Maggie's Farm

This event is yet another instance in which Jesus makes it abundantly clear that it is only through a sincere profession of faith in, and appropriate gratitude to Him and His salvific work that anyone can be "made whole." Since nobody in this present life can be accurately described as "whole," the message is clear that "wholeness" awaits only in eternity for His followers. It is of no moment that the nine who failed to return and express gratitude and faith were of the Chosen People, nor that the one who did so was a Samaritan, a people who were scorned by the Jews as being apostates. Jesus, notably, did not condemn the nine ungrateful Jews whom He had also healed, but merely inferred regret for their failure to acknowledge Him, inasmuch as that sealed their eternal fate, regardless of any earthly merit in being a follower of Judaism. His example is of contemporary value.