The Sermon Illustration That Won’t Die

There’s this sermon illustration I heard way too many times growing up in the church.

If you were around church in the 90s, you’ve probably heard it way too many times as well. Or, if you have a great aunt who shares everyone else’s posts on Facebook, you’ve probably seen it there too.

It went like this: a pastor dressed up like a homeless man and showed up to church on Sunday morning. No one talked to him. Everyone avoided him. And when it came time for the sermon, he got up from his seat in the back—where he sat alone—and walked to the stage to preach.

Cue the shock. Cue the moral about loving “the least of these.”

If this did, in fact, happen somewhere—which I highly doubt, but that’s neither here nor there—I’d still be amazed for one reason:

Without cinematic makeup, is it really possible for a pastor to disguise himself and no one in his congregation recognizes him?

Second… well, I guess I don’t have a second. But I digress.

What this illustration actually reveals is that the church has—and always has had—an inclusivity problem. And the words and example of Jesus far too often fall on deaf ears.

The Flattened Version of Luke 17

Luke tells this story of Jesus in chapter 17:

On His way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through the border region between Samaria and Galilee. As He entered a village, ten men approached Him, but they kept their distance, for they were lepers. They shouted, “Mighty Lord, our wonderful Master! Won’t you have mercy on us and heal us?”

When Jesus stopped to look at them, He said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.”

They set off, and they were healed while walking along the way.

One of them, a Samaritan, discovered he was completely healed and turned back to find Jesus, shouting praises and glorifying God. He fell at Jesus’s feet and thanked Him over and over.

“So where are the other nine?” Jesus asked. “Weren’t there ten healed? They all refused to return except you—this foreigner from Samaria?”

Then Jesus said, “Arise and go. Your faith has brought you salvation and made you whole.”
Luke 17:11–19 TPT

How We Were Taught This Story

Can I be straight with you for a minute?

Growing up, this story had one point:
be like the leper who thanked Jesus.

Seriously. That was it.

No cultural context.
No discussion of purity laws.
No acknowledgment that these men were legally forbidden from being near anyone, let alone a rabbi.

The nuance was lost entirely.

Instead of focusing on the miracle of Jesus, the moral became: one man said thank you. Do that.

I have a lot to say about how often we shift the attention from Jesus to human behavior, but I’ll save that for another day.

Today, let’s look at the example Jesus sets here.

Spoiler alert: it’s one of inclusivity.

Jesus and the Border Between Samaria and Galilee

Jesus was passing through the border between Samaria and Galilee. We don’t need a history lesson to remember Jews and Samaritans hated each other.

Like, arch-enemy hate.

So odds are good at least one of these ten lepers—if not several—were Samaritans.

Notice what Jesus didn’t do:

He didn’t ask where they were from.
He didn’t ridicule them for not shouting the legally required “unclean!”
He didn’t scold them for crossing boundaries they had no business crossing.

What He did do was heal them.

Without question.
Without hoops.
Without requirements.

Why the Priest Was Part of the Miracle

Now, I know what you’re thinking:
“He did give them a rule. He told them to go see a priest.”

Yes. But not as a test.

He sent them because that’s what the law required for them to be declared clean and reaccepted into community. This wasn’t legalism—it was restoration.

And Jesus still didn’t ask for credentials, IDs, proof of citizenship, baptismal certificates, salvation testimonies, or church membership cards.

He simply set them on the path to healing and belonging.

Imagine how different the world would be if we made a conscious decision to do the same.

The Samaritan Who Came Back

When the Samaritan returned, fully healed, that’s when Jesus mentioned his race.

Not to shame him.
Not to diminish him.
Not to send him back where he came from.

Jesus acknowledged his identity to highlight the truth that followed:
This man’s faith brought him salvation and made him whole.

From a Jew to a Samaritan.

And just as revolutionary was Jesus’s final instruction: arise and go.

No extra steps.
No sinner’s prayer.

No culture-stripping.
No checklist.

Just: arise and go.
Your faith has made you whole.

When We Misplace the Focus

When we make this story about the leper instead of Jesus, we miss the grace, mercy, compassion, and restoration Jesus reveals.

We make it about our humanity instead of His divinity.

And I hear people all the time talk about being Christ followers or Jesus Girls or Daughters of the King.

All. the. time.

But if we truly are those things, then we need to follow Christ, be like Jesus, and act like daughters of the King.

Following Christ means following His example.

And His example here is one of hope, healing, inclusivity, and acceptance.

This Kind of Jesus-Following Takes Courage

This is becoming harder and harder in our world today. We live in a world defined by borders, membership rules, and boxes everyone is expected to fit into.

If we want to be like Jesus, we have to break free from those systems and begin seeing and accepting others like He did—without questions, hoops, or forced assimilation.

This is the Jesus who steps closer while the world steps away.
The Jesus who looks toward healing while others cling to laws and checklists.
The Jesus who calls people whole while the world calls them broken.

So Here’s the Real Question

Are we ready to follow this Jesus?

Are we ready to build bigger tables with seats for the people the world simply sees as Other?

Are you ready to build this table?

Reflection Questions

1. Where in your life have you stood at a “distance” because of wounds, rules, or a sense of unworthiness—and what might it look like for Jesus to step toward you there?

2. Who in your world has been pushed to the margins by cultural or religious boundaries, and what would it mean to move toward them the way Jesus moved toward the lepers?

3. How has the church’s traditional teaching of this story shaped your understanding of gratitude, purity, or worthiness—and what shifts when you center the focus back on Jesus?

4. What “hoops” have you been asked to jump through to belong, and how does Jesus’ response in Luke 17 challenge those expectations?

5. Where might Jesus be inviting you to build a bigger table—one that includes the very people our systems tend to exclude?

Looking for Gentle Companions on Your Healing Journey?

If this reflection stirred something in you, you might find my journals and devotional, When Heaven Meets Earth, to be helpful companions along the way.

Each one was created with spiritually tender, tired, or rebuilding hearts in mind—spaces to breathe, name what’s true, and reconnect with a God who meets you in the in-between places.

Whether you’re craving guided prompts, quiet reflection, honest prayers, or simply a place to lay down what you’re carrying, these resources are designed to walk with you as you heal, grow, and rebuild at your own pace.

You can explore the full collection here.