Thanksgiving C

In November of 2012, while I was still in uniform, our unit had a Thanksgiving meal on that Wednesday. By this time, I was already telling people that I was retiring and going to seminary, although I hadn’t taken any courses yet. So, of course, they asked me to bless the meal. My boss was a really good man, so he asked me a day or two before, so I had time to think about what I would pray. In my preparation, I ran across a quote that really hit me hard (I think I’ve mentioned this one before): “It is not happy people who are thankful; it is thankful people who are happy.” While no one knows who originated this thought, I find its wisdom to be really profound. I’m surprised it’s not taken from Proverbs or somewhere else in the Bible. If you know someone who is miserable, can you think of a time when that person has been thankful, or expressed gratitude? If not, do you think there’s a correlation between their misery and their lake of gratitude? Or if you *can* think of a time when they were thankful, what was their attitude in that moment? Did the misery lift for a time? I think there’s absolutely a relation here.

I found this explanation of gratitude:

In the Judeo-Christian tradition, gratitude is not a tool used to manipulate the will of God. It is never coerced or fabricated in one’s mind; rather, gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God.

In the OT, gratitude to God was the only condition in which life could be enjoyed. For Jews, every aspect of creation provided evidence of God’s lordship over all life. The Hebrew people thanked him for the magnificence of the universe. When they received good news they thanked God for his goodness and great deeds. When they received bad news, they also gave thanks, trusting that he was a just God.

The people of Israel thanked God for his faithfulness to covenant promises:

1) for deliverance from enemies and from death;

2) for forgiveness of sin;

3) for answers to prayer;

4) for compassion toward the afflicted and oppressed;

5) for executing justice;

6) and for continuing guidance.

Gratitude was such a vital part of Israel’s religion that it pervaded most ceremonies and customs. Thank offerings acknowledged blessings from God. Shouts of joy, songs of praise, and music and dance all added to the spirit of thanksgiving in worship. Feasts and festivals were celebrated in remembrance of God’s steadfast love throughout their history.

In the NT, the object of thanksgiving is the love of God expressed in the redemptive-work of Christ. The apostle Paul thanked God for that gift of grace and the ability to preach the gospel. Paul thankfully participated in the spiritual gifts. Gratitude for love and faith among believers pervades his letters.

Because the expression of gratitude is tied so closely to the response of faith, Paul encouraged believers to give thanks in all things. He commanded Christians to pray with thanksgiving in the name of Christ, who has made all thanksgiving possible. In his teaching on how to celebrate the Lord’s Supper, Paul specified that Christians should give thanks, just as the Lord “had given thanks”.[1]

[1]Walter A. Elwell and Barry J. Beitzel, “Gratitude,” Baker Encyclopedia of the Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, 1988), 900–901.

There are so many good thoughts in that article… which is why I had a hard time paring it down for tonight. “Because the expression of gratitude is tied so closely to the response of faith...” I very much appreciate Pastor Dave’s quoted about this: “the first thing faith says is ‘thank you’.” For such a short sentence, it’s pretty rich in theology. The proper first response to God is definitely gratitude. But before we can thank God, faith has a role to play. Would we thank a God we did not trust or believe in? Doubtful. So a product of true faith is definitely gratitude.

Back to the article: “Because the expression of gratitude is tied so closely to the response of faith...” This is not a one-way relationship, either. A heart of faith is thankful, but I would also say that a thankful heart is more open to the Holy Spirit - to the gift of faith. We’ve said many times that faith is not something that we muster within ourselves; it is the gift of God. But what about thankfulness…gratitude? Can we muster that ourselves?

My answer here is: yes. Or, at the very least, we can be taught to be thankful. How many of you were forced to write thank-you notes when you were children because your parents wanted to drill that into you? That’s where it starts - we teach our children to express thanks when they receive a gift. It’s completely appropriate, and honestly it’s expected.

When we look around our country and see all the people who are so angry… do you suppose they’re thankful for anything? I can’t help but wonder if these people were taught this virtue when they were young. I have my suspicions, but I can’t prove it. It would make for an interesting study.

