Now that the dishes have been washed from your thanksgiving meal, ( I hope so.) Let’s explore thankfulness. If you had prepared a wonderful meal, served it, cleared the dishes, and cleaned the dishes, but never heard anyone say "thank you," how would you feel? Would it surprise you that 9 out of 10 people touched by Jesus on one occasion did not tell Him thank you? In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus cleanses ten lepers of their disease. Only one returned from the priests to express praise and thanks to Jesus. Jesus called attention to the fact and announced to the newly restored Samaritan that his faith and made him well. Made well.
The lepers had been cursed by their disease. Unable to find a solution to their skin and body problems they had been banned from the Temple and from their daily life in society. They were now condemned to the fringe, dependent on the provisions of others. The impact of their disease was physical, social, and surly spiritual. They had become social outcasts. The social mandate on them was to announce their presence with the damning words, "Unclean." So Jesus sends them back to the priests. His method of healing was intended to deal not only with the physical but also with the social; he restored their status, their place. He lifted them up. He made them well.
"On the way they were cleansed."
The touch of God in our lives whether it is His providence or His compassionate intervention has its full work done when it results in thanksgiving and praise of God. When I am moved to more fully illustrate the greatness and goodness of God from my heart then God’s provisions of material or mercy is fully restoring or healing my soul. Thankfulness is an attitude of the heart that cooperates with the grace of God. No matter the amount of control I have or don’t have over life, thankfulness remains a choice that cooperates with the grace of God. When I am thankful to God I enter into wellness of soul.
Jesus had pity and he healed these men because it was right. He had no control over their thankfulness or their thanklessness. However it is important for us to note that God does reserve the right to give us over to the consequences of ingratitude. Romans 1:18-32 describes a great slide away from God that begins with the failure to give thanks. Ingratitude represents a condition of heart in which we fail to recognize the provision of God and our own dependence upon Him. Ingratitude toward God is coldness towards Him and the beginning of an illusion of independence from Him. Ingratitude is a slide away from God into idolatry, pornea, and depravity. Ouch. "For though they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God or show gratitude. Instead their thinking becomes nonsense, and their senseless minds were darkened." (Romans 1:21 HCSB) Thanksgiving is sometimes a spontaneous burst from the heart. More often though, it is a discipline the turns my life towards God. I choose to recognize and acknowledge the hand of God experienced in life as providence or intervention or through the grace of Jesus Christ at the Cross.
"Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?"
The outcome of your life is to be glory for God. From the lips of our mouths and from the lips of those who meet us the possibility is great that God can be praised. Jesus said, "In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:16 You have no control over the lips of others, but you do have control of your own. Engage your heart in the practice of thanksgiving so that your mouth will overflow with praise. Do not despair in doing good when others do not give thanks to you or God. Instead always through dependence on the Spirit turn your heart towards God in thanksgiving.
