“Thank You”
Luke 17:11-19
Scott Huie
Westminster Presbyterian Church
November 11, 2007
Let us begin with a top ten list—actually top twelve. If you burn the Thanksgiving turkey, here are a dozen reasons to be thankful (from Craig Boldman and Pete Matthews’ Every Excuse in the Book):
12) Salmonella won’t be a concern.
11) No one will overeat.
10) Everyone will think it’s Cajun blackened.
9) Uninvited guests will think twice next year.
8) Your cheese-broccoli-lima-bean casserole will gain newly found appreciation.
7) Pets won’t pester you for scraps.
6) The smoke alarm was due for a test.
5) Carving the bird will provide a good cardiovascular workout.
4) After dinner, the guys can take the bird to the yard and play football.
3) The less turkey Uncle George eats, the less likely he will be to walk around with his pants unbuttoned.
2) You’ll get to the desserts quicker.
1) You won’t have to face three weeks of turkey sandwiches.
Indeed reasons to be thankful in all circumstances! Exploring the story of the ten lepers and tackling the theme of gratitude are indeed appropriate for this season of the year. Last Sunday was Consecration Sunday, a time when in gratitude to God, we dedicated our financial pledges for the coming year. In response to God’s countless blessings in our lives, we committed to be a blessing ourselves through this church. In 11 days, Thanksgiving will be here, when we gather with the family around the turkey, burnt or not, and all the fixings, and we officially thank God for God’s provision for our lives. ‘Tis the season to give thanks, which makes our scripture reading this morning all the more appropriate.
The story of the ten lepers is really a narrative in two parts. The first part is a healing story, as so much of the gospels are. It has all the elements of a good healing: a case of obvious need, a cry to Jesus for help; an assessment of the situation by Jesus, who responds with compassion; and finally a healing occurs in an act of obedient faith.
Leprosy was a dreaded, widespread disease of the skin, an absolute scourge. I suppose the closest modern equivalent would be AIDS. Lepers were ostracized and condemned, for the common perception was that it wasn’t just a disease of the skin, but a disease of the soul as well. If you had leprosy, it was thought, you or your parents must have surely committed some treacherous violation of the Mosaic law. So lepers were set apart and without much hope. They lived together in colonies and hung out along well-traveled roads, where they could beg for alms at a distance.
And these desperate lepers discover that Jesus is passing by, and they have heard about this miracle man. So they call out in their agony, “Master, have mercy on us.” And Jesus hears their cry and has pity, and he heals them. And, as is the custom, he sends them to a priest to be declared clean so that they can enter mainstream society again. It is another wonderful story of the amazing healing power of Jesus the Christ.
The second part, however, beginning in verse 15, is the story not just of healing, but of the salvation of a foreigner. And not just any foreigner, but a Samaritan, low-life loser, second class citizen, member of the wrong race, region, and religion. It is the foreigner who praises God and gives thanks to Jesus. It is the foreigner to whom Jesus says, “Your faith has made you well.” Such wellness here is more than just a cleansing from leprosy that had been given to all, including those who did not give thanks and who did not praise God.
The blessing here is, very simply, salvation. All the lepers got what they wanted, but this one saw something—the operative verb here is to see. He saw something the other nine missed, and he received more than he had dreamed of asking for. So he whoops it up in joy. The central event of the story is not the healing, but it is the response of the one leper “when he saw that he was healed.”
As we consider this story and explore its meaning for us today, two questions pop out for me. First, as you look at your life, what do you see? In the daily grind and hustle and bustle that makes up each day, do you view life as a random coming together of circumstances, or is there more to it that just that? Do you see the hand of God at work? Do you consider yourself a self-made man or woman, or do you see that fundamental need in your life for something beyond yourself? Do you see a need for Jesus and do you cry out to him and do you see healing taking place? As you look at your life, what do see? That is the first question.
The second and more important question is: what do you do when you see? When the Samaritan leper saw healing, he did not just celebrate his good fortune. He returned to praise God and to fall on his knees before Jesus.
And notice the other nine people. What are we make of them? They were not bad people. Actually, in heading off to the priests to show that they were healed and be declared clean, they were doing exactly what Jesus told them to do. They were like good church members, if you will. But the problem was, they were doing all that without seeing. Those nine looked bad here simply because of the behavior of the tenth, who as an outsider could see that before he went to the priests, he needed to praise God and say, “Thank you,” to Jesus, the one who made it possible.
Friends, I believe, very simply, that gratitude is the purest measure of one’s spiritual condition. Gratitude is clearest expression of our Christian faith. It is also a simple measure of character. It is giving credit where credit is due. It is about seeing with the eyes of faith and then acting. It reveals a humility of spirit and a sensitivity to the grace of God in our lives. While not the exactly same thing, gratitude is very similar to faith, is it not? Gratitude, like faith, is our response to the grace of God as we have experienced it. When we become aware of God’s grace, all of life is infused with a sense of gratitude. We see that in the response of the tenth leper.
