Jesus Cleanses the Ten Lepers

Keith Kariniemi | The Voice of Zion November 2025 - Bible Class Lesson --

Synopsis:

When Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the last time, he took a longer route through Galilee and Samaria. When passing through a village, ten men who were sick with leprosy cried out for mercy, standing at a distance because of their disease. Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest, and as they went, they were miraculously healed. Only one, a Samaritan, returned to give thanks, falling at Jesus’ feet to praise Him. Jesus asked him where the others were and then told this Samaritan that his faith had made him whole. 

Bible text: 

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him – and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” – Luke 17:11–19

Key Words:

• Leprosy – A terrible skin disease that caused sores and damage to the body. People with leprosy were forced to live apart from others. It was thought to be very contagious and had no cure during Jesus’ time. 

• Samaritan – A person from Samaria, a region north of Judea. Jewish people often looked down on Samaritans and did not consider them equals, but Jesus showed that God’s mercy and love extended to them too. 

• Priests – In Jesus’ time, priests were responsible not only for temple worship but also for declaring whether someone was clean or unclean (see Leviticus 14). That’s why Jesus told the lepers to go show themselves to the priests. 

Introduction:

Jesus performed many miracles during His public ministry. These signs helped people believe that He truly was the Son of God and pointed them to the gospel message of the forgiveness of sins. In this account, Jesus healed ten men from their physical disease, but He also brought spiritual healing to the one who returned in faith to give thanks. This miracle reminds us of the importance of thanking God for all that He does for us. Most of all, we want to thank Him for the gift of living faith and His grace that saves us.

Main Points:

• Be Thankful to God for Everything. Only one of the ten healed lepers returned to thank Jesus. His gratitude showed the living faith in his heart. Jesus said his faith – not just his words – made him truly well and acceptable to God. 

• No One Is Too Low for God’s Grace. The one who returned was a Samaritan, a group despised by the Jews. Yet God’s grace reached him, showing that no one is beyond God’s mercy. He was the only one who showed fruits of faith, returning to thank and praise God for the miracle of his healing. 

• Faith Comes First, Fruits Follow. It was the Samaritan’s faith that made him whole; his praise and thanksgiving flowed naturally from that faith of the heart as its fruit. 

• Turn to God When You Need Help. All ten cried out to Jesus and were healed. God hears when we call to Him in our need, even with problems that seem incurable. 

• Many Hear God’s Word, but Few Believe. The nine lepers received healing but did not return to Jesus. They are like the rocky soil in the parable of the sower – receiving God’s help for a moment but quickly forgetting Him. The Samaritan, however, showed the “good soil,” where faith took root and bore fruit in thankfulness and worship. 

Conclusion:

This miracle of the healing of the ten lepers teaches us many things, but most important is that the man was saved by faith. It is also important to be thankful to God for all that He does for us, His children. He bestows His grace upon us, blessing us in innumerable ways; first and foremost by forgiving us our sins. We do not want to go our own way in our blessings, departing from God, rather we must always remember where everything comes from. It is a precious matter that we have thankful hearts and that we bring our hearts to God in praise and thanksgiving. This thankfulness is a fruit of faith, and one that comes from keeping faith and good conscience.  

Discussion:

1. How can we thank and praise God in our everyday lives? What are some ways to show thankfulness? 

2. When should we thank and praise God? Is it only when something good happens in our lives, or also at other times? 

3. What does this story show us about who is good enough to merit God’s grace? Are there people who are ever too lowly to become heaven-acceptable?