Scripture and Sermon for Wednesday of the 15th Sunday after Pentecost
September 24, 2025 15th Sunday after Pentecost
Collect of the Day: O Lord, keep Your Church with Your perpetual mercy; and because of our frailty we cannot but fall, keep us ever by Your help from all things hurtful and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ, Your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
The Epistle for this Wednesday of the 15th Sunday after Pentecost is from Galatians, the 5th chapter. (Galatians 5:16-24)
16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is the Word of the Lord.
C: Alleluia. Alleluia. Alleluia.
The Holy Gospel according to St. Luke, the 17th chapter. (St. Luke 17:11-19)
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” This is the Gospel of Our Lord.
Sermon: O Lord, your Word is lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.
In the normal course of events of first century life in the Israel region, you generally do not see Samaritans and Jews together in a group unless they are fighting one another. The animosity between the two groups is centuries old and runs deep. But this band of men are different. Their illness is stronger than any age-old ethnic issues. Once the dreaded leprosy inflicts them, they are no longer Joe, Abe, or Ishmael. They are no longer Jew or Samaritan. They are lepers. Leprosy is all that people see. They band together for mutual support because they must all stay outside of populated areas and have no normal contact with people. Yet, as we heard, there is a distinction to be made between this group of ten lepers.
They clearly have heard about Jesus. They recognize him. They all cry out from the required distance away, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” Jesus responds with the directive to “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” All of them turn toward the Temple in Jerusalem to go see the priest. A priest is necessary in order to be declared “clean” so that they can re-enter normal society.
All of them obey Jesus’ word. They turn toward Jerusalem. Each of them trusts Jesus’ word. As Luke reports this incident no one insists that Jesus do what he did with other sick people. They don’t insist that He get closer to them, breathe on them, anoint them, pray over them, or touch them. They take his word at face value, turn, and go to find a priest. They implicitly trust Jesus and do what he says.
The distinction within the group happens after they have been healed. The lone Samaritan returns to Jesus. He not only trusts Jesus’ word as a healer. He has faith in Him as the Son of God. He has faith that Jesus is God’s own Son who has the power to grant new life. Luke reports that the Samaritan man “turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks.” The Samaritan is worshiping Jesus. Jesus allows it because He is truly God and deserving of worship.
The scriptures reveal that Jesus is prophet, priest, and king. In returning, the Samaritan acknowledges that he has been taught by this healing experience. He just learned that he has encountered the living God in Jesus. Prophets teach. Jesus taught all ten of the lepers that he has power over sickness and certain death. This healing is a vivid teaching illustration that the one who responded to the lepers’ prayer for mercy has power to give new life. He restored all ten men to good health, but only the Samaritan has the faith to return to Jesus and worship Him.
Jesus told the lepers to go to the priests. The Samaritan found the closest one. Jesus is the new temple of the Lord. The old temple will soon fall away. God’s presence is found in Jesus’ body. Jesus is the new temple, and he is the priest who prays for us always. In returning to Jesus, the Samaritan goes to the priest closest to him. He need not go to Jerusalem, for the one who healed them is the priest who declares all people clean from the sickness of their sin from the cross.
We rejoice that we too are moved by the Holy Spirit to have faith in Jesus. Through faith, we receive the promise that Jesus has died on the cross for us. He declares our repentant hearts clean and free of the sickness of sin. We are free from our burdens. We return to him again and again, praising God that His Son heals us.
The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
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