Sermon for October 12, 2025 (Luke 17:11-19) by Rev. David Domanski
A “biography” is someone’s life story, written by another. The word comes from two Greek words meaning “life” and “writing.” A biography is part history and part novel. Often, we read the biography of a well-known person because of a pivotal moment or series of events that brought him or her notoriety. The author interprets every fact and anecdote of their subject’s life in light of that pivotal moment.
If someone were writing your biography, what themes would your biographer highlight? A common figure of speech used when something bad happens to a person who believes his life is disproportionately marked by bad times is “That’s the story of my life.” Similarly, periods of our lives in which we’re plagued by sin, guilt and shame, or sadness are often referred to as “bad chapters.” Are there chapters from your past that you might ask your biographer to leave out?
The life of Christ intersected with a Samaritan with leprosy in today’s Gospel, and that man’s life story took on a whole new theme. For him, like you, Your Life’s Story Is the Story of Your Life in Christ.
The Samaritan leper’s life story was perhaps quite bad until today’s encounter with Christ. We have few details of this Samaritan’s life, but we can guess they made a sad story. Being a Samaritan didn’t just make one a subject of Jewish prejudice; it meant you grew up with a corrupted religion and a skewed view of God. And then came leprosy; we don’t know how he contracted it, but we know it meant exclusion from family, friends, a living, any pleasure. Now his only friends seem to be people who’d probably hate him—if their lives weren’t all so pathetic.
But then he encounters Jesus. As little we know about this Samaritan, the whole world knows volumes about Jesus—and with good reason: miracles, preaching, a perfect life, a death for the sins of the world, resurrection from the dead. And now this Samaritan leper is also eternally famous—for the miracle Jesus did and for his faith in his Savior.
Even the word “Samaritan” has become famous rather than infamous: “At the start of the journey to Jerusalem, Jesus and his disciples came to a Samaritan village that refused to welcome him. James and John were rebuked by Jesus when they wanted to call down fire to destroy that village (9:51–55).” But now “the disciples are learning that response to the message of the gospel breaks down racial barriers. People from the far corners of the earth will sit down at the banquet of salvation” (Victor H. Prange, Peoples Bible Commentary: Luke, rev. ed. [St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1992, 2004], 191). And of course, we have what is arguably the most famous of Jesus’ parables in Scripture known popularly as “The Good Samaritan”—a title that would have angered some in Jesus’ day, but is now a comfort to all who recall the story of mercy and love.
But getting back to the idea of a biography, would your life story, like the life of the Samarian leper, have a very different plot if Christ hadn’t entered into it? How does your biography read? Would people stay up late to read it without Jesus being an essential part of the story? Or without Jesus at its center, would your life contain anything to be proud of?
On the flip-side, are you fearful that there are chapters in your life that might bring the wrath or scorn of God in the final judgment? Or the scorn of other Christians in the congregation? Even if this is the case, in the light of Jesus’ cross our sins are fully forgiven and the glory of Christ outshines any guilt or shame we may have incurred.
So now how do you see your life when you consider that God is your biographer? He gave you life, and His Word and work create and sustain saving faith. For all who are in the forgiveness of Jesus, your biography as a Christian is subsumed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus (Rom 6:3–5). The life of the Christian, from baptismal font to grave, comes after the prologue of the person and work of the Savior.
For each of us, the Spirit worked faith in Christ’s work in your heart. And now you stand forgiven of all those “bad chapters” of your life—the immeasurable grace of God overpowering them and seasoning them with the life of Jesus.
And while the epilogue of your individual life as a Christian is yet to be written, you’ve seen the “spoiler” in the pages of the Gospels—your resurrection to everlasting life on the Last Day. The apostle Paul summarizes the certainty of your resurrection in Christ this way: “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). This rising again is the blessed hope which we share in Jesus when our stories on this side of heaven end. I pray it is your confidence and your comfort today.
In a special book pastors use, called The Agenda, there is a brief section titled, “Christian obituaries” (Lutheran Service Book Agenda, pp.148–49) which are written to accompany the Rite of Christian Burial. These are not eulogies, written in praise of the deceased Christian’s life. On the contrary, the Christian obituary is a “biography” of one’s life in Christ, written in praise of God’s work in and through the Christian. This is the story of how God brought the person to faith and how every aspect of her life, before and after, is now “in Christ.” As you have been invited to consider your personal biography today, I hope that you will continue to see Jesus as the driver of your life story’s plot, not only so that you may rejoice in His forgiveness and peace, but also so that He may continue to assure you and richly bless you going forward—ever forward to His eternal rest and the glory of God’s heavenly home. Amen.