Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was no one found to return and give praise to
God except this foreigner?” Luke 17:17-18
The
Jewish people didn’t like Samaritans.
John, the Gospel writer, said that “Jews do not share things in common
with Samaritans.” (John 4:9) In another place, the disciples ask Jesus for
permission to call down lightning bolts to “consume them.” (John 9:54).
Samaritans were the “dirty people.”
They were foreigners to the people of God.
Besides
that, these were lepers that came to Jesus, crying out for healing. Jesus asked them to show themselves to the
priests, and in the act of going, they were made clean. But the one leper, the Samaritan, the
foreigner, was different. He realizes
that he has been blessed, and that the blessing he receives requires a
response. He sees, he returns, he gives
thanks, and he praises. He was not one
of the Chosen People, but he retraces his steps so he can find Jesus.
And
in one of the few places in the Gospel where Jesus asks a trilogy of questions,
we begin to see that Jesus wants from us something more than mere
obedience. He wants us to bathe our
hearts in gratitude. Thankfulness is not
an automatic attitude of the heart. Not
being thankful is a form of ignorance for all that God has done for us.
Why
was Jesus asking this trilogy of questions?
Because in asking the question he is showing us that innate within us is
a powerful need to express gratitude.
And in giving thanks and praise we make ourselves more complete as human
beings. C.S. Lewis writes, “I think we
delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not only expresses but
completes the enjoyment; it is its appointed consummation.”
And
then Jesus said to the Samaritan foreigner, “Get up and go on your way; your
faith has made you well.” The one who
returned in gratitude was the only one made well. Through his gratitude he was made whole.
A
key learning in this transformative journey is that a thankful heart always
leads to even more abundant blessings.
Jesus said, “For to all those who have, more will be given, and they
will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have
will be taken away.” (Matthew 25:29)
The
Samaritan leper rose and began a new way of life. His life was now a thankful life. It was humbling, but at the same time it was
liberating. Remember that those who
humble themselves will be exalted.
Are
you living a life of gratitude? Do you
give thanks every day for even the smallest of blessings? Today is a good day to begin keeping track of
your daily blessings in your journal.
Let it become your Gratitude Journal.
Like the Samaritan leper, you can begin a new way of life. Through your
gratitude you will be made whole.
Questions to Ponder
- Do you believe that innate within us is a
powerful need to express gratitude?
Why or why not?
- Think of someone
you know who lives every day with an attitude of gratitude. How would you describe their outlook on
life?
- What are five
things for which you can be thankful
today?
Prayer for Today: Gracious and Giving God, in my busy life I
sometimes forget to stop and thank you for all that is good in my life. Today, in the silence of my heart, I give you
thanks for these things……And I thank you above all for your unconditional and
eternal love. Amen.
What follows is not a song, but an amazing video about the importance of gratitude through the beauty of photography. Sit back and enjoy. Thanks June O!
No comments:
Post a Comment