Luke 17:19

And he said to him: "Rise, go; your faith has made you well." He who devoutly fell before the Lord is commanded to rise and go, because he who, subtly recognizing his infirmity, humbly lies down, is ordered to rise through the consolation of the …

And he is commanded to rise and walk, because he who, knowing his own weakness, lies lowly on the ground, is led to advance by the consolation of the divine word to mighty deeds. But if faith made him whole, who hurried himself back to give thanks, therefore does unbelief destroy those who have neglected to give glory to God for mercies received. Wherefore that we ought to increase our faith by humility, as it is declared in the former parable, so in this is it exemplified in the actions themselves.

But the Gentiles, an alien people, acknowledged the One who cleansed them and glorified Him by faith — that God is so loving of mankind and so powerful that for our sake He took upon Himself the utmost dishonor, which is a work of love …

Third, as regards the approbation of gratitude, he adds: And he said to him: Rise, go, for your faith has made you whole. Rise, through penitence: Ephesians 5: "Rise, you who sleep, and arise from the dead"; and Acts 12: "He roused him, saying: Rise …

The rest were made whole by the power of Christ, in compassion to their distress, and in answer to their prayer; but he was made whole by his faith, by which Christ saw him distinguished from the rest. Note, Temporal mercies are then doubled and sweetened to us when they are fetched in by the prayers of faith, and returned by the praises of faith.

And he said unto him, arise,....

Go thy way - To the “priest;” for without “his” certificate he could not again be restored to the society of his friends, or to the public worship of God. Having now appropriately expressed your gratitude, go to the priest and obey the law of God. Renewed sinners, while their hearts overflow with gratitude to Jesus, “express” that gratitude by obeying God, and by engaging in the appropriate duties of their calling and of religion.

Arise--for he had "fallen down on his face at His feet" (Lu 17:16) and there lain prostrate. faith made thee whole--not as the others, merely in body, but in that higher spiritual sense with which His constant language has so familiarized us. COMING OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND OF THE SON OF MAN.

Let us mark, firstly, in this passage — how earnestly men can cry for help, when they feel their need of it. We read that as our Lord entered into a certain village — ten men who were lepers met Him. It is difficult to conceive any condition more thoroughly miserable, than that of men afflicted with leprosy. They were cast out from society. They were cut off from all society with their fellows. The men described in the passage before us appear to have been truly sensible of their wretchedness.

Let us mark, firstly, in this passage — how earnestly men can cry for help, when they feel their need of it. We read that as our Lord entered into a certain village — ten men who were lepers met Him. It is difficult to conceive any condition more thoroughly miserable, than that of men afflicted with leprosy. They were cast out from society. They were cut off from all society with their fellows. The men described in the passage before us appear to have been truly sensible of their wretchedness. They "stood afar off" — but they did not stand idly doing nothing. They called out in a loud voice: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" They acutely felt the deplorable state of their bodies. They found words to express their feelings. They cried earnestly for relief, when a chance for relief appeared in sight. The conduct of the ten lepers is very instructive. It throws light on a most important subject in practical Christianity, which we can never understand too well. That subject is PRAYER. How is it that many never pray at all? How is it that many others are content to repeat a form of words — but never pray with their hearts? How is it that dying men and women, with souls to be lost or saved — can know so little of real, hearty, sincere prayer? The answer to these questions is short and simple. The bulk of mankind have no sense of sin. They do not feel their spiritual disease. They are not conscious that they are lost, and guilty, and hanging over the brink of Hell! When a man finds out his soul's ailment — then he soon learns to pray. Like the leper, he finds words to express his need. He cries for help. How is it, again, that many true believers often pray so coldly? What is the reason that their prayers are so feeble, and wandering, and lukewarm — as they frequently are? The answer once more, is very plain.

You have often heard the leprosy described—it was a very horrible disease, I should think the worst that flesh is heir to. We ought to be much more grateful than we are that this fell disease is scarcely known in our favored country. You have also heard what an instructive symbol it is in human flesh of what sin is in the human soul, how it pollutes, how it destroys. I need not go into that sad subject. But here was a sight for the Savior—10 men that were lepers! A mass of sorrow, indeed!

You have often heard the leprosy described—it was a very horrible disease, I should think the worst that flesh is heir to. We ought to be much more grateful than we are that this fell disease is scarcely known in our favored country. You have also heard what an instructive symbol it is in human flesh of what sin is in the human soul, how it pollutes, how it destroys. I need not go into that sad subject. But here was a sight for the Savior—10 men that were lepers! A mass of sorrow, indeed! What sights our Lord still sees every day in this sin-defiled world! Not 10 men that are sinners, nor even merely 10 millions are to be found all the world over, but on this earth there are a thousand millions of men diseased in soul! It is a miracle of condescension that the Son of God should set foot in such a lazar house as this. Yet observe the triumphant Grace of our Lord Jesus to the 10 men that were lepers. It would make a man's fortune, it would crown a man with lifelong fame to heal one leper—but our Lord healed 10 lepers at once! So full a fountain of Grace is He, so freely does He dispense His favor, that the 10 are told to go and show themselves to the priests because they are healed—and on the way to the priests they find it is so! None of us can imagine the joy they felt when they perceived that they were healed. Oh, it must have been a sort of new birth to them to find their flesh made fresh as that of a little child! It would not have been amazing if the whole 10 had hurried back and fallen at Jesus' feet and lifted up their voices in a tenfold Psalm! The sad thing about it is that nine of them, though they were healed, went on their way to the priests in the coolest possible manner—we never hear of their return—they drop out of the story altogether. They have obtained a blessing, they go their way and that is an end of them.

Thy faith hath made thee whole - Thy faith hath been the means of receiving that influence by which thou hast been cleansed.