Thankfulness: Where Are the Nine? (Luke 17:11-19)

It was almost impossible to describe their condition. They had swelling and lumps over their bodies, and some parts lacked any feeling. Their skin was covered with ulcers. For some there was deterioration of the nose and throat, for others hands and feet were eaten away. Leprosy is a living hell!

Some medical people believe emotional stress may cause leprosy, and indeed those with the disease felt stress. They felt that if there was a God, that God had forgotten them. Whenever another human came their way, lepers were required to shout: "unclean, unclean." They were segregated from society, and ordered to dress distinctively, so others could avoid them. Within their hell they longed, hoped, and prayed for readmission to society and remission of their dreaded condition.

Luke says that on that day when Jesus entered their village those ten lepers were "keeping their distance." In reality it was a tremendous gulf, for leprosy was the AIDS of the biblical world.

Somehow they had enough energy and hope to cry out in unison, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" He did and they were "made clean." Yet, the amazing element in the story is not that the ten were healed and released from their horrible state but that only one returned to the source of that healing, to express thanks. Jesus than asks His question that was never answered, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they?"

I can answer that question.

The first leper had a flourishing family shipping business at Joppa. He was banished two years before, as a leper-outcast, and his wife and son tried to keep the business going. His competition took advantage of his absence. So, following his cleansing, he headed posthaste for Joppa, as fast as his renewed body would take him.

When the second leper was questioned as to why he did not return, he made this statement, "I didn't want to be healed, because I don't want to live. I find life too difficult. Life is just a rat race, everyone trying to get their piece of manna. I don't want any responsibility. I'd rather die than have to face the difficulties of living. But now -- thanks to Jesus -- I am forced back onto the old treadmill. Now I've got to find a job, and keep it."

After his encounter with Jesus, the third leper started immediately for Legion, his hometown. He knew his family and friends prayed daily for his cure, and he wanted to show them that prayers are answered, so he never looked back.

The fourth and fifth lepers were close friends. Excitedly they left for Caesarea. After about one hour of travel they realized they had forgotten to thank Jesus. So they retraced their steps, but by the time they returned to the place of their healing, Jesus was gone.