“Abide in me as I abide in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me. I am the Vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing”

— John 15:4-5

This is a weekly reflection on the previous week’s sermon text. Each week there will be a devotional related to the scripture for the week, along with questions for reflection/discussion, as well as prayer. Feel free to make this a part of your individual spiritual growth throughout the week or utilize in small group settings (growth groups, Sunday school, etc.)

luke 17:9-11

“On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with a skin disease approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” When he saw them, he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were made clean.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”

To understand the power of this story, we need to grasp how devastating leprosy—or any serious skin disease—was in the ancient world. In Scripture, the term leprosy does not refer only to what we now call Hansen’s disease. Leprosy resulted in loss of pain sensation which led to repeated injuries, infections, untreated wounds, and even the loss of limbs. In the ancient world it was a slow, merciless deterioration—a living death that robbed a person of their body, their community, and their hope. Leviticus required people with these conditions to live outside the camp, tear their clothing, cover their faces, and cry out, “Unclean! Unclean!” Lepers were marginalized and cut off from life with others.

Yet, these ten lepers, ostracized by society, found community amongst themselves. They were Jews and Samaritans, historically divided ethnically, religiously, and culturally. To the Jews, Samaritans were hated heretics, half-breeds, who were to be avoided at all costs. Jews would travel an extra 30 miles to bypass Samaria on the journey between Jerusalem and Galilee. Jesus, of course, took no such detour.

Surprisingly, these Jewish and Samaritan lepers found community in their common suffering. New Testament scholar Kenneth Bailey reflects, “Suffering creates a fellowship that prejudice cannot prevent.” Their suffering and pain erased the boundaries that history and culture had drawn.

These ten stood at a distance and lifted a unified plea: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” They do not ask for healing. They asked for mercy: a crust of bread, a kind word, anything would have felt like grace to them. Instead, Jesus gave them a command: “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”

At that moment, nothing had changed. Their skin was still marked. Their bodies still ached. Their future still seemed bleak. Yet, they obey. And as they walked, something began to happen. Their skin cleared, their strength returned, and their nightmare lifted. All ten are healed.

But the story wasn’t over. One of them—a Samaritan—stopped. He looked at his restored skin, and something awakened in him. He ran—not to the priest, but back to Jesus. He fell at His feet and poured out thanksgiving “with a loud voice.” The same voice that once cried, “Have mercy!” now cried, “Thank You!”

This is where the story teaches us a beautiful truth: Gratitude brings us back to the Giver. Writer G.K. Chesterton once said: “When it comes to life the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” Nine received the gift and kept going. One received the gift and returned to the Giver.

And, as in the story of the Good Samaritan, it is the outsider, the foreigner, the double outcast who becomes the model of faith. United Methodist theologian Justo González notes: “Luke continually shows that the grace of God flows most freely to those considered least deserving. The Samaritan’s thankfulness is another sign of the great reversal of the kingdom.”

It’s true. This Samaritan leper knows he deserves nothing. As a non-Jew he knows he has no claim on Jesus’ mercy. So, everything becomes a gift. And Jesus receives him—and he not only heals him but makes him whole.

This story invites us to set aside differences, experience community with others, and practice gratitude. Nothing could be more appropriate this Thanksgiving week.

Prayer:

Gracious Lord, open my eyes to the gifts You pour into my life each day. Give me the heart of the Samaritan—full of wonder, humility, and gratitude. Teach me not only to receive Your blessings but to return to You, the One who heals, restores, and makes me whole. In this Thanksgiving season, awaken in me a deeper love for You, the Giver of every good and perfect gift. Amen.

QUESTION FOR REFLECTION:

1. The ten lepers shared suffering that broke down barriers between Jew and Samaritan. What experiences in your life have opened your eyes to the humanity of people you might normally overlook or avoid?

2. The Samaritan was doubly marginalized—by ethnicity and illness. Who are the “outcasts” in our world today, and what might it look like for you to see them as Jesus does?

3. Only one leper returned to Jesus with gratitude. Why do you think gratitude often gets overshadowed by busyness, excitement, or entitlement?

4. Jesus says, “Your faith has made you whole.” How has gratitude or returning to Jesus brought deeper wholeness in your own life?

5. What are some simple ways you or your loved ones can express gratitude to God this Thanksgiving?

printer version