On Giving Thanks

SERMON:  ON GIVING THANKS

(July 14, 2002)

Text:  Jesus said:  “Were not all ten cleansed?  The other nine, where are they?”

Luke 17: 17

We have here in this story from Luke’s Gospel – a picture of utter misery.  Here’s a group of ten individuals – all of whom share one thing in common – leprosy.  There they are - standing a short distance off from the road, – calling out to Jesus to help them..

There was nothing more terrible in Biblical days, than leprosy.  It was a horrible disase; - one that absolutely terrified the population. 

Ø     No one knew what caused it. 

Ø     There was no cure for it. 

Ø     All that people knew, was that it could be passed from one person to another – through physical contact. 

So how did they handle this problem?  They simply banished lepers from their society.  They cast them out, into the wilderness, to fend for themselves.

Not a  very humane treatment, but it was effective in that it isolated the disease, and prevented it from spreading.

However, -for those poor, unfortunate few who were stricken the disease, - it was a horrible outcome.  These poor wretched individuals – were condemned to live the rest of their lives in utter misery. 

Ø     They had no way to support themselves. 

Ø     All they could do was beg by the roadside; - hoping against hope that someone would show enough compassion to toss them a coin or morsel of food.

Since they weren’t allowed to come anywhere near healthy people, - all they could do was to call out from a distance – hoping that travelers would toss them some food or money -  as they passed by on the road.

It’s hard to imagine anyone - in a more desperate situation - than a leper.

And so you can imagine this scene.  Jesus and His small band of followers are walking along the road to Jerusalem.  As they walk along the border between Samaria and Galilee, - they come upon this motley crew of – not one, but ten lepers. 

Here was misery magnified ten fold, - the sight of which, must have overwhelmed Jesus’ followers; -- just like we are sometimes overwhelmed by the tragedies of this world that come flooding into our homes each night on the evening news.

What we see on television    - is a world overwhelmed with trouble.  There’s so much of it, in fact, - that we’re often tempted to throw up our hands in frustration, saying:- “What’s the use?  It’s hopeless!  There’s nothing we can do to help!”

Our world is filled with millions of homeless refugees.  Pictures of starving children flood cross our television screens daily.  [Every second of every day, one more child dies of starvation, somewhere in the world.] 

And still the problems grow -- as war, and famine, and poverty, and ignorance – compound the situation.  

Our imaginations stagger.  And our minds become dazed by the sheer magnitude of this world’s problems.  And – just like in Biblical times, - there is a grave danger that we’ll simply give up – and cast these problems out of our thoughts.

We can become so stunned by the mass of human misery, - that we forget the hugeness of God’s love and power, and the working of the Holy Spirit in the world.

And that’s where the Gospel confronts us.  The Bible doesn’t minimizes the sufferings and tragedies of life – (far from it) –in stead, it focuses our attention upon the response of God’s love. 

The message of the Gospel is clear:-  there is simply no limit to God’s power to bring healing and hope into human life; -- no matter how wretched  life may be.

So let’s examine more closely this story of healing and compassion – to see how it may speak to our situation today.

I        THE CRY FOR HELP

The ten lepers where united in their cry for help.    Luke tells us that -  “They stood some way off and called out saying:  ‘Jesus, Master, take pity on us.’”

In spite of their forced separation from the rest of society, - they had somehow learned that Jesus - had healing powers.  And so when they saw Him passing by - on the road to Jerusalem, - they shouted out, hoping (against hope) -  He could do something to improve their lot.

And how did Jesus respond?  - Immediately, without hesitation He said:  “Go, - show yourselves to the priests,”  He commanded.

There was a very practical reason why the priests should be involved.  They were the ones who acted as the Medical Health Officers of their day.  They were the only ones who could issue the necessary certificate declaring that these men were restored to health.

