GIVE THANKS TO GOD

Luke 17:11-19

There is a story that Harry Ironside, the great American Bible teacher, went into a crowded restaurant to have a meal. Just as he was about to begin his meal, a man approached and asked if he could join him. Ironside invited him to have a seat. Then, as was his custom, Ironside bowed his head in prayer. When he opened his eyes, the other man asked, “Do you have a headache?” Ironside replied, “No, I don’t.” The man continued, “Is something wrong with your food?” Ironside replied, “No, I was simply thanking God as I always do before I eat.” The man said, “Oh, you're one of those, are you? Well, I want you to know that I never give thanks. I earn my money by the sweat of my brow and I don’t have to give thanks to anybody when I eat. I just start right in!” Ironside said, “Yes, you're just like my dog. That’s what he does too!”

There are many people in our society today who are just like Ironside’s dog. Such people believe they have earned every good that comes their way and, therefore, do not need to thank anyone or any God for it. They forget that the blessings that come into our lives are God’s blessings before they become our achievements. What did anyone do to merit being born alive while some people were born dead or were even aborted? What did you do to deserve loving parents while many people never had any? What did you do to have eyes to see, ears to hear, tongue to speak, feet to walk, that some people among us do not have? How much did you pay God to make you such an intelligent and beautiful person? Think of the many blessings in your life. We take our blessings for granted. Emerson once said that if the stars came out only once a year, everybody would stay up all night to behold them. We have seen the stars so often that we don’t bother to look at them anymore. How easily we grow accustomed to our blessings and forget to give thanks for them.

In today’s gospel Jesus heals ten lepers. Leprosy, at that time, was possibly the worst affliction a family could endure. Lepers were ostracized from the entire community and had to stay away from any contact with healthy individuals because the disease was very contagious. It would seem then that being cured of leprosy would be the greatest gift a person could receive. One would think that every leper who had been cured would seek out Jesus and thank Him profusely. But only one returns to give him thanks. Why didn't the nine lepers return? Here are some suggested reasons why the nine did not return:

One said, “I think we need to wait and see if the cure is for real, if it would last.”

One said, “Besides, there’s plenty of time to see Jesus later, if we need to.”

One said, “You know what: Maybe we never even had leprosy in the first place.”

One said, “There was no doubt in my mind that we would get well someday.”

One said, “I told you guys that if you think positively that you will be well, you will?”

One said, “Jesus didn't really do anything special; any rabbi could have done it.”

One said, “Now that we are okay, we do still need him?”

One said, “What we need now is the temple priest, the one who can declare us clean.”

One said, “Jesus said to go to the priest. He would be mad with us if we return to him now.”

Fortunately there is the tenth leper who says nothing but simply turns back to thank Jesus. He is a Samaritan, a foreigner. He cannot go to the priest because the priest would not minister to him. He does not belong to the “right” religion. He is regarded as a lawless sinner because he does not observe the Jewish Law. The nine Jewish lepers go to the priest because they want to fulfill the law. The lawless one follows his natural instincts and returns to Jesus to give thanks. Sometimes common sense is more accurate than the letters of the law in deciphering the will of God in particular situations. People who disregard common sense and reason and seek only to fulfill what the law says often end up getting it wrong, like the nine lepers.

Many Christians today do not attend Sunday worship. More than anything, this is a sign that we have become an ungrateful people. This is so because the main reason why Christians come together on Sunday is to give thanks to God. The word “Eucharist” comes from the Greek word meaning “thanksgiving.” If we count our blessing, if we realize that all is from above, then we shall be more likely to act like the Samaritan leper. When he realized he was healed, he returned with joy and gave God thanks and praise.