Give Thanks

"Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Jesus asked. (Luke 17:17) This will be the Gospel reading in many Lutheran churches this week as they have the Thanksgiving Eve/Day services. The lepers crying out to Jesus to be healed, then, as they follow Jesus' command, leave to go show themselves to the priests. As they went they were cleansed. The Samaritan returned to Jesus and gave thanks to Him for the healing. The point is made that we need to return to to the Lord and give Him thanks for the many blessings He has given to us.

That is heavy law. Truly it is. It is not telling folks that they should focus on the wonder of the Gospel and give thanks for the healing, the forgiveness, the love of Christ. It is saying, "Get yourself back to church and thank God for the blessings. Do it now! Or you are ungrateful!" Now there is truth in this. We should be giving thanks to God for the blessings He has given to us. But we do that out of joy and not out of obligation. To do it out of obligation is to begin to place our thankfulness under the Law, making it a necessary action in order to show that we truly thank God.

I often wonder about the other 9. Did they not give thanks? Did they go to the priest and not once utter a word of thanks to God for the healing? I know what Jesus is saying. He is showing the importance of giving thanks, and we should give thanks. But the other 9 were only doing what they were told. "Go and show yourselves to the priests," Jesus said to them. And they did. That was what they were doing. When they went and saw that they were cleansed, did their steps pick up? I doubt they drug their feet heading for the priest. They were cleansed! The leprosy was gone. Amazing! I often think that as they went, they were praising God for this healing. They lifted up their voices in songs of praise. They went to the priests and told them, "Jesus healed us!" When they spoke to their families, they told them what Jesus had done. And together they worshiped and praised God.

When you come to Thanksgiving worship this year, don't do it out of obligation, because you are told that you must return otherwise you are like the 9 lepers who did not appreciate what Jesus did for them. Instead, go to worship because you are healed! Because Jesus has healed you of the leprosy of sin. Because you know that without Jesus, there would be no blessings in your life. Because your heart is filled to overflowing for the many blessings of life.

Then don't stop there. Continue to thank God. I know that I thank God daily for the blessings He has given me: Penny, Rachael, Brandon, Matthew and Chelsey, Shirley and my brothers and their families, Penny's sisters and their families, my birth family, their children and grandchildren, my church family at Troy, as well as the families of Harvel, Ferrin and Altamont, my extended family in the LWML, more people than I can count. I give thanks for the blessings of faith and love, hope and peace that are given me despite the sins that I do and the unthankfulness that might reside in my heart. The forgiveness of sins! The wonderful, peace giving, life fulfilling forgiveness that is truly a gift of His grace. So much more. Luther would begin to list out even more things to give thanks for, and that would only touch the surface of that for which I give thanks.

I give thanks with a grateful heart, not because I am told to, but because I want to. I look at my Lord, fall to my knees before Him and thank Him for His love, for all that He has done and continues to do for me in my life. What a great God, an awesome God, a loving God, a wonderful God He is.

Yes, thank You God. I am one of those 9 who follow Your command and praise You as I continue on my daily way. I am that 1 who returns to You and thanks You. I see myself in both because both are folks who are healed, blessed and made clean.

So when I have eaten and had my fill, and I sit back in my chair and look around the table at the family, and the carnage of a meal well eaten, I will give thanks to God.

Yes, God is good. All the time!