Gospel in Art: Jesus was met by ten lepers

Ten Lepers, oil and acrylic on canvas, painted in 2002 by ©James C Christensen

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 12 October 2025
Luke 17:11-19

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, 'Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.' When he saw them he said to them, 'Go and show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went they were cleansed.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, 'Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?' And he said to him, 'Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.'

Reflection on the painting

'One of them turned back and gave Jesus thanks' we hear in today's Gospel. James Christensen captures that moment beautifully in his painting: on the right we see the grateful man, breaking away from the group, turning back to Christ in thanksgiving. The other nine lepers, healed but heedless, drift off in the opposite direction. They received their miracle and simply walked away. Only one, the Samaritan, the "foreigner", returns to give thanks.

Christensen, a California-based artist, renders the scene with both elegance and great detail. We know who the lepers are not by their bodies (those are perfectly healed) but by their torn, threadbare clothing. Their ragged garments still carry the memory of their disease, a reminder of who they were only moments before. The contrast is striking: their skin speaks of new life and future hope; their clothes whisper of a broken past.

Nine men hurry away, swept up in the joy of their recovery, forgetting the hand that healed them. But the tenth stops. He sees is truly grateful. Our reading today is as much about healing as about gratefulness. The reading urges us to pause in our own fast-paced lives. How often do we take blessings for granted-health, friendship, faith, beauty? Do we truly thank God for all we have received? Gratitude lies at the very heart of being a Christian because our entire life of faith begins with receiving: the gift of creation an date gift of our lives. To be a Christian is to live in constant awareness that everything is received, and so the most authentic response is thanksgiving: Eucharistia-which literally means "thanksgiving."

"No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks."

- St Ambrose

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/
Today's Reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-17-11-19-2025/