he 'with a loud voice praising God, fell down at His feet, giving thanks to Him.'

This individual was a Samaritan, a group that the Jews viewed with contempt as sinners, a severe misjudgment illustrated in this scenario and in the Lord's parable of the compassionate Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35). At times, the Samaritans exhibited greater righteousness than the Jews themselves, including their religious leaders such as priests and Levites (Luke 17:17-19).

As the Lord Jesus Christ journeyed towards Jerusalem, He traversed the region between Samaria and Galilee. Upon nearing a certain village, He encountered ten lepers, among whom was a Samaritan. Leprosy was regarded as a contagious affliction, prompting the Mosaic Law to prohibit those afflicted from residing in inhabited areas to safeguard the healthy (Lev. 13:46; Num. 5:2). Thus, these lepers lived in isolated communities, unable to return home for the duration of their illness (4 Sam. 7:3).