But what is strange about this command, - is that Jesus apparently sent the lepers off to the priests,-   before the cure had taken place.  It was only - while they were on their way, that the miracle happened.  In other words, it was – as they obeyed Jesus - that they were healed of their leprosy. 

The amazing thing is - that none of the lepers objected to this command!!   There must have sensed something in the tone of Jesus’ voice; - or look in His eyes – that compelled obedience.  But whatever it was,  all ten men had sufficient confidence in Jesus to obey His command.

And thus, it was while they were in transit - the miracle occurred.  ///

This is often the way it is.  The miracles that touch our lives, - often come about – not while we sit and wait for them, - but while we go on with the practical aspects of living our lives in response to our faith.

The Biblical story gives us none of the details about the actual healing.  We don’t know if it occurred suddenly, - or whether it came upon them gradually as they made their way to the nearest priests.  All we know, is that somewhere along the way, - they  realized that the horrible disfigurement that had cursed their lives, - was no longer there.   They were healed!!

II       THANKS OR NO THANKS

But what was their response? 

One might logically expect an overwhelming sense of relief and joy; that would have filled them with gratitude and caused them to turn around and run back to Jesus -   to give Him praise and thanks.   After all, - what He did total transformed their lives.  They were cured!  They were free to return to their families and friends! -   Wouldn’t you expect them to be thankful!!

But that’s not what Luke tells us happened.  – Only one man came back – and he wasn’t even a Jew!  – He was a Samaritan; - a foreigner [as some translations call him].  And, so far as we know, -the other nine lepers, - never came back!  //

We might be shocked by this lack of appreciation.  But then, how do we respond – when God’s healing touches our lives?  //

Virtually everyone facing  a serious crisis in their life seeks help.  Not everyone turns to God, of course, for not everyone believes in God;  - but the vast majority do.  And when a tragedy strikes – most people pray for help.  //

But what happens when our prayers are answered?  - How many of us simply accept the blessing – and go on with our lives; -  almost as if we think we have a right to expect God’s help?

The plain truth is, - we’re often very ungrateful creatures. 

Think of the blessings that occur every day in our lives:  – good health; - plenty of food;  - a nice home; - a family who love us; - stimulating work; - opportunity to take holidays and enjoy days off; - and a very beautiful world in which to live.  Surely we’re all blessed daily.  But how often do we express thanks for these gifts?  ///

Now, to be fair to the nine lepers who continued on their way, - it’s true they had a very important matter with which to deal.   You see, until the priests declared them healed, - they were still segregated and ostracized.   These poor fellows wanted desperately to get back into society, so that they could return to their families and their daily activities.  – And so Christ could wait.

But then, - in all the excitement of receiving a clean bill of health, and knowing that now they could return to their former ways; - Jesus was totally forgotten. //

And that’s often the way with us too, isn’t it.  We’ve got good intensions.  We really mean to express our thanks.  It’s just that in all the excitement of things finally going right again, -- we forget.

It’s really easy, - isn’t it, -  to rationalize our misdeeds.   To find excuses for our failure to act responsibly.

But let’s listen to how Jesus responded?  

 “Were not all ten cleansed? – He asked.  “The other nine, where are they?  Could none be found to come back and give praise to God, - except this foreigner?”

You can sense in these words,  just how troubled Jesus was - by the failure of the other lepers – to express their thanks. 

Yet such oversight was not uncommon in His ministry.  On another  occasion Jesus was heard to cry out:  “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, ----- how often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings;  - but you would not let me.” [Luke 13:34]

You see, - it’s deeds like this – sins of omission – rather than the major sins of humanity – that generally erode away our relationship with God.  Most of us will never be guilty of murder, - or rape, - or even adultery.  But the sin of omission – that’s the one  most of us commit time and time again.  – Christ can wait.

III     GIVING APPROPRIATE THANKS

But there was one man who said:-  ‘No’ - to this temptation.  It was the priests, he let wait.  He put his opportunity to return to a normal existence on hold; while he returned to Jesus to express his gratitude.