You know the person, don’t you? Maybe there are no Samaritan lepers walking around the streets of Snellville. But you know the one whose life is marked by a keen sense of gratitude—the one who walks around with a positive can-do spirit, who almost always sees the glass as half full instead of half empty. He or she is the one who glows with the light of God in their life and speaks uplifting words about nearly everyone.
And you know the person who is just the opposite, the cynical one, the one who cuts others down and harps on the negatives. His or her ingratitude reveals a self-centeredness, the attitude that “I deserve more than I ever get, so I don’t need to be grateful.” Which one are you? Or perhaps as a better question, what combination of these two people are you?
A stewardship of life includes a large dose of saying, “Thank you.” An attitude of gratitude, if you will, begins as a child reaches out a hand to take a cookie. When a mom or dad insists that their child learns to say, “Thank you,” it builds up the body of Christ. I notice it when a young person says, “Thank you.” It stands out and makes me think, “Your mama raised you right.” An attitude of gratitude usually continues throughout one’s life, and I can think of no greater legacy than to be known as a person of deep gratitude.
Are you a thankful person? What are you thankful for? I am thankful for a good night’s sleep and opportunities to tickle my children and witness absolutely uncontrollable laughter. I am thankful for a good dose of Tylenol when my heading is spinning and a late-night bowl of Moose Tracks ice cream. I am thankful for the freedoms that we enjoy in this country and for the privilege to be a minister in this church. I am thankful for my wife and my children. What blessings they are!
Surely we all have our lists. Giving thanks is good. It’s good not just because Jesus and the Bible tell me so. It’s good medicine as well. Study after study show that people who count their blessings usually sleep better, exercise more, care more about others, and live longer. People who consciously count their blessings one by one each day show significant improvements in mental health and even physical health. You may be a leper on your last leg, but if you count your blessings, you will benefit. Giving thanks is good medicine.
Now you may be thinking, “Scott, that may work when times are good, but life really stinks right now, and I don’t feel like giving thanks.” Being thankful, my friends, is not just about having thankful feelings. More importantly, it is about giving thanks in all circumstances. In everyone’s life, there are times when life is rough and the world feels like it’s caving in. When it does, here’s a little secret I once heard that I want to now share with you. Look down at your hands. Stretch out your fingers and start to count your blessings. I like to say to myself, “I have 10 fingers…1-2-3-4-5. I can move all of them. My skin is clear. I can see. I can hear. I can talk. I can walk. I have a family. I have a home. I have friends. I have a job. Not everyone has theses. I am blessed. I am whole, and I can cope with setbacks.” Try it sometime, especially in your darkest hour. Count your blessings by beginning with your fingers.
In fact, let’s do it right now, and hopefully we can get beyond our fingers. Think of your blessings, especially those people that God has used to bring healing in your life. Take out a pen or pencil, and take your bulletin and find that blank box, and in that space write out some names of folks who, over the course of your life, have helped to show you the way, who brought healing in your life. And then think of other things for which you are grateful. As you write in complete silence—let’s enjoy the holy huss—spend these next few moments thinking about how they have helped shaped who you are today and shown you God’s love. (two minutes of silent writing )
Look over your list now. I hope it brings a smile to your face. Now focus on one person, say, someone other than either of your parents or your spouse. Let’s all covenant to call this person or drop them a line letting them know what they have meant to us. OK? Do it.
My friends, as we go forth from this place, dare you not forget the lesson of the 10th leper. Find your inspiration in the Samaritan who returned to Jesus to give thanks and to praise God. I am so thankful for the greatest instrument of healing God has ever used in this world. It was needed to be used only once. That single act was the Cross. Our greatest infirmities, our most serious wounds, our most malicious malignancies were all wiped out by this radical act of spiritual surgery. Through the sacrifice of Jesus, the destructive power of death and sin was crushed, leaving in its place our choice for wholeness and health.
Thank you, God. Thank you, God. Thank you.
PRAYERS OF THE PEOPLE—11/11/07
God, whose love endures forever, whose faithfulness is to all generations, we turn to you as your grateful people. We give thanks for the gift of this past year, for all that has given us life, for all that has brought us joy, for all sources of comfort, healing and peace.
We remember those who have shown us your love, whose faces reflect your image, whose actions have given us a glimpse of your work among us. We lift up those who have shown forgiveness, whose words have encouraged, whose strength has made us stronger, whose service has inspired us to serve others.
We celebrate the events in our lives and in our world in which justice has conquered oppression, goodness has defeated evil, love has won over hate. Giving thanks for all of the ways your divine hand moves among us, ruling over rulers, bringing peace and restoring creation, we bow before you.
Gracious God, we know that your gifts are not yet complete, that many of us still feel your steadfast love is distant. Grant us the wisdom to know that our best appreciation for your gifts comes in sharing them with others, that your love is to be shared and your justice is to be lived. As we grow in our thanksgiving, may we come to live the prayer our Lord taught, saying, “Our father…”