Read through the passage a few times, using different translations, noting things that stand out. You may have notes from the passage we used last time that you didn't get to use since we didn't finish the verses. We stopped just before where the disciples asked Jesus to increase their faith. Read that with this healing account to see if that changes, modifies, or influences what you learned from just the six verses. Note details in the healing that jump out at you. Ask questions as if you were interviewing one of the disciples (or Luke) about what Jesus said and the healing.
Once you have a good sense of the passage yourself, go back through with any commentaries or study guides you find (yours or online). Revise your notes and questions accordingly. Then go back through with the questions below:
- The disciples ask for Jesus to "increase their faith". How does a mustard seed-sized faith "increase" their faith?
- Why do you think Luke uses a "mulberry tree" instead of a mountain, like Matthew?
- Consider verses 7 through 10 very carefully. Slavery is such a foreign concept to us, this probably sounds very harsh. Keeping in mind that it didn't sound harsh at all to them, what do you think is Jesus' point?
- How do you see yourself in verses 7 through 10? We talk so much about Jesus being our "brother" or "friend", we tend to forget His is our Lord first. What sorts of things do you need to do differently considering these verses?
- How does the flying mulberry tree and being unworthy slaves increase the faith of the disciples? How does it increase your faith?
- Jesus was between Samaria and Galilee in this healing account. Look at a map of the region. How far has Jesus traveled since He "set His face toward Jerusalem" in 9:51?
- The ten lepers are standing far off from the village Jesus' is entering. Yet they are close enough to recognize Jesus. How do you imagine this setting? What do you think the people around Jesus are doing as He enters the village?
- Look at what the lepers cry out in a few translations. They all have the same word for how they referred to Jesus, "Master". Click the link to the left and look at the verse references where this word is used. What do you think of the fact this word is only used by Luke?
- Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to the priests. Refer back to that map you looked at earlier. Where would they need to go to do so? Look up "Levitical Cities" if you have an atlas with an index. Now how far would they have to travel? By the days of Jesus, the cities with Levites were probably much more mixed. What do you think that, regardless of how far they were to travel, they knew exactly where to go, even the Samaritan?
- In just about any translation it says that, "as they went they were healed." Considering the request of the disciples to increase their faith, how related do you think that question and this account were to Luke?
- One returns "glorifying God." The man who returns is a Samaritan, and Jesus notices that on sight. What do you think this might have meant for Luke's audience? What does that tell you about how lepers regarded each other?
- The thankfulness is acknowledged by Jesus, but what was it that actually "saved" him?
- If thankfulness isn't what saves, faith is, and all ten were cleansed through faith, what do you see as the benefit of "thankfulness" through this account?
- If Jesus told the ten to go show themselves to the priests, why do you think He would be surprised that only one came back to thank Him? Keep in mind that they weren't healed immediately, but only as they went to go to the priests.
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