Whilst I didn’t preach on this passage on Sunday 12 October 2025, here’s a few thoughts from Luke 17:11-19.

1. Jesus on the Road

Luke says that Jesus was travelling to Jerusalem, passing between Samaria and Galilee. This is not just geography, it has much deeper significance. Samaria and Galilee were two lands separated by culture, religion … and hatred. To walk between them means Jesus was walking on the line between those who were accepted and those who were rejected. That’s where Jesus loves to walk, the place where pain and hope meet. Because that’s where His mercy shines the most.

2. The Number Ten

In the Bible, the number ten stands for completeness or fullness. We have the Ten Commandments, the ten plagues of Egypt, and the ten virgins in a parable. So these ten lepers represent all humanity, the whole of us, broken, wounded, and standing “at a distance” from God because of sin. They are an image of the human race: alive, but separated; longing for healing, yet unable to draw close.

3. The Cry for Mercy

They shouted with one voice: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Notice something: they didn’t ask, “Heal us.” They asked for mercy. That is real faith, not trying to tell God what to do, but trusting that however He acts, it will come from love. And Jesus didn’t touch them. He didn’t say, “You are healed.” Instead, He gave a command:

4. “Go, Show Yourselves to the Priests”

In Jewish law (see Leviticus 14), only the priests could declare a leper clean. So Jesus was asking them to go and act as if the healing had already happened. That is what faith really is: believing before seeing. They started walking toward the priests while still sick. And as they went, they were healed. The miracle happened on the road, not while they stood waiting. Grace met their obedience halfway.

5. One Turned Back

All ten were healed, but only one came back. Only one saw that healing was not the end of the story, but the beginning of gratitude. The others were happy with the gift. Only one wanted the Giver. The nine got clean bodies. The one who returned got a new soul.

6. Why a Samaritan?

Interestingly, the one who returned was a Samaritan, a man seen by Jews as an outsider, a heretic, an enemy. Yet it was this “outsider” who understood gratitude. Sometimes, the people we think are far from God are the ones who truly recognize His mercy. Grace doesn’t follow human lines, it flows wherever there is faith and humility.

7. Thanksgiving Is Worship

The Gospel says: “He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.” The Greek word for “giving thanks” here is eucharistōn, the same word from which we get Eucharist. So this man was the first to offer a kind of Eucharist to Jesus! While the others ran to show themselves to human priests, he ran back to the true Priest of Heaven. And Jesus said to him, “Your faith has made you whole.” In Greek, the word used (sesōken se) means not only healed you but saved you. He received more than clean skin, he received salvation.

8. The Hidden Meaning

All ten were healed. Nine were healed on the outside. One was healed on the inside. The nine were content with religion; one discovered a relationship. The nine obeyed the law; one met grace. The nine walked away clean; one knelt down saved.

9. What It Means for Us

This story is not just about lepers long ago, it’s about us today. Many people receive blessings, but only a few remember to give thanks. Many go to church, but not all live with grateful hearts. Many are healed, but few are changed. The Samaritan shows us that true salvation begins with thanksgiving. Saying “Thank You, Lord” is not only good manners, it is real worship.

10. Conclusion 

We are all part of the ten. But Jesus is waiting for each of us to become that one. Ten were sent to the priests, but one found the real Priest. Ten were cleansed by obedience, but one was saved by gratitude. And in that one Samaritan, we see ourselves: people once broken, now healed, and kneeling at the feet of God.

So the question is: When God blesses you, will you be among the nine who move on, or the one who comes back? Because the world is full of those who are healed, but heaven is full of those who are grateful.

Revd Paul A. Carr. The reproduction, or distribution of this message, or any portion of it, should include the author’s name.

NB. The above picture is Ten Lepers (2013) by Bill Hoover.