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Trinity 17 [28th of Year C]

One of the arms of the River Cleddau which flows into the sea at Aberdaugleddau (Milford Haven) has its source near here in the Preseli Hills. The other flows from Llygad Cleddau, a few miles from here. These two rivers join together and flow through the County of Pembrokeshire and form one of the deepest natural harbours in the world. It is therefore fitting that I am travelling from the sources of the rivers to their estuary. Rivers flow from their springs to the sea. They provide us with water, and a means of transport. Historically, both were important, they transported Bluestones towards Stonehenge in Wiltshire, and brought Vikings, Normans and Flemings who have all left their mark on this county.

Sources of water have been important in our religious history. Ffynnon Fair, St Teilo’s Well, and Bernard’s Well would all have provided water for baptism, just as the stream is still used at Rhydwilym. Baptism is how we enter the Church, it is how we become members of the Church. Not through paying fees, but by sharing in Christ’s Baptism, His Death and Resurrection, and looking forward to eternal life with Him in Heaven. Water is poured in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and we are washed clean, and grafted into the Body of Christ. An act so simple, and yet so profound, which lies at the heart of who and what we are as Christians. Baptism is a Sacrament, an outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual grace, by which we become united with Christ in this world and the next.

In our first reading this morning from the Second Book of Kings we meet Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army. He has been afflicted with leprosy, and he hears that there is a prophet in Samaria who can cure him. He writes to the King of Israel, to ask for the prophet to heal him. The King of Israel thinks that it is a trick, an excuse for the Syrians to start a war against Israel. The prophet Elisha reassures the king, and asks for Naaman to be sent to him. Elisha tells Naaman to wash seven times in the River Jordan. Naaman can’t quite believe his ears. He’s angry. This isn’t what healing is all about, it is far too simple, too easy. The point isn’t about having to do something difficult, but rather in letting God do something wonderful.


Eventually Naaman listens, and is obedient, and is healed. He goes back to Elisha to say that, ‘Dyma fi’n gwybod yn awr nad oes Duw mewn un wlad ond yn Israel’ ‘Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel’(v.15) Naaman is grateful, and comes to believe in God. The mention of washing in the Jordan reminds us of Baptism, how we were washed clean from sin, and given new life in Christ Jesus, sharing His Death and Resurrection, a sign of God’s generous love towards us. 


In this morning’s Gospel Jesus is in border country. He is in an uncomfortable place, heading towards Jerusalem, towards His Passion and Death. Ten people suffering from leprosy see Him, and cry, ‘Iesu, feistr, trugarha wrthym’ ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us’. Jesus tells them to go and show themselves to a priest, to prove that they are now clean and are no longer outcasts. Jesus complies with the law of Moses in Leviticus. The law commands them to sacrifice in order to be healed. Christ heals them, so that God might be glorified.


One of them returns to say, ‘Thank you’. The leper thanks God, and falls at Jesus’ feet. He shows gratitude. We wouldn’t want to live in a world where no-one said, ‘Thank you’. Thanksgiving is the heart of prayer, it’s why we celebrate Harvest in Autumn. We thank each other, but most importantly we thank God for what He has done for us. Thanksgiving goes hand in hand with faith, what we believe, and where we put our trust. As I prepare to bid you farewell, I give thanks to Almighty God for you, His people, and all that the last seven years have been. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to know you, to love you, to pray for and with you, and to serve you.


As Christians we thank God for many things, but first and foremost for what He has done in His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us. This is why we celebrate the Eucharist, because Jesus told us to, and so that we might be fed with His Body and Blood. Not because we have earned it, certainly not because we deserve it, but so that we, like the lepers in Gospel, might be healed by Jesus. It is medicine for our sick souls, not a gold star or a prize for the righteous. Christ gives himself for us not because we are worthy, but so that we might BECOME worthy through Him. God loves us. He longs to heal us, and to reconcile us, to Himself, and each other. This is what the Church is for: to extend the saving work of God through both space and time.

Salvation is God’s work not ours, as Naaman and the lepers show us. God in Christ saves us and heals us. He dies for us, and rises again so that we might share His Risen life. This is true generosity. And we can receive God’s healing love here and now. We can prepare to be transformed into His likeness, by His Body and Blood, which cures not only lepers, but our sin-sick souls. So let us be thankful to God, for all that he has done for us. For giving us His Son, to bring about healing, to show mercy, to strengthen our faith. And may we follow Christ, and walk His Way of the Cross, enduring whatever sufferings come our way, with the assurance of God’s love and help.

Remember that Christ will never abandon us. His words are true. His promise is faithful:

‘os dyfalbarhawn, cawn deyrnasu hefyd gydag ef; …os ydym yn anffyddlon, y mae ef yn aros yn ffyddlon, oherwydd ni all ef ei wadu ei hun.’ ‘if we endure, we will also reign with Him …. if we are faithless, He remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself’ (2Tim 2: 12-13) 

As Christians, let us follow where Christ has gone before. Let us be confident in His promises, nourished with His Body and Blood. Let us turn from the shadows and images of this world, into the light of His Truth, who is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. And let us proclaim that truth to the world so that it may come to believe and give glory to Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. I’r hwn y priodoler pob gogoniant, arglwyddiaeth, a gallu, yn awr, ac yn oes oesoedd. To whom be ascribed all glory, dominion and power, now and forever. Amen

Diolch yn fawr!

