Luke 17:17 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

But where are the nine?— The ingratitude of these Jews will appear monstrous, if we consider that the leprosy, the malady from which they were delivered, is itself one of the most loathsome diseases incident to human nature; and a disease which by the law of Moses subjected them to greater hardships than any other distemper whatever. But though the cure of this dreadful disorderwas produced without the smallest pain, or even trouble to the lepers, and so speedily that it was completed by the time they had got at a small distance from him, (as appears by the Samaritan's finding Jesus, where they left him) the Jews would not give themselves the trouble of returning to glorify God, by making the miracle public, not to honour Jesus by acknowledging the favour. Such were the people who gloried in their being holy, and who insolently called the men of all other nations dogs: but their hypocrisy and presumption received a severe reprimand on this occasion; for our Lord, in his observation on their behaviour, plainly declared, that the outward profession of any religion, however true and excellent that religion may be in itself, is of no value before God, in comparison of piety and inward holy dispositions:—and in this view we should not be too forward to condemn the Jews;—for have we not too much reason to doubt whether, of the multitudes who are indebted to the divine goodness, one in ten has a becoming sense of it. We should labour to impress our hearts deeply with such a sense, always remembering what it is that God expects of us, and considering that as the exercise of gratitude towards such a benefactor is most reasonable, so it is also proportionably delightful to the soul. It is indeed like the incense of the Jewish priests, which, while it did an honour to God, did likewise regale with its own fragrancy the person by whom it was offered.