Ten Lepers Healed

Healing of the Ten Lepers by James Tissot (1836-1902), Brooklyn Museum

Among Jesus’ miracles, the healing of the ten lepers stands out for its apparent minimalism: the ten lepers are not healed in a demonstrative way. No one witnesses it: they are healed on the way to show themselves to the priests. The apostles only know this because the one Samaritan who "glorifies God with a loud voice" returns and prostrates himself before Jesus. This raises questions for exegesis.

Yet, in the work of Maria Valtorta, this episode takes on a prophetic meaning enlightened by the Samaritan’s discourse and Jesus’ words: the "foreigners," the pagans, have received the Word. After the Redemption, now near, which will remove the spiritual "leprosy," the era of their evangelization will begin.

Questions Raised by Exegesis

An Unusual Mode of Healing

The Gospel reports three healings of lepers: that of Mark 1:40-45 and Luke 5:12-16, that of the leper healed at the foot of the mountain, and this one. Jesus asks the ten lepers to go see the priest, fulfilling the legal obligation, even though they are not healed and nothing (words or deeds) suggests they are healed. They are healed on the way.

A "Foreigner"

This is not a parable where roles might be assigned for the edification of listeners (e.g., the Good Samaritan). It is a real episode in which the only grateful one who returns to thank and praise God is a "foreigner" (verse 18). Why this uniqueness?

"Your faith has saved you"

The ten lepers are healed (verse 19), but Jesus specifies to the Samaritan: "Rise and go; your faith has saved you." Yet they all left on the authority of a simple word and were all rewarded. What, in this context, is the specificity of the "foreigner’s" confession?

The Comparative Approach of Luke and Maria Valtorta

In Maria Valtorta’s work, the episode takes place during one of the last apostolic journeys. In eight months it will be the Passion. Only Jesus knows this.

The Context

Meeting place of the ten lepers

As reported by Maria Valtorta with reference to John 7:1-10, Jesus, threatened with death, does not go publicly to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), but takes a detour. The usual route of pilgrims from Galilee crosses Samaria. The other route bypasses it via the Jordan Valley and Perea. Jesus is expected on both routes. Judas suggests a "ruse": taking the usual direct route by turning off at the entrance to Judea. This is done. The episode of the ten lepers is understood in this context of discretion.

The day before this meeting, a Samaritan shepherd saw his dying son healed from a distance. Jesus had remained incognito. The shepherd had confessed his faith in Rabbi Jesus, about whom he had heard. This conviction strikes the apostles, who begin to look at the Samaritans differently.

While walking, the apostles meditate on the journey they have taken since their meeting with Jesus, their transformation, their future mission as continuators, and especially the sufferings Jesus will have to endure as he has announced to them without fully understanding the meaning. They take stock of all this and doubt their ability to be up to the task: evangelizing Judea is not as easy as they thought.

The Plea

In Luke 17:13, Jesus is addressed with the title, rare in healing narratives, of "Master." The lepers recognize him as a Rabbi accessible to compassion and able to heal them. In Maria Valtorta, the address is stronger:

"Jesus! Rabbi Jesus! Son of David and our Lord, have mercy on us."

The ten lepers do not address just any Rabbi, but Jesus specifically. They recognize him as Messiah and "their" Lord. The apostles themselves recognized him as "Master and Lord". The faith of the lepers is therefore strong, which justifies their setting out on the authority of mere words, without any act. It is a personal conviction that comes through in their second plea: "Jesus, have mercy on us!" The ten lepers therefore leave, to the great relief of the apostles:

"You did the right thing in not curing them. The people in the village would not have let us go away…" "Yes, and we ought to arrive at Ephraim before night."

