The Story of Ten Lepers that were Healed (Luke 17:11-19)

Leprosy is a horrible disease, and back in the days of Jesus there was no cure for it. Leprosy causes parts of the skin and body to just decay away until the person finally dies. Anyone with leprosy had to go away from the public and live by themselves. If people came near them, they were required to cry out, “Unclean, unclean,” so others would stay away. One day as Jesus was passing through a village of Samaria, ten lepers saw him coming in the distance. I think they stayed away from Jesus and the crowd of people as they were required to do, but they cried out with very loud voices, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Can you picture these ten men desperately crying out and maybe waving their hands to make sure Jesus could see and hear them? Will Jesus heal them? Yes, he will, but first he tested their faith. He told them to go and show themselves to the priest. Now the priest was the person assigned to look at people and determine whether or not they had leprosy, and if they did he would send them away. In fact, the priest had probably already sent these men away because of their leprosy. What good would it do to go back to him again? That thought may have entered their mind, but by faith all ten of them went anyway and the Bible says, “As they went, they were cleansed.” They were so excited that all of them except one headed for the priest as quickly as their legs would carry them. One man did something very special. He came back to Jesus, kneeled down at his feet, and thanked him for taking away his leprosy. He was excited about being healed like the others, but he was more excited about the one who had healed him. Do you remember to give thanks to God when he does good things for you?