Preaching and the Land - Luke 17:11-19

Once again, Jesus extols the faith of a despised outcast, and for the second time, the subject is a Samaritan (see also the Parable of the Good Samaritan).  In Sunday's lectionary text for preaching and teaching, Jesus continues his journey to Jerusalem which began in Luke 9:51.  He now seems to be nearing Jericho or somewhere in the region between "Samaria and Galilee."

On the way, Jesus encounters ten lepers.  Here's what the Fifth Gospel tells us about the incident:

• leprosy was a feared disease in the 1st century necessitating strong prohibitions and definite prescriptions from Torah
• the phrase "stood at a distance" met the prohibition of Numbers 5:2-3 that lepers were to be put out of the camp
• Leviticus 13-14 further prescribed torn clothes and disheveled hair to identify lepers
• lepers were to keep their distance and warn anyone by crying "unclean, unclean"
• in our text, Jesus' reputation preceded him as one approachable and compassionate
• the lepers knew Jesus and cried out for the Master Healer to have mercy
• knowing God's concern and power, Jesus told the lepers to seek out a priest as prescribed in the Torah thus anticipating their healing
• the prescription for one healed of his leprosy was a series of washings and a seven-day period of probation before returning to the camp
• of the ten, one leper returned to Jesus praising God with a loud voice, falling on his face at Jesus' feet, and thanking him

Surprising to Jesus' audience was the one who returned to give thanks!  The "one" was a Samaritan considered by most in the crowd to be a half-Jew with half a Bible.  

Although their shared plight had brought the ten together across their religious divide, the ten did not share the same grateful response.  Only the Samaritan returned to give thanks to God for healing mercy.