God is not a Coke machine

First United Methodist Church, Shelbyville, Tenn., October 12, 2025

Luke 17:11–19 (CEB)

On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men with skin diseases approached him. Keeping their distance from him, they raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, show us mercy!”

When Jesus saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” As they left, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw that he had been healed, returned and praised God with a loud voice. He fell on his face at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus replied, “Weren’t ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? No one returned to praise God except this foreigner?” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

My sister, when she was a teenager, worked at the McDonald’s out on Madison Street, which at the time was owned and operated by the late Ed McClarty. I’m sure some of you remember Ed; he was very active in the community, a member of the Rotary Club and things like that. I remember going to his home once for a read-through of an original play someone wanted to produce in Shelbyville.

Ed was a magician — after he sold the franchise, he had a little magic shop right around the…