An Atheistic Bible Study Of The Gospels The Ten Lepers

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Luke 17:11-18 Another story only Luke chose to tell. The other three Gospel writers took no interest in this event. Jesus is travelling to Jerusalem and moving along the Judean and Samarian border. As he approaches a village ten men call to him from the distance. They have leprosy and beg Jesus for his pity and mercy. Jesus tells them to go to see the local priests (Rabbis). The men set off to do so and as they travel their leprosy leaves them. One of the men is so pleased by his healing that he runs back to Jesus to thank him, throwing himself at the feet of Jesus in gratitude. Jesus criticizes the other nine men for not coming to thank him personally and notes that the one man who has returned is a foriegner, a Samarian, while the less grateful men are Judeans like himself/ It isn't clear if the lepers went to the priests or gave up on that duty once they were healed on route. Jesus may have wanted to show the priests that he had healed the men, in this case without physical contact or spitting at them as he did in other miracle stories. The blatant racism of Jesus seeing the only gratitude coming from a foreigner is repulsive and rather undermines the merits of the Good Samaritan parable too. Youtube - Simple Minds - Promised You A Miracle Arthur Chappell