Luc. 17, 11-19.
And it came to pass, as he journeyed toward Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And when he was come into a market, ten leprous men met him, which stood afar off, and lifted up their voice, and said: JEsu, dear Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them: Go and show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned again, and praised God with a loud voice, and fell on his face at his feet, and gave thanks unto him. And this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answered and said, Were not ten of them clean? But where are the nine? Has no one else been found who has turned back and given glory to God, except this stranger? And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath helped thee.
In this gospel four examples are presented to us. The first is an example of faith; the second, of grace; the third, of ingratitude and thankfulness; the fourth is the danger of tradition or of the law in error.
The first is the example of faith.
2 For here we are taught and admonished by the example of these lepers, that we may boldly dare to trust and call upon Christ, though we be unworthy and unskilful, and destitute of all merit. For these lepers were certainly the most unworthy of this benefit of Christ, when they had done nothing or earned nothing with Christ. After that they were so utterly unskilled that they were also forbidden in the law to go among the people, as their words testify, when it is said, "Jesus, have mercy on us. Whoever says, "Have mercy on us," boasts of no merit, knows of no worthiness, but confesses unworthiness and misery. Therefore they do not think how worthy they are, but how miserable and poor this free benefit is.
(3) So shall we also act and keep. Whether it is worthy or unworthy, I must have it; necessity is necessity. It is not to be asked here who or whom it is that asks, but what and what kind is to be had. Here we must look to necessity, not to worthiness. Therefore this work is against ourselves and against the law. For naturally, through the guilt of original sin, we are fearful because of our unworthiness. To this is added the law, which increases this fearfulness by the accusation of sins and by the terror of God's judgment etc.; therefore one should be bold and trust both against sin and against the law, after the example of these lepers; otherwise we will never learn to trust nor to ask. For what we do not receive as unworthy, we will never receive as worthy.
The other example is the example of grace.
4 For here also we are enticed and comforted as to how easy and willing Christ is,
to help all who trust; and how he is so superfluous and wasteful to those who ask him, that as soon as they have been seen and heard, he gives what they ask. Whom shall not be moved and enticed by the grace thus willingly shown? Therefore, we should not think of Christ as a tyrant to whom one must approach through the merits of the saints, as we did in the past; but each one should approach for himself, and he will find what he asks for. For he himself is the throne of grace, as it is said to the Hebrews (Cap. 4, 16.), to which one should approach with confidence, and not postpone it until one seems to be worthy. For if it is of grace, it is not of merit and works; if of works, it is not of grace; as Paul exalts grace everywhere.
The third example, gratitude.
5 In this we are taught that we should not be misled by the multitude of those who are ungrateful, both against us and against God. For it must go thus: God is despised in His word and good deeds; what wonder if we too are despised and feel ungrateful people? Therefore, since you have to live among men, you must be prepared to prophesy to yourself that your good deeds are lost and will be lost among most people, and that it is a miracle if you find a few grateful people. For Christ here loses the good deeds with nine, and finds only the tithe thankful. Here consider and ponder in the pagan and sacred histories what the greatest men have earned. What did Moses earn with so many signs, work and danger for the people, who plagued him afterwards without end? What did David deserve with Saul and all the people? What did Themistocles, Cicero and others deserve? What in our time many princes? etc.
The fourth is the danger of the law.
6 For these lepers were undoubtedly deceived by the priests, since it is certain that they had faith when they were cleansed, for otherwise they would not have believed.
they would not have been cleansed. Therefore, the law, sacrifices and works, which were falsely preached to them, have perverted their hearts, so that after losing faith in the word of Christ, they now believe that they attained purification through their sacrifices and merits. For here they have easily perverted the word of Christ, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." This reads as if they could not have been cleansed without sacrifices, which were to be offered for the lepers according to the law of Moses. Therefore they are easily persuaded that they were cleansed by the obedience of the law and not by the grace of Christ. Since Christ wanted this, that he gave his good deed without loss of the neighbor, that is, without harm to the priests, as according to the law the sacrifice for the lepers was due to them. This they turn to mean that he gave the sacrifices the power to cleanse the lepers.
7 And so it is today and always with the abuse of the law. If you demand and urge the law, it is thought that the law justifies; but the law is only demanded and urged for a testimony against it (as Christ says), not for justification or purification. Therefore, the teaching of the law is the most dangerous when it is practiced by an inexperienced teacher who is ignorant of grace, because such a teacher necessarily attributes righteousness, power, and honor to the works of the law, as if for their sake God gives and does everything; since, on the contrary, God gives and does everything without law and works, and then also urges the law for a testimony and gratitude, but not for the sake of merit and justification. This article (as the main article) is what Paul is pushing, and it is more extensive than can be presented in one speech.