Jesus and the lepers are at this threshold where everything could change—where the lepers believe things will change. Maybe they know that Jesus is all about the liminal, that he likes being in the ...

Luke tells us about another community on the margins. Before the advent of modern medicine there were leper colonies on the edges of towns, where the rest of society kept them for fear of contagion.

If they were questioning the validity of his ministry, here was proof that God was at work through him. Cleansing 10 lepers was no small fete, so they ought to be satisfied.

2 Kgs 5:14-17; Ps 98; 2 Tm 2:8-13; Luke 17:11-19 The gospel story of Jesus’ encounter with the 10 lepers is certainly about the importance of gratitude, but there are other dimensions to it as well.

The gospel reading for Sunday (28th OT)--Luke’s account of Jesus healing ten lepers, one of whom returns to give thanks (17:11-19)--is a good example.