Rev Helen preached this sermon on Wednesday 15 November 2023. Here it is for you again:
We all have things that get on our nerves or that really annoy us. Something that might seem really insignificant to others but to you it is annoying. I know there are lots of different things, but we all have something that really grates us. For me it’s when people don’t say please and/or thank you, it drives me up the wall and it is such a simple thing and yet some many people don’t do it, it just doesn’t come naturally to them. I remember when teaching my niece manners and she’d ask for something and it would result in me standing next to her going pl,pl,pl and her looking at me as if I was losing it. I will admit I did once do this to a grown adult, was a friend of mine, who didn’t say please and had to make the excuse ‘Oh I forgot you’re not my niece’ when I wanted to say you should know better, where are your manners. I will say I blame my parents for this as they have drilled manners into me from a young age.
I say it annoys me but that doesn’t mean that sometimes I do forget, I have felt like chasing someone to say thank you when I haven’t said it or when driving having to flash my lights, wave my hands and flash my hazards just to make sure that the other drive has gotten it. Also, when I’m on a silent retreat, apparently it’s implied but I have broken the silence to say thank you, the pressure has gotten too much.
So, you can imagine what I think when I hear today’s gospel and what I find most displeasing about it. We hear one of Jesus many healing miracles when Jesus heals 10 people who have leprosy. This is a horrible disease and we’ve had the leprosy mission in here so we can see what it is like for people who suffer from it. In Jesus day people who had this disease were outcaste from society. Jesus heals 10 people with leprosy and what do they do? They all run off without a single word of thanks. My antenna starts to twitch just hearing the story, you just think what ungrateful people these are, what must Jesus have thought healing them of this terrible disease and not a word of thanks.
However, one of them remembers their manners and come back, the Samaritan, the one who the people of Israel naturally mistrusted. Comes back and falls at the feet of Jesus and gives him thanks and praise, his faith in Jesus has made him well and Jesus is pleased with him. Now Jesus doesn’t just heal people for them to say thank you, but he doesn’t want them to take him or what he has done for granted.
So, what is the point of this story? What is its purpose? It’s not all about thanks but Jesus showing he is merciful, and he feels for those people who are in need and need help. He brings renewal and faith with his healings. There is something that we can do to return the many gifts Jesus gives us and that is to make sure that we give thanks, we thank God for everything that comes our way. Give that praise and worship in all aspects of our lives and live the way that Jesus instructed us to live and do as he taught. We see this as well in the reading from Titus where there are a list of qualities given like being obedient, ready to do good work, not to speak ill of anyone and many other undesirable qualities of people and the way they behave. By avoiding these we will receive grace, the grace from Jesus by faith and keeping his commandments.
St Margaret's Church Prestwich 