As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten lepers met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” And when he saw them, he said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” As they were going they were cleansed. And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned, glorifying God in a loud voice; and he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply, “Ten were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other nine? Has none but this foreigner returned to give thanks to God?” Then he said to him, “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
Gospel Trivia:
Note that Jesus did not cure the ten lepers on the spot and instead ordered them to go and show themselves to the priests. A leper does NOT go to the priests to be healed. According to Jewish law, a leper who has been cured should go to a priest who will attest the cure. (Note that the Samaritan is a non-Jew and therefore NOT part of the "chosen people.")
By ordering the lepers to comply with that law as if they had already been healed, Jesus required of them an act of obedience in faith.
The ten proceeded to go as told and were all healed. Of the ten, only one of them, a Samaritan, when he saw that he was cured, came back running to Jesus and praising God. The Samaritan leper knew that his cure came from God and was totally grateful.
In contrast, the other nine were Jews, who thought that their cure was deserved because of they are God's special chosen ones.
This gospel is more than about gratefulness. It takes faith to recognize God’s action, to receive it, and render it back to Him. The Samaritan's faith reflected his attitude that his cure is pure grace; that he is totally undeserving yet was cured out of God's love.
The nine lepers received healing thinking that it was due to them.
God's love is not something we earn and deserve, but even though we are undeserving, God still loves us. This is the faith Jesus is talking about.
Reference: Nil Guillemette, SJ, A Kingdom for All (Manila: St. Paul Publications, 1988), p. 366-268.
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