As Christians, we have much that instructs us to be thankful. If you look back at our Old Testament lesson, most of that passage is God reminding His people of all that He has done for them. God reminds them what He has commanded them, but also what He has done for them, and why He did it that way. He humbled them, He tested them…but He also provided for them, protected them, and even redeemed them when they turned their backs on Him. He wants them to remember all of this. Why? Deuteronomy 8:10 “And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the Lord your God for the good land he has given you.” This is just another way of saying, “give thanks to God.” That’s why.

If you remember what someone has done for you, you will likely express your gratitude toward them. If you thank someone for what they’ve done for you, it’s much more likely that you’ll remember it…and them. God is no different. In all the places in the Old Testament where the people made God angry - worshipping pagan gods and false idols, it was because they stopped thinking about what God had done for them. Either they forgot, or they just simply weren’t thankful for it. God knew this would happen, which is why He commanded them to observe the Passover and remember how He saved them. Our Thanksgiving service is over 400 years old. Passover celebration - also a celebration of thanksgiving - is about 10 times that old. And the Jewish people *still* celebrate it.

Of course, it’s that very same meal and celebration that Jesus redefined for us Christians. Yes, it was a Passover meal that he was celebrating with his closest friends. But it became a new meal, celebrating not what God did for His people early in their history, saving them from Egypt. No, this meal reminds all of us that God has saved US - not merely our ancestors - and He is continuing to save us. More importantly, in this meal God doesn’t pass over us - He comes directly to us, to bolster our faith in Him.

When we celebrate that meal, our worship service has two parts: the service of Word and the service of Sacrament. The first part finishes after the sermon. The second part - the service of Sacrament - begins with the Creed, and then the next part is called… “the Great Thanksgiving”. And when I quote Jesus, I say: “in the night in which he was betrayed, our Lord Jesus took bread and … GAVE THANKS …” Even the very Son of God gives thanks to the Heavenly Father.

“In the OT, gratitude to God was the only condition in which life could be enjoyed.” Does that statement grab you? You can’t enjoy life without gratitude. Sounds like that other quote, huh? And if we can cultivate that “attitude of gratitude” and make it a part of our outlook on life, I think we’ll find our walk with God to be noticeably closer.

So how do we do that? That’s the last point from that article I want to leave you with: “gratitude is a joyful commitment of one’s personality to God.” Doesn’t sound very Lutheran, does it? Let’s try not to think about that “works righteousness” argument for a moment. Are, as sinful humans, capable of making commitments at all? Of course we are. Are we capable of making a commitment to God? Of course we are. So, what is a joyful comment of your personality to God? Doing it joyfully is doing it in a way that isn’t forced or coerced. It comes from faith. If you’re not feeling like your connection is strong enough to make that kind of a commitment…well, if you’re here now, you’re doing the right thing - you’re hearing God’s Word. You’re spending time in God’s House, with God’s People. You’re making an effort toward that commitment. I’d say that’s a darned good start.

The world around has been doing “month of thanks” for a while now. I think that’s one of the better things that our society has produced in recent years. Finding reasons to be thankful is a noble and good endeavor. As Christians, it would be best if we would find God at the heart of those reasons to be thankful. And doing that daily is a very healthy spiritual exercise for anyone who would follow Jesus Christ.

This week, as we’re celebrating this day of Thanksgiving, let’s do exactly that. Let’s remember all that God has done for us - as Christians, as Americans, as a community, a church, a family, and as individuals. Thank Him in your prayers, and watch for ways to do that in the open. You never know when someone who’s miserable might be looking for something to be thankful for. The bread they eat will only satisfy them for a short time; perhaps you could be the one to introduce them to the bread of life. If such a person could discover that wonderful bread, maybe…just maybe… their misery might get transformed into peace. That would be a fantastic way to celebrate Thanksgiving, and to commit yourself - and your new friend - to God.