POST OVERVIEW. A post about Luke 17:11-19 where Jesus cleansed ten lepers of their leprosy. One of those ten lepers was also eternally saved.
In Luke 17:11-19, we read the story of our Lord healing ten lepers. While on His way to Jerusalem, Jesus enters a village and encounters ten leprous men who call Him by name and ask for mercy. As these men are going to the priests, all ten are miraculously cleansed of their leprosy. One of the ten returned, “fell on his face at Jesus’ feet,” and gave Him thanks for the healing. Jesus tells the man, “Your faith has made you well” (17:19).
THE MAN’S FAITH SAVED HIM
This story of the leprous men follows the same pattern as a number of other stories in the gospels, particularly in the gospel of Luke. A sinner encounters Jesus, the sinner believes in Jesus, often because of a miracle Jesus has performed, and Jesus announces that the sinner is saved by his or her faith. Thus in these encounters two miracles occur: Jesus performs a miracle and then a sinner repents and is saved so that there is joy in heaven (Luke 15:7, 10).
Salvation of a sinner is the issue in these stories. And because salvation is the issue, we need to correct the translation of Luke 17:19 (and others like it, including Luke 7:50*; 8:48; 18:42; Matt. 9:22; Mark 5:34; 10:52) to reflect the real focus of the story. (Translations considered are ESV and NASB.) [* Note that Luke 7:50 is correctly translated, “Your faith has saved you,” in both ESV and NASB.]
TECHNICAL DETAILS
The Greek phrase that is usually translated, “Your faith has made you well,” is:
The verb in this phrase is σέσωκέν, which is the perfect indicative active form of the verb σῴζω, a verb ordinarily translated as “save” or “rescue.” This verb is among a group of New Testament words that are used to describe Christian salvation. “Savior” is the Greek word “σωτὴρ.” “Salvation” is “σωτηρία.” The adjective “saving” is the Greek word “σωτήριος.” Since σῴζω is the verb in this group of words about salvation, the word should be translated into English as “save” unless there is some compelling reason not to.
Returning to the Greek phrase above, the words would be literally translated as:
The faith of you has saved you, or
Your faith has saved you.
As we explore this passage further, we will see that this is exactly what is intended by our Savior. Jesus is telling the person that their personal faith in Him has rescued them from God’s condemnation and judgment and that they have now passed from death to life (John 5:24). With this as background, let’s go into the text.
EXPLORATION OF THE TEXT
In Luke 17:19, we first observe that the leper’s faith did not make him well. Jesus did. Jesus healed the leper that returned and thanked Him, but Jesus healed all ten lepers equally. They were healed whether they had faith or not because Jesus is Lord of all. So, Jesus was the one who made the leper well, not the leper’s faith.
But second, notice that the leper who returned displayed his faith in Jesus by turning back and “giving thanks to Him” (17:16). This one leper acknowledged that Jesus had healed him and he therefore submitted to Jesus as Lord. So we see that Jesus healed the leper by His divine power, but it was the leper’s faith in Jesus that saved him. Thus the correct translation of Luke 17:19 is, “Your faith has saved you.” Those without faith take whatever good things God provides and then go on without giving thanks to God or acknowledging the Lord’s mercy, but those with faith fall down before the Lord and give Him thanks. The faithful “glorify God with a loud voice” (17:15).
An examination of the other occurrences of “ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκέν σε” (see above for a list) will reveal that each instance should be translated, “Your faith has saved you.” In these events, Jesus (usually) heals the faithful and the unfaithful alike. Jesus performs these miracles of healing to verify His identity as God the Son so that some of those who see the miracles will place their faith in Him and be saved. Thus it is the sinner’s response of faith in Jesus that saves the believing sinner. Jesus performed miracles of healing. This is objective fact. Ah, but those who saw the miracles and responded in faith were saved.
OBJECTIVE FACT AND SAVING FAITH IN THE GOSPEL
In many ways, the gospel is like Jesus’ miracles. The gospel is a message that contains facts that are objectively true for all people. The facts of the gospel are these: God is holy and will punish all sin. Man is not holy. Man is a rebel who willfully disobeys God’s commandments and is, therefore, under God’s wrath and judgment and in danger of eternal condemnation. From this objective danger all people must be rescued or they will eternally perish.
But the gospel goes on to declare that God, in His mercy, has provided a way for man to be rescued. Two thousand years ago, God sent His Son Jesus into the world to be our Savior. Unlike every other person, Jesus willfully obeyed every commandment of God for His entire lifetime. As we have seen in this story, Jesus also performed miracles that only God could perform. After living a sinless life, Jesus died on a Roman cross as God’s appointed sacrifice for sin. Then three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead to confirm that His sacrifice on the cross had been accepted by God as payment for sin. Now any sinner who repents of their sin and places their faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior will be saved.
Those are the objective facts. You and I need to be saved from our sins and Jesus Christ has died and risen from the dead to provide the salvation we need. Now you and I must respond by placing our faith in Jesus as the Lord of our life.
But just as the nine lepers could be healed and yet not be saved, so you can know the objective facts about Jesus and the salvation that He offers and still not be saved. Like the lepers, we must believe in Jesus to be saved. Objective facts cannot save you. Only faith in Jesus will save you. “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31). Then on the last day you will hear the Lord say, “Your faith has saved you.”
Soli Deo gloria rmb 12/6/2023 #681
Roy's Reflections 