Podcast Summary: Healing School #17 | The Ten Lepers, Part One

Host: Nancy Dufresne
Podcast: Dufresne Ministries Podcast (Jesus the Healer Broadcast)
Date: July 1, 2021

Overview

In this Healing School episode, Pastor Nancy Dufresne leads a detailed, verse-by-verse teaching on Luke 17:11-19—the story of Jesus healing the ten lepers. The focus is on understanding Jesus’ approach to the marginalized, the significance of faith-filled action, and the power of gratitude and worship in receiving and maintaining healing. The episode encourages listeners to believe for and receive God’s mercy, emphasizing that obedience, expectancy, and thankfulness are key to wholeness in every area of life.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Jesus Goes Where Others Won’t (00:08–07:50)

• Scripture Focus: Luke 17:11
• Jesus intentionally passes through Samaria, a region despised by devout Jews, showing His willingness to reach out to all, regardless of background.
• “Religious traditions did not dictate where Jesus went. ...He went right through the middle of where really tradition said, don’t have anything to do with this group of people.” (03:44, Nancy Dufresne)
• Personal Parallel: Nancy shares her husband Ed’s salvation experience to illustrate that Jesus comes to people in their ‘Samaria’, no matter how off-course or hopeless their circumstances.
  • Ed, struggling with alcoholism and direction, hears God’s call sitting on a bar stool: “You’re going to go all over the world and preach the gospel.” (06:46)
  • This marks a turning point, leading to his salvation and nearly five decades of ministry.

2. The Plight of the Lepers (07:51–15:08)

• Scripture Focus: Luke 17:12-13
• Lepers were declared outcasts by priests and forced to leave families and society, enduring physical and emotional isolation.
• Cultural mindset equated leprosy with God’s judgment, yet Nancy clarifies: “God doesn’t judge anyone with sickness and disease.” (13:09)
• Lepers had to constantly declare, "Unclean!", reinforcing their isolation and bondage.
• Important faith principle: “Faith works by declaring what God says, but bondage works by declaring what the devil says.” (14:29)
• Even in isolation, the lepers seek Jesus, reflecting readiness to break norms to reach for hope.

3. Faith Takes Action (15:09–21:49)

• Scripture Focus: Luke 17:13-14
• The lepers call out: "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us."
  • They don't say "heal us," but appeal to His mercy—a theme Nancy develops as central to receiving from God.
• “Healing is a flow of God’s mercy. ...Anything their life needed, mercy would fulfill.” (17:00)
• God's mercies are new every morning; every need can be met in God's mercy.
• Nancy underscores that faith is active: the lepers approached Jesus and heeded His instruction.
• “When you need something from God, get to where God is moving.” (14:11)
• Jesus’ response is simply an instruction: "Go, show yourselves unto the priests." There was no immediate visual indication of healing.
  • Key Principle: “He gave them words to obey... As they went, they were cleansed.” (21:19)
• Faith means moving before seeing any change, trusting in the power of the Word.

4. Obedience and Manifestation (21:50–23:59)

• The lepers’ healing comes as they went. Faith-led obedience releases God’s power.
• “Faith always moves ahead. Faith never stops and waits for something to change.” (22:12)
• Listeners are encouraged not to remain passive, but to “keep moving,” expressing consistent faith through action, even before manifestations appear.

5. Gratitude, Worship, and Wholeness (24:00–26:55)

• Scripture Focus: Luke 17:15-19
• Only one healed leper, a Samaritan, returns to thank Jesus:
  • “With a loud voice [he] glorified God, and fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” (24:22)
• Jesus asks, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?” (24:45)
• Nancy reflects: “Gratitude keeps the enemy from stealing from you what God’s blessed you with...” (25:20)
• Jesus tells the grateful leper: “Arise, go thy way. Thy faith has made thee whole.” (25:57)
  • Nancy notes: “He didn’t confess scripture. He didn’t make a prayer to God. All he did was worship. And Jesus called that faith.” (26:06)
  • Distinction: All were cleansed, but only the one who returned in gratitude was made whole—missing body parts restored.
  • “We could say it this way: your worship has made you whole.” (26:20)
• Importance of continued worship and gratitude—“He’s always got more for you.” (26:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On breaking religious and social boundaries:
  “Jesus went anywhere that there were hurting people. ...His life he made available to all humanity, not just certain ones, but every man has the opportunity to receive his life.” (03:44)
• On the power of mercy:
  “The mercy of God contains all the help of God. ...There’s healing mercies available to us every day because His mercies are new every morning.” (18:45)
• On the obedience of faith:
  “He gave them words to obey and as they went, they were cleansed. ...Faith authorizes you to never stop living the life of obedience.” (21:19; 22:17)
• On gratitude and worship:
  “Gratitude keeps the enemy from stealing from you what God’s blessed you with. Without gratitude, the enemy will steal from us the things that we’ve received from God.” (25:20) “Your worship has made you whole. ...Body parts that are missing, you can worship and God will put them back.” (26:12; 26:23)
• Faith in action analogy:
  “When faith goes to market, she takes a basket with her. Why? Because she’s expecting to get her something.” (22:28)

Important Timestamps

• 00:08 – Introduction, theme of “Healing School” and teaching method
• 03:44 – Meaning of Jesus going through Samaria, personal testimony from Nancy about Ed Dufresne
• 13:09 – Jewish attitudes toward leprosy and theological correction
• 14:29 – Power of spoken words: faith vs. bondage
• 17:00 – Discussion on God's mercy and its applications
• 21:19 – Jesus gives the instruction to the lepers; principle of obedience before manifestation
• 22:12 – Faith requires continued action
• 24:22 – The grateful leper returns; power of gratitude and worship
• 26:06 – Jesus equates worship with faith; the man is made whole

Conclusion

Pastor Nancy Dufresne’s message teaches that Jesus’ compassion transcends boundaries and reaches the outcasts. The healing of the ten lepers exemplifies the power and necessity of acting on God’s word, the importance of expecting new mercies, and the vital role of gratitude and worship in not just receiving but maintaining and increasing God’s blessings.
Listeners are encouraged to actively pursue God, obey His word promptly, and habitually return in worship and thanks, expecting “wholeness” in every area of life.