Sermon Tone Analysis

(1) The Grateful Samaritan (17:11–19)

11 Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

12 As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him.

They stood at a distance 13 and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

14 When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”

And as they went, they were cleansed.

15 One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice.

16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

17 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed?

Where are the other nine?

18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

19 Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

Context

The account of the grateful Samaritan, which is unique to Luke, introduces the third section of the travel account (cf.

17:11 with 9:51 and 13:22).

Jesus continued toward Jerusalem, where he would die (9:22, 31, 44), for he must fulfill his passion in the holy city (13:33).

The classification of this story is difficult, but its emphasis lies with the pronouncement in 17:17–19.

The account begins with Jesus’ healing ten lepers at a distance (17:12, 14; cf.

7:6–10).

Lepers had to live apart from society (; ), and to reenter society they had to be declared clean by a priest ().

As they proceeded to the priests, they were healed.

One of the lepers upon observing his healing returned to give thanks to Jesus.

It is then pointed out that this leper was a Samaritan.

This one had been not only physically healed but spiritually healed as well (17:19).

Whereas the other nine received God’s word and believed for a time, they fell short of the ultimate healing, i.e., experiencing the divine salvation.

They had “been enlightened … [and] tasted the heavenly gift” () in their experience of divine healing, but they fell short of saving faith.

Comments

17:11 On his way to Jerusalem.

This is the third mention of Jesus’ traveling to Jerusalem (cf.

9:51; 13:22).

Along the border between Samaria and Galilee.

The expression “along between” (dia meson) is difficult to interpret, and as a result there are several textual variants.

Since Galilee lies north of Samaria, one would think that Jesus would have been going in a north-south direction, and “along between” suggests an east-west direction.

Some scholars have suggested that Luke revealed here a great ignorance of Palestinian geography.

Luke may have meant, however, that Jesus and the disciples were traveling east-west along the Plain of Esdraelon (Valley of Jezreel).

Although one might expect the reverse, Samaria is mentioned first because of the importance the Samaritan leper plays in the story.

For “Samaria” see comments on 10:33.

17:12 Ten.

“Ten” is a round number.

Compare , where a group of lepers are found together, probably for mutual aid and encouragement.

A village.

The name is irrelevant.

What happened, not where it happened, is important.

Compare 9:52, 56; 10:38.

Leprosy.

See comments on 5:12.

They stood at a distance.

The law required the segregation of lepers (cf.

; ).

17:13 Jesus, Master.

Elsewhere only Jesus’ disciples used this term “Master” (epistata) to address him (see comments on 5:5), whereas nondisciples used the term “teacher” (didaskalos).

Have pity on us!

Compare ; .

The particular mercy being sought is not mentioned.

The lepers might have sought alms from others, but from the address “Master” Luke suggested they sought more, i.e., healing, from Jesus.

17:14 Go, show yourselves to the priests.

Compare 5:14.

“Priests” is plural because there were ten lepers.

That Jesus anticipated that the Samaritan would go to a Samaritan priest is speculative.

Luke was not concerned with this detail.

As they went, they were cleansed.

In contrast to 5:12–16, where the healing took place before the command to show oneself to the priest, here the healing took place on the way (cf.

).

The obedience to Jesus’ word reveals a certain degree of faith on the part of all ten lepers (cf.

).

“Cleansed” refers to healing from leprosy, as reveals.

17:15 One of them.

The Samaritan in response to his healing did four things.

Praising God.

Praise as the appropriate response to God’s salvation is a favorite Lukan theme (see comments on 5:25).

In a loud voice.

“A loud voice” is a favorite Lukan expression.

17:16 Threw himself at Jesus’ feet.

See comments on 5:12.

And thanked him.

Only here in the NT are thanks directed to Jesus rather than God.

Compare, however, where prayer is offered to Jesus in Acts.246

Compare for a similar reaction from Naaman the leper.

And he.

“He” is emphatic, “And he …”

Samaritan.

Mention of this has been delayed in the story to dramatize this fact.

This would remind Luke’s readers of the parable of the good Samaritan and that it was a Samaritan, not the priest or Levite, who proved to be a neighbor (cf.

10:30–37).

It would also affirm to them the subsequent history of the church and how Samaritans received the gospel and official Judaism did not.

Even though they already knew this, they would later read about this in Luke’s second work.

17:17–18 Jesus asked three rhetorical questions.

Nine.

The nine were the Jewish lepers who were healed, in contrast to the “foreigner.”

For Luke’s Jewish readers the pathos of these questions would have been great (cf.

).

Once again the last had become first and the first last ().

Give praise to God.

True faith and worship involves praising, i.e., glorifying, God.

See comments on 5:25; contrast .

17:19 Your faith.

In the first situation in life, this no doubt referred to a faith in God and in Jesus as his representative.

In the Lukan setting such faith would be more Christologically oriented and refer to faith in Jesus as the Lord Christ, God’s Son, who rose from the dead, reigns, and will return.

Has made you well.

“Made you well” is literally saved you.

See comments on 7:50.

For Luke true faith, which leads to salvation, was intimately connected with glorying God even as it is elsewhere connected with the forgiveness of sins (), entering God’s kingdom (18:24–25), and inheriting eternal life (18:18–30).

Compare the connection between faith and glorifying God in 18:42–43 and in , .

The Lukan Message

A clear Christological emphasis is present, for the account provides another example of Jesus’ power.

He is able to heal lepers (, ; ).

This emphasis is furthermore heightened by 17:17.