When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus didn't just tell them to go to the priests after they were healed; he sent them while they were still lepers. This command required immense faith, as it was an act of obedience to a Word that, at that moment, seemed to promise nothing more than a journey to face religious authorities with no visible change.
When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and encounters ten lepers who cry out to him for mercy. Jesus tells them to go and present themselves to the priests, a required step in the Law for those healed of leprosy. As they obey this command and go, they discover they are already being made clean.
Jesus didn't just tell them they would be healed; He told them to go show themselves to the priests. What does this command reveal about how faith works?
When Jesus encountered the ten lepers, they cried out for mercy. His response wasn't an immediate, visible healing. Instead, He commanded them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.'
The Command to Act
This wasn't just a suggestion; it was a directive that required action. According to the Law, only priests could declare a leper clean after examination (Leviticus 14:2). So, Jesus sent them on a journey, asking them to perform an act of faith based on His word, not on their current physical condition.
Faith Activated by Obedience
Their healing didn't happen when they stood before Jesus, but 'as they went.' This crucial detail highlights that their cleansing was linked to their obedience to Jesus' command. Their faith wasn't passive; it was active, demonstrated through their willingness to obey, even when the outcome was not yet visible. God often works through our obedience, meeting us in the very act of trusting Him.
They were cleansed on the way, before seeing the priests. What does this reveal about Jesus' power and the nature of true healing?
The healing of the ten lepers wasn't a gradual process; it was immediate and miraculous. The text states, 'as they went they were cleansed.' This means the physical cleansing happened before they reached the priests, and crucially, they could visually confirm it themselves.
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Jesus' Authority Over Disease
This timing underscores Jesus' absolute authority. He didn't need the priests' validation or the physical evidence to declare them healed. His word was sufficient. The cleansing was a divine act, originating from Jesus, even though the Law required priestly confirmation.
True Healing Goes Deeper
While nine of the lepers received physical healing, only one returned to give thanks. Jesus noted, 'Were not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? None are found that have returned to give glory to God except this stranger' (Luke 17:17-18). This points to a deeper truth: physical healing is a blessing, but spiritual transformation and gratitude are what truly save and glorify God. The outward cure was temporary; the inward recognition of God's grace was eternal.
Understand the original words
katharizo · Greek Verb
To be made ceremonially clean or pure; in the context of leprosy, it refers to the removal of the physical affliction and the restoration to community and worship fellowship.
hiereus · Greek Noun
The religious officials responsible for examining and certifying that a person was no longer afflicted with leprosy, thereby permitting their re-entry into the social and religious life of the covenant community.
Jesus' instruction for the lepers to show themselves to the priests was tied to the Mosaic Law's requirement for priests to certify healing and allow reintegration into society. This instruction, given as they were on their way to Jerusalem, highlights a pivotal moment where Jesus fulfilled the Law while simultaneously pointing beyond its ritualistic requirements to the deeper spiritual cleansing he offered.
c. 70 AD
Destruction of the Second Temple
The Roman destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple marked the end of the sacrificial system and the priesthood's role in certifying healings according to Mosaic Law. This event underscores the urgency and perhaps the finality of Jesus' instructions regarding the priests.
c. 30-33 AD— this verse
Jesus' Ministry and Healing Miracles
During Jesus' public ministry, healing miraculous diseases like leprosy was a powerful sign of his divine authority and the coming of God's kingdom. These acts often involved specific instructions that tested the faith of those healed.
c. 30-33 AD
Jesus' Journey to Jerusalem
The Gospel of Luke places this healing event as Jesus journeyed towards Jerusalem for his final Passover. This trajectory imbues the miracle with a sense of purpose and leads into the events of his passion and resurrection.
This passage outlines the specific instructions for lepers to present themselves to the priests for examination and cleansing according to the Law, which Jesus was upholding in Luke 17:14.
Matthew 8:4Jesus gives a similar command to a single leper, sending him to show himself to the priest, demonstrating a consistent pattern in how Jesus interacted with those seeking healing under the Mosaic Law.
2 Kings 5:10-14Naaman, a Syrian leper, was initially told to wash in the Jordan River, and it was as he obeyed that he was cleansed, mirroring the lepers in Luke who were cleansed as they went to obey Jesus' command.
John 4:52-53After Jesus healed the official's son without any ritual, the father found that his son was healed at the very moment Jesus had spoken the word, showing that healing can occur instantaneously upon obedience to Christ's word, even before physical confirmation.
Hebrews 11:6This verse emphasizes that without faith it is impossible to please God, highlighting the faith required of the lepers to obey Jesus' command to go to the priests before they were physically healed, a testament to their trust in His word.
gillLuke 17:14: "And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed."
And when he saw them, he said unto them,.... When upon their loud cry he looked up, and towards them, and saw what a condition they were in, his compassion moved towards them, and he ordered them to do as follows; go show yourselves unto the priests. The Ethiopic version reads in the singular number, "to the priest", as in Matthew 8:4 whose bus…
barnesLuke 17:14: "And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed."
Go show yourselves ... - See the notes at Matthew 8:4 . By this command he gave them an implied assurance that they would be healed; for the "design" for which they were to go was to exhibit the "evidence" that they were restored, and to obtain permission from the priest to mingle again in society. It may also be observed that this required no…
Jesus didn't just tell them to go to the priests after they were healed; he sent them while they were still lepers. This command required immense faith, as it was an act of obedience to a Word that, at that moment, seemed to promise nothing more than a journey to face religious authorities with no visible change.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and encounters ten lepers who cry out to him for mercy. Jesus tells them to go and present themselves to the priests, a required step in the Law for those healed of leprosy. As they obey this command and go, they discover they are already being made clean.
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and encounters ten lepers who cry out to him for mercy. Jesus tells them to go and present themselves to the priests, a required step in the Law for those healed of leprosy. As they obey this command and go, they discover they are already being made clean.
"When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed." — Jesus didn't just tell them to go to the priests after they were healed; he sent them while they were still lepers. This command required immense faith, as it was an act of obedience to a Word th…
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Last reviewed October 2026