The Ten Lepers (Archimandrite Joel Yiannakopoulos)

The Ten Lepers

Luke 17:12-19

By Archimandrite Joel Yiannakopoulos

We have seen that Christ withdrew from Jerusalem after the raising of Lazarus, in order to avoid the envy of the Pharisees. He went to Ephraim, near Bethel. From there He proceeded farther north and came to the borders of Samaria and Galilee. From there He intended to return to Jerusalem by way of Perea. As Luke says: “It came to pass, as He went to Jerusalem, that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.”

Thus the Lord, intending to go up to Jerusalem to be crucified, found Himself on the borders of Samaria and Galilee.

There, “as Jesus entered a certain village, ten leprous men met Him, who stood afar off.” They remained at a distance, for such was required by the tradition. Since they were far away, “they lifted up their voices and cried out, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us'.”

As lepers, legally unclean, they lived outside the cities. Yet instead of crying out, as they were required, “Unclean, unclean,” they cried out asking to be cleansed from their leprosy and healed by Jesus.

Homily Two on the Twelfth Sunday of Luke (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily Two on the Twelfth Sunday of Luke
(29th Sunday After Pentecost)

(About Jesus Christ's healing of ten lepers, of whom only one gave thanks to God for his healing. About spiritual leprosy, which is sin, and especially about the modern leprosy of socialism and nihilism.)

By St. John of Kronstadt

Today, beloved brethren, the Holy Gospel according to Luke was read to us, concerning the healing by our Lord Jesus Christ of ten leprous men.

Not daring to approach Him closely, they stood at a distance and cried out with a loud voice: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” The Lord said to them: “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And they went. And as they were going, they were indeed all cleansed. Then one of them, seeing that he had been healed, immediately returned to the Savior, fell down before Him on the ground, and with all his soul gave thanks to Him, loudly glorifying God. He was a Samaritan, that is, a resident of the city of Samaria, who professed a mixed religion of Judaism and paganism. Jesus Christ, not seeing the other nine who had been healed, said—reproaching their ingratitude: “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? How is it that they did not return to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” And turning to the grateful Samaritan, He said: “Rise, go your way; your faith has saved you” (Luke 17:12–19).

Homily One on the Twelfth Sunday of Luke (St. John of Kronstadt)

Homily One on the Twelfth Sunday of Luke
(29th Sunday After Pentecost)

By St. John of Kronstadt

“Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? How were they not found returning to give glory to God?” (Luke 17:17–18).

Today the Gospel was read about the healing of ten lepers by the Savior, of whom only one returned to thank the Lord for the healing. But what kind of disease is this - leprosy, from which the Lord healed the ten lepers mentioned? In our area there are no such diseases: they are found in the East in hot countries. However, we have a disease somewhat similar to leprosy - this is smallpox, when it is in its most severe form, or a disease that occurs from an unclean life. Those suffering from leprosy usually have their entire body covered with a kind of crust and wounds, their eyes become purulent, their entire face and tongue swell, and an unbearable stench comes from the mouth and the whole body. Finally, when the disease reaches its highest degree, all the hair on the head falls out; the wounds eat through the body to the bones and become covered with worms; the limbs fall off, and the sick, exhausted by suffering, dies. Anyone who showed signs of this disease was considered unclean and was required by law to immediately appear before the priest, who would decide whether he really had leprosy. If this was the case, then the sick, because of the extreme contagiousness of this disease, was excommunicated from his own family and driven out of the city or village. Those expelled retired to the forests, built huts for themselves there and lived, eating what their relatives brought them.