When reading about the healing of ten lepers (Luke 17) I never gave much attention to the location. I was thinking it was nice that Luke was kind enough to tell us where Jesus was for this particular miracle. But I should know better; there's always a reason for specific details. And, Luke mentioned their bearings for a reason.
Turns out that the location is near the place where Naaman was told by Elisha what to do to also be healed of leprosy (2 Kings 5). While Naaman was told to go wash up in the Jordan river seven times, the ten lepers were told to report to the priests. (Just so you know, if they went all the way to Jerusalem for their healing there was a room, or chamber area, for lepers attached to the northwest corner of the court of women in the temple compound.)
Here's an interesting fact. Naaman was a foreigner (from a country that had recently attacked Israel) but God healed him through the prophet Elisha anyway. And among the ten leprous men who approached Jesus was a Samaritan, you know, the people most hated by a good number of Hebrews.
Yet, he was the only one who returned to thank Jesus while praising God for the healing. Jesus noticed this. He received the man's offering of thanks and blessed him as well. How sad that the other nine missed out on the blessing from Jesus.
Jesus has always provided healing for all people, no matter where they are from or what others think of them. He's still for everyone.
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