The Return of the Samaritan

Suddenly the voice of "one of the lepers" is heard, and he begins to prophesy the advent of the messianic times to the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. The proclamation is full of references to Scripture:

"Praise to the Most High God and to His true Messiah. All power, wisdom and mercy is in Him! Praise to the Most High God Who has granted us peace through Him. Praise Him, O men of the towns in Judaea, Samaria, Galilee and beyond the Jordan. Let the praise to the Most High and to His Christ resound as far as the snow on the very high Hermon as far as the parched stones in Idumea, as far as the beaches lapped by the waves of the Great Sea. The prophecy of Balaam has been fulfilled. The Star of Jacob is shining in the restored sky of the fatherland reunited by the true Shepherd. And the promises made to the patriarchs are also fulfilled! Here, here is the word of Elijah, who loved us. Listen to it, peoples of Palestine and understand it. One must no longer limp on two sides but one must choose by the light of the spirit, and if the spirit is righteous one will choose cor­rectly. This is the Lord, follow Him! Ah! so far we have been punished because we did not strive to understand! The man of God cursed the false altar prophesying: “A son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, who shall immolate on the altar and burn the bones of Adam. And the altar will burst apart as far as the bowels of the Earth and the ashes of the immolation will be scattered to the north, to the south, to the east and where the sun sets”. Do not behave like foolish Ahaziah who sent messengers to consult the god of Ekron when the Most High was in Israel. Do not be inferior to Balaam’s donkey which for its respect for the spirit of light would have deserved to live, whereas the prophet who did not see would have been struck down. Here is the Light passing among us. Open your eyes, men whose souls are blind, and see [...]"

The apostles who wanted discretion try in vain to silence him. The crowd gathers:

"'And do you expect me not to glorify the great things which God has done to me? Do you want me not to bless Him?'

'Bless Him in your heart and be quiet' they reply angrily.

'No, I cannot be quiet. God puts the words on my lips', and he resumes in a louder voice: 'People of the two border towns, and you who happen to pass here, stop and worship Him Who will reign in the name of the Lord. I used to laugh at so many word. But now I repeat them because I see that they have been fulfilled. All the peoples are moving and are coming towards the Lord re­joicing, across the sea and deserts, over mountains and hills. And we also, the people who have been walking in darkness, will go to the great light which has risen, towards Life, leaving the region of death. We who were like wolves, leopards and lions, we will be born to a new life in the Spirit of the Lord and will love one another in Him, in the shade of the Shoot of Jesse, which has grown into a cedar, under which will camp the nations gathered by Him at the four cardinal points of the Earth. Here comes the day when the jealousy of Ephraim will end, because there is no longer Israel and Judah, but one Kingdom only: the Kingdom of the Christ of the Lord. Well, I sing the praises of the Lord Who saved me and consoled me. Now, I say: praise Him and come to drink salvation at the fountain of the Saviour. Hosanna! Hosanna to the great things He works! Hosanna to the Most High Who put His Spirit among men and clothed Him with flesh, that He might become the Redeemer!'"

The Announcement of the Messianic Times

The displeased apostles turn to Jesus:

"Please make him keep quiet, Lord. He is a Samaritan. That is what the people say. Since You do not allow even us to go ahead of You preaching You, he must not speak of You!"

Jesus refers them to Moses rejoicing that Eldad and Medad prophesied in the camp. But He grants their request. The Samaritan throws himself at Jesus’ feet, who reveals to the crowd the meaning of the event: the advent of the messianic times that his own people have not received:

"Stand up. And where are the others? Were you not ten in all? The other nine did not feel it was necessary to thank the Lord. What? Out of ten lepers, among whom one only was a Samaritan, not one, except this foreigner, felt it was his duty to come back and give glory to God, before going back to life and to his family. And they say that he is a “Samaritan”. So the Samaritans are no longer intoxicated, as they do not see double and they come to the way of Salvation without staggering? Does the Word speak a foreign language if foreigners understand Him and His countrymen do not!"

The Samaritan, who asks for a new name, receives that of Ephrem:

"Stand up and go away. Your faith has saved in you something which is more than your flesh. Proceed in the Light of God. Go." [...] "And Ephrem is from now onwards your name, because Life has given you life twice. Go."

It is in this context that the healing of the ten lepers takes on its prophetic meaning by introducing the prophecy of Ephrem, the grateful Samaritan leper. This "foreigner" is the only one to return, not simply to thank for his healing, but to publicly proclaim the advent of the Messiah whom he recognized. The prophetic meaning of this episode will truly emerge only after the Passion, which will remove the spiritual "leprosy" and open the era of evangelization to the "foreigners".

Analysis of the historical, cultural, and literary context of Biblical texts to better understand what they meant at the time they were written and how they can be interpreted today.

Name given to characters of the Old Testament who had a long life and numerous descendants: Ex: Abraham. By extension: Elderly man having great authority over his people and inspiring deep respect.