Jesus told the healed lepers to go show themselves to the priests.
In Luke 17:14, as the ten lepers called to Him, Jesus said, 'Go shew yourselves unto the priests.' While they went, they were cleansed. Les Feldick points to this as an example of Jesus conducting His earthly ministry under the Law, because the priest was the one who officially pronounced a leper clean.
Luke 17:14 — This verse records Jesus' direct command to the ten lepers, giving the precise answer to the question.
Leviticus 14:2 — The Law of Moses required a cleansed leper to be brought to the priest, showing why Jesus gave this instruction.
The account of the ten lepers is recorded in Luke 17. As Jesus entered a village, ten lepers stood afar off and cried out to Him for mercy. Jesus responded, 'Go shew yourselves unto the priests.' The Bible says that as they went, they were cleansed. This instruction was in keeping with the Law of Moses. Leviticus 14:2 says that in the day of a leper's cleansing, the leper 'shall be brought unto the priest.' The priest was the one who examined the person and made the declaration that allowed him to re-enter society. Jesus' command matched exactly what the Law prescribed.
Les Feldick uses the healing of the ten lepers to show that Jesus' earthly ministry was conducted under the Law. He asks, 'Any time that someone approached Jesus, where would he tell them to go? To the temple? To the priest? You remember the, uh, how many were healed, ten of leprosy? Where did Jesus tell the ten to go? Back and report to the priest. Show yourself to the priest.' Les connects this to Jesus' answer to the rich young ruler, who was told to 'keep the commandments.' Les explains that Jesus meant 'the whole law' and that 'this is exactly what Jesus labored under for those whole three years.' So for Les, the instruction to the lepers is evidence that Jesus was not setting aside the temple or priesthood — He was directing people through the normal, law-prescribed channels.
Les Feldick explains that throughout Christ's earthly ministry, Jesus directed people to the temple and the priests. In the case of the ten lepers, He specifically told them to 'show yourself to the priest.' This was because the priest was the one appointed under the Law to examine a cleansed leper. Les emphasizes that Jesus was not telling people to ignore the temple or the commands; rather, He was laboring under the Law.
Yes. Les points to Jesus' conversation with the rich young ruler, where Jesus said to keep the commandments. Les says Jesus meant 'the whole law' — including coming by the prescribed way if you broke a commandment. He concludes, 'Now, that was all law, and this is exactly what Jesus labored under for those whole three years.'
Les notes that the temple was 'going full speed ahead' during Christ's earthly ministry. He says, 'up to a million animals a year were being sacrificed at the time of Christ's earthly ministry.' Therefore, directing a healed leper to the priest was a normal, functioning part of the religious system.
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Luke 17:14: And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
This is Jesus' direct command to the ten lepers, providing the exact answer to the question.
Leviticus 14:2: This shall be the law of the leper in the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought unto the priest:
The Law of Moses required a cleansed leper to present himself to the priest, explaining why Jesus gave this instruction.
Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. This is recorded in Luke 17:14: 'Go shew yourselves unto the priests.' As they went, they were cleansed.
Les Feldick teaches that Jesus was operating under the Law during His earthly ministry. Sending the lepers to the priest was consistent with the Law of Moses, which required a cleansed leper to be brought to the priest. The temple and priesthood were still fully functioning at that time.
Watch the Teaching: Why Israel Rejected Their King — Matthew 23 Explained