The sole biblical account of the Ten Lepers can be found in the New Testament (1) Gospel (2) of Luke (3) (Luke 17:11-19). It offers a narrative of suffering, mandated seclusion, professions of faith (4), dispensations of mercy (5), miracles (6) of healings, an outpouring of gratitude as well as a complete lack of appreciation. The capstone of it all points to the unfailing grace (7) of our God (8), who never disappoints.
 
Somewhere between Samaria (9) and Galilee (10), we encounter Jesus (11) on His way to Jerusalem (12) when He was met by ten men who had leprosy. As the men stood at a distance, they called out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (NOTE: in the New Testament language of Greek, leprosy was a translation for various skin diseases).
 
The title by which they addressed Jesus ("Master"), coupled with their collective request for charity, implies the suffering men knew exactly who Jesus was- as well as what He was capable of doing for them. Accordingly, they were asking Him to heal them from their infirmity. Back in those days, anyone with a skin rash or disease who was considered "unclean" were mandated to live separate from their families and communities, as a fear of contamination was very real. They were, for all intents and purposes, cut off from all that was "clean." This means their suffering was not only physical, as the separation and social blacklisting carried emotional and psychological consequences as well.
 
The account continues as Jesus sees the ten men and says to them, "Go, show yourselves to the priests.” Jesus instructed them to do so as this as per the Old Testament (13) Law (14) concerning skin diseases (Leviticus 13:1-14:56). The priest (15) determined if one was clean or unclean.
 
The Holy Bible (16) has references (Matthew 9:28; Mark 9:20–24) where Jesus required an affirmation of faith before He healed the afflicted. This account of the Ten Lepers is one of those instances, as Jesus directed them to see the priest before He had healed them.
 
So, as the men went on their way to see the priests, they were supernaturally cleansed. This must have been such a joyous occasion for the men! They would now be able to reunite with their families and communities, and return to their venues of work. They had been spared a lifetime of isolation and sorrow! Amen!
 
But wait - there's a problem. The account tells us all ten men were healed from their diseases, but only one - a Samaritan! (17) - of the ten came back, praising God in a loud voice as he threw himself at the feet of Jesus. Although they initially called Him "Master" and asked Him to show them mercy, the other nine did not acknowledge Jesus once they were cleansed.
 
Luke's narrative shows Jesus calling out this lack of gratitude. “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Implying to the Samaritan man that he received spiritual healing along with his skin cleansing, Jesus tells him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
 
What does this mean to us as present day followers of Christ?  Prayerfully, amongst other lessons, we understand that our Creator desires for us to express gratitude to Him for all He does for us, as well as to those He places in our path to help us along life's journey. There are Scriptures abound (a) which encourage (18) us to be thankful and/or grateful to our Lord God Almighty.
 
In addition to this narrative, there are multiple Bible accounts which record Jesus healing individuals with leprosy or some other type of infectious skin disease (Matthew 8:1-4, 11:4-5; Mark 1:40–42; Luke 5:12-16).
 
Follower of Christ/Self-Examination: What are you grateful for today? Have you shared this attitude of gratitude with Jesus? Have you shared it (discipleship) with others? Have you ever been in a situation where you were one of the nine described in this narrative? Did you later reconcile the situation?

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If you're seeking additional info about Christianity on a more personal level, consider visiting a Christian Church here in Marion County (19). Introduce yourself to members and ask to speak with someone to learn more about Jesus. Surrendering your life to Christ (20) (b) is the most rewarding, everlasting decision you'll ever make, and it's comforting to have someone guide you as you begin your new life as a child of the Most High! May God shower you with great favor in this endeavor!
 

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Footnotes, Page Credits and External Resources appear below. Consider printing and sharing the offered PDF narrative and other listed resources with family, friends and strangers alike for use in Bible Studies (21), Home/Church Faith Sharing Groups (22), Discipleship Encounters (23) and/or Personal Faith Enrichment!
 
Modifications are welcome at [email protected].

FOOTNOTES:
  (1) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/new-testament
  (2) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-four-gospels
  (3) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/luke
  (4) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/faith-in-God
  (5) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/mercy
  (6) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/miracles-of-jesus
  (7) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/grace
  (8) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/God-of-the-Bible
  (9) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/samaria
(10) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/galilee
(11) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Jesus-Christ
(12) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/Jerusalem
(13) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/old-testament
(14) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-law
(15) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/high-priest
(16) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-good-news
(17) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/samaritans
(18) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/encouragement
(19) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/listing-by-city
(20) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/the-gracious-visitor
(21) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/bible-studies
(22) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/christian-education
(23) https://www.marionmannaproject.com/discipleship
 
PAGE CREDITS:
None.
 
EXTERNAL RESOURCES:
  (a) Bible Gateway, New International Version (NIV) Bible, accessed September 18, 2020
https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=give+thanks&qs_version=NIV&limit=50
 
  (b)  How Do I Convert to Christianity?, Got Questions Ministries, accessed January 12, 2020    https://www.gotquestions.org/convert-to-Christianity.html