Only one, out of ten, returned to give thanks.  But his way of expressing thanks, was very significant.  --- He fell down on his face at Jesus’ feet, and thanked Him.

Perhaps he didn’t need to be so demonstrative.  But here was a man who was utterly, and thoroughly grateful;  - and so he chose to glorify God with a loud voice. 

That may not be our style.  But no one can fault this Samaritan.  He chose to exalt Christ with all his might.  He was truly thankful. ///

There would be another day, when some, [so-called ‘good religious people’], - said to Jesus:  “Master, reprimand your disciples.”   /  These Pharisees were annoyed because the people were shouting praises to Jesus. 

But Jesus’ response on that occasion was:  “I tell you, if my disciples keep silence – the very stones will shout aloud.”

You see Jesus recognized the importance of expressing gratitude.  //

Note how - Luke makes a point of highlighting the fact that the leper who returned – was a Samaritan;  not a Jew like the others.  He was an outsider;  an alien. Not the one you’d expect to do the right thing.

But that’s how it often is.  It’s sometimes  the most unlikely people who are the first to respond to Jesus!   ///

Some years ago, there was a leper colony in Africa, where 2,000 people would turn up regularly for the weekly worship service.  [Two thousand!  And we think we’re doing well if 200 turn out for worship.]  Two thousand lepers – with so much wrong in their lives; - yet here they were worshipping and praising God on a weekly basis.

The Bible is filled with stories of unlikely people praising God or following Jesus. 

Ø     Why was it Zacchaeus, - a most dubious character, - who took Jesus home to dinner? 

Ø     Why was it a ‘woman-of-the-streets’ who anointed Jesus with oil?

Ø     Or just look at that motley crew that Jesus called to be His disciples. 

Often - Christ calls the strangest, most unlikely people – to be His followers.  But isn’t that  the Good News of the Gospel?   - It means there’s hope even for you and me!!

          CONCLUSION

One of the most interesting aspects of this story of the healing of the 10 lepers, - is that it has almost nothing to do with the healing itself, - but rather concentrates upon the response of those who were healed.

Ten 10 lepers were healed.  All 10 demonstrated sufficient faith in the power of Jesus, -  that when told to go and show themselves to the priests, -- they didn’t hesitate.  They went immediately on their way.

But that’s not what is important in this story.  It’s not the healing;  it’s not the faith in Jesus’ power that each man showed.  What’s important is - the response to the healing.

If only we could hear the rest of the story;   – if only there was only some way of following each one of the ten lepers – to see how their healing affected the rest of their lives; --- I’m positive that we’d find that the only one who truly benefited from being cured – was the Samaritan. 

The Samaritan was the one who really appreciated the blessing he’d received.  And that appreciation would, almost certainly, have been translated into a life filled with accomplishment.  This man knew the value of what he had received.  And he would surely have communicated that message to everyone he met.  His life would have been one glorious celebration of God’s love and power.  //

Some years ago, a tourist out in Africa was watching a nun dress the wounds of a hideously deformed leper.  The wounds were revolting, gruesome, repulsive. 

As he watched her, the tourist said:  “I wouldn’t do that for $10,000.00.”

The nun looked up at the man, and said:  “Neither would I.” 

She wasn’t doing it for money.  She was doing it for love;  - for gratitude to the One who had given His life for her.  “I tell you this,” said Jesus:  “Any thing you do for one of the least of my children, - you do for me.”  [Matt.25:40]

All of us receive blessings from God.  For some, these blessings may take the form of  physical healing.  But for others, our blessings may be less tangible, and come in the form of multiple blessings of family happiness; - fulfillment in career; - peace of mind; - help in times of trouble.  Our lives may be blessed, - not once or twice, - but many, many times through the years - as miracle after miracle unfolds before our eyes.

The important thing, however, is not - how often we are blessed.  But rather,  how well we respond to our blessings.