The answer is: Priests

Luke 17:11-14

In Luke 17:11-14, the poignant encounter with the ten lepers illustrates more than just a miraculous healing; it's a stunning lesson in faith and community. When Jesus tells the lepers to show themselves to the priests, he’s tapping into Jewish law, as prescribed in Leviticus 14, which dictated that returning to the priest was a necessary step for the lepers to be declared clean and reintegrated into society.

Imagine the scene: these ten individuals were considered outcasts, living on the fringes due to their illness. Crisp linen was likely never donned by them, their sense of community stripped away as isolation became their new norm. Jesus, a true radical in a serious sense, revives hope and restores humanity in a way that immediately resonates in all cultures— a return to wholeness.

Trivia alert! Did you know that leprosy in Biblical times was not just about skin disease? Many diseases and skin ailments were lumped together under the term “leprosy,” making them significant death sentences from the social and spiritual angles.

And here's a fascinating link: When only one of those lepers returns to thank Jesus— an outsider, specifically a Samaritan— the narrative compounds notions of gratitude and unveiling true community rise above innate divisions. Jesus points out that despite societal borders, it’s the returner’s faith that marks the path to deeper completion. This remarkable message still resonates today about inclusion and recognizing the health of our spirits.