The story of the 10 lepers in Luke 17 was my assigned topic for storytelling at church Sunday. We all know the story. Ten lepers meet Jesus along the road and cry out to him. Jesus sends them to see the priests, and "as they went, they were cleansed." Only one returned to praise and give thanks. Luke makes it clear that the one was a Samaritan. There are many lessons to be learned from this story, but, appropriate to the season, our topic was gratitude.
Whenever it is my week to tell the story, I begin praying pretty soon after I receive the information. I just ask God to help me get the point across that the curriculum requires, but more importantly, to help the children walk away with what He wants them to glean from the text. It was made clear to me that this is not a lesson in proper etiquette. I was discussing it with Mr. Lincoln, and he said, "well, saying thank you is good manners." I agreed, but there is a huge difference in having good manners and truly having a grateful heart. I am acquainted with a woman who seems to feel that the extent of her requirement for good manners is to write thank you notes for any and every little thing. The problem is, she behaves poorly, and leaves those who spend time with her feeling as if they could never do anything to please her. I do not think I have ever heard her sincerely say that she was grateful for anything. That is so sad to me.
Jesus did not need that leper's gratitude. The leper needed his gratitude. I think that is the crux of the story. Yes, the other nine remained healed as far as we know, but I do not think their lives were lived as abundantly as possible because they lacked gratitude. How in the world can a person be suffering from a horrible debilitating, disfiguring, ostrasizing disease, be healed at a spoken word, and not fall at the feet of the healer? How indeed? But, I do the same thing all the time. Sometimes, I dwell on the things I think I do not have instead of on the overflowing abundance of the undeserved gifts I have been given. I want to think I am the grateful leper, and I am at times, but oftentimes I am the other nine who must have had some sense of entitlement, a feeling that they deserved to be healed. Jesus said to the grateful leper, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well." The other nine were just as healed as the tenth one. So, what did Jesus mean that his faith had made him well? I think the other nine were healed of their physical disease, but the darkness and dissatisfaction of ingratitude continued to dwell within them. They may have been healed of leprosy, but they were not well.
I believe this story was included in our canon because we all need to be aware of that for which we should be grateful...for our sakes. God does not need our gratitude, but He encourages us to be grateful so our own sakes. Gratitude brings us joy. That got me to thinking about the people I know who claim to not believe in God. There is a lot about that which is sad, but one of the saddest things is, who do they thank? If one does not believe in a loving, transcendent God, who does one thank for this exquisite autumn that we have had here in Middle Tennessee? Who does one thank for the clear blue skies, the golden leaves, or the cool breeze? Who does one thank for the peaceful sounds of rain falling on the roof? Who does one thank standing on the beach and watching the majesty of wave after wave rolling to shore? Who does one thank for the sounds of palm fronds clacking together in a tropical breeze? Who does one thank for the talents of musicians and writers and artists who enrich our lives? Who does one thank for family? Who does one thank for the promise of a new earth and a new heaven when all will be set right?
So, for today, I wish you hearts filled with gratitude, a joyful Thanksgiving celebration, and
blessings
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