James Tissot The Healing of Ten Lepers (Guérison de dix lépreux) Brooklyn Museum
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Septuagesima 2025

When we think back over our lives some of the people we remember the most vividly are our teachers. Teachers are important. They form us, they instruct us, they inspire us, and they shape our lives in countless ways. We would not be the people we are without their hard work and inspiration.

At one level Jesus, Christ is the greatest teacher humanity has ever had. This is because His mission was to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to educate humanity about it, so that we might flourish. Christ’s mission is rooted in the simple fact that God loves us. We may make plenty of mistakes, but nonetheless God comes to us, lives as one of us, and shows us how to live life in all its fulness.

The readings this morning outline two possibilities: living in accordance with God’s will, or living by our own desires. It is clear which is preferable, and which way leads to human flourishing. So we have the challenge set before us to live as children of God. It is not necessarily an easy path, and it may involve hardship and suffering. However, nothing worth achieving comes without effort, struggle, and even suffering. 

The prophet Jeremiah offers us a vision of what happens when we put our trust in God:

‘Bendigedig yw’r gŵr sy’n hyderu yn yr Arglwydd, a’r Arglwydd yn hyder iddo. Y mae fel pren a blannwyd ar lan dyfroedd, yn gwthio’i wreiddiau i’r afon, heb ofni gwres pan ddaw, a’i ddail yn ir; ar dymor sych ni prydera, ac ni phaid â ffrwytho’’

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer 17:7-8)

Here we see an image of human flourishing. This is how things should be. Also, references to trees in the Bible tend to look backwards to the Garden of Eden, and forwards to the tree of Calvary. Salvation history starts with humanity taking the wrong path after an interaction with a tree, and reaches a climax with God using a tree to make things right again. When my best friend got someone he’d worked with in Syria over here, he took them out into the British countryside, and they wept, because they had never seen so much green: grass and trees, and water. Coming from the Middle East, they were used to dryness and desert. The prophet Jeremiah is showing how good things can be, and paving the way for the proclamation which lies at the heart of today’s readings.

In Luke’s Gospel we see the continuation of Christ’s ministry of teaching and healing. People come to Jesus because they want to know God. They have travelled from a wide area, and are a diverse group of people, all united by a common desire: to be closer to God. Unlike in Matthew’s account, here Jesus does not go up a mountain to teach, but comes down to where people are. There He proclaims the values of the Kingdom:

‘Gwyn eich byd chwi’r tlodion, oherwydd eiddoch chwi yw teyrnas Dduw’

“Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” (Lk 6:20)

To be poor in the world’s eyes is to lack money, possessions, power, and influence. All these worldly things do not matter in the Kingdom of God. There those who are poor, those who recognise their complete dependance upon God, are truly rich. This is because they have the humility to let God be at work in them, and they rely upon God, rather than their own strength, which enables them to be transformed. Two thousand years ago the poor were looked down upon, and their poverty was blamed on sin or fecklessness. They were at the bottom of the pile. To say that the Kingdom of God belongs to such people is to make a truly radical statement, turning societal norms and expectations on their head. What Our Lord is proposing is literally world-changing. This is the Good News of Jesus Christ. 

However, Our Lord recognises that His radical vision will meet with opposition:

‘Gwyn eich byd pan fydd dynion yn eich casáu a’ch ysgymuno a’ch gwaradwyddo, a dirmygi eich enw fel peth drwg, o achos Mab y Dyn. Byddwch lawen y dydd hwnnw a llamwch o orfoledd, oherwydd, ystyriwch, y mae eich gwobr yn fawr yn y nef.’

“Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven.” (Lk 6:22-23)

To live the Christian life is to be different, to offer the world something new, something challenging, and something disturbing. It will be resisted, and it will lead to difficult times. Our reaction towards any persecution, however, is to be joy. At first sight this seems a little strange and it is definitely a challenge

Jesus then makes a series of four statements beginning with ‘Gwai chwi …Woe to you’. These parallel the earlier positive statements about the Kingdom and turn human values upside down. These speak to those people who trust in themselves, their riches and abilities, saying that all will not go well for them in the future. Those who will not listen to Jesus’ words, because they think they do not need to, will find out that they are wrong. 

In some important ways, Christianity looks dangerous and suspect to the world around us, and so it should. As Christians, we are not conformed to the ways of the world, but rather to the will of God. We do not simply go along with things, because that is what everyone does. Instead, we follow a higher authority. We cannot be bought off with baubles and trinkets, with wealth or power — the things of this world. This is because we acknowledge someone greater, namely God. We try to live as God wants us to live, acknowledging Him before all things. As Christians, there should be something different about us, something that others can see, something that reflects Christ.

Jesus died to reconcile us to God and each other, and He was raised from the dead to give humanity hope in the God who loves us. This hope inspired St Paul to preach the Good News, and it should inspire us as well. We are called to live out our faith in our lives. Our beliefs need to make a difference to who and what we are, so that others might see the truth of the Gospel. What we do here, today, in church helps us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. We hear God’s word, and we are nourished by it. We pray together for the Church and the World, and those in need. In the Eucharist, Christ fill us with His grace to strengthen and transform us, and then sends us out into the world to love our neighbour.

May we, today and every day, live out and proclaim the coming of God’s Kingdom, so that the world may believe and give glory i Duw Dad, Duw y Mab, a Duw yr Ysbryd Glân. I’r hwn y priodoler pob gogoniant, arglwyddiaeth, a gallu, yn awr, ac yn oes oesoedd. Amen.