Where Are The Nine?: A Celebration Of Thanksgiving

Luke 17:11–13 HCSB

11 While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

Luke 17:11–19 HCSB

11 While traveling to Jerusalem, He passed between Samaria and Galilee. 12 As He entered a village, 10 men with serious skin diseases met Him. They stood at a distance 13 and raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” 14 When He saw them, He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed. 15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus said, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”

11-

Only one returned.

Luke 17:14 HCSB

14 When He saw them, He told them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And while they were going, they were healed.

One waited to see if the cure was real.

· One waited to see if it would last.

· One said he would see Jesus later.

· One decided that he had never had leprosy.

· One said he would have gotten well anyway.

· One gave the glory to the priests.

· One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."

Luke 17:15–16 HCSB

15 But one of them, seeing that he was healed, returned and, with a loud voice, gave glory to God. 16 He fell facedown at His feet, thanking Him. And he was a Samaritan.

· One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."

Luke 17:17–19 HCSB

17 Then Jesus said, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Didn’t any return to give glory to God except this foreigner?” 19 And He told him, “Get up and go on your way. Your faith has made you well.”

luke 17

· One said, "I was already much improved."

One returned and Thanked Jesus

: 14

Contributed by Robert Massey on Nov 27, 2002 (message contributor)

Most of us are familiar with the traditional story of Thanksgiving where William Bradford, of Plymouth Rock, proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to celebrate the survival of the Pilgrims in their second year in the New World, as well as an abundant harvest that they had reaped with the aid of the Indians. However, most people don’t know that the first American Thanksgiving didn’t occur in 1621 with this group of Pilgrims who shared a feast with a group of friendly Indians. The first recorded thanksgiving actually took place in Virginia more than 11 years earlier, and it wasn’t a feast. The winter of 1610 at Jamestown had reduced a group of 409 settlers to 60. The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come. When help arrived, in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God. You would think that after seeing so many of their loved ones die due to the hardships of the New World, they would not feel that thankful. However, the opposite was true. They realized they had much to be thankful for.

We ourselves often don’t realize how blessed we are, or how thankful we ought to be, until what we have is threatened to be taken away. It is good and fitting that as Christians, we ought to celebrate Thanksgiving for God has certainly been good to every singular one of us. Someone once said that gratitude is the source for all other Christian virtues. If that be the case, then perhaps we need to reason that ingratitude may well be the source of all, or at least many of our faults as well. When we begin to take for granted what God has done for us, then we become calloused and filled with pride and then God can no longer use us. For a Christian, every day ought to be a day of thanksgiving.

Here in the passage of scripture that I read this morning, there were ten lepers who met Jesus and had a life changing encounter with the Lord. When you break this story down to it’s simplest elements, that describes every Christian. We were outcasts from the Kingdom of God, on our way to certain death, but then we had a life changing encounter with Jesus. While we should never look back on the pleasures of sin, we should never forget where the Lord has brought us from. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said: Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. In other words, look at where God has brought you from, remember what God has done for you. Visit again in your mind the place where you first met God and His mercy and grace. However, what is so significant about these lepers who were healed is that out of the 10, only one returned to say thanks. There were nine who did not take the time to say thank you. If you were to infer the truth of this story on general humanity, we could say that nine out of ten people never really pause to give thanks for what they have. One man named Charles Brown, gave several suggestions as to why the other nine never returned to give thanks. Keep in mind that these are only suggestions, but they reveal a whole lot about human nature.

· One waited to see if the cure was real.

· One waited to see if it would last.

· One said he would see Jesus later.

· One decided that he had never had leprosy.

· One said he would have gotten well anyway.

· One gave the glory to the priests.

· One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."

· One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."

· One said, "I was already much improved."

And then there was one who returned to give God thanks. I want to share with you this morning several truths from this passage of scripture that I hope will cause us to truly give God thanks for what all He has done for us.

1. Most of us have heard stories of the horrors of having leprosy in Biblical times. It was a horrible disease to have. Not only was there the pain of the disease itself, but there was also the stigma that went with having the disease.

2. The Mosaic Law pronounced a leper as being “unclean”. They were not fit to enter into the tabernacle, or later, the Temple to worship. They could no longer live with their families, but the law required them to live outside the city ().

Numbers 5:2–3 HCSB

2 “Command the Israelites to send away anyone from the camp who is afflicted with a skin disease, anyone who has a bodily discharge, or anyone who is defiled because of a corpse. 3 You must send away both male or female; send them outside the camp, so that they will not defile their camps where I dwell among them.”

The Law required that they rend their clothes as a sign of extreme sorrow, that their faces be covered and that they cry out “unclean” when ever anyone came close to them. Their faces were hidden, representing that no form of intimacy could be known to them. In Hebrew tradition, the face was seen as being the most intimate part. You could not truly know someone until you could see their face. When the Jews were commanded to seek the face of God, they were commanded to seek His presence for the same Hebrew word for face, is the same word for presence.

3. To be a leper meant no intimacy with anyone, no friendship with anyone, you were isolated and a total outcast. Leprosy was regarded as a disease which the Jews supposed to be inflicted for the punishment of some particular sin, and to be, more than other diseases, a mark of God’s displeasure. If you were a leper, you essentially lost everything, your family, your job, and your money.

Where Are The Nine?: A Celebration Of Thanksgiving

Contributed by Robert Massey on Nov 27, 2002 (message contributor)

Most of us are familiar with the traditional story of Thanksgiving where William Bradford, of Plymouth Rock, proclaimed a day of Thanksgiving to celebrate the survival of the Pilgrims in their second year in the New World, as well as an abundant harvest that they had reaped with the aid of the Indians. However, most people don’t know that the first American Thanksgiving didn’t occur in 1621 with this group of Pilgrims who shared a feast with a group of friendly Indians. The first recorded thanksgiving actually took place in Virginia more than 11 years earlier, and it wasn’t a feast. The winter of 1610 at Jamestown had reduced a group of 409 settlers to 60. The survivors prayed for help, without knowing when or how it might come. When help arrived, in the form of a ship filled with food and supplies from England, a prayer meeting was held to give thanks to God. You would think that after seeing so many of their loved ones die due to the hardships of the New World, they would not feel that thankful. However, the opposite was true. They realized they had much to be thankful for.

We ourselves often don’t realize how blessed we are, or how thankful we ought to be, until what we have is threatened to be taken away. It is good and fitting that as Christians, we ought to celebrate Thanksgiving for God has certainly been good to every singular one of us. Someone once said that gratitude is the source for all other Christian virtues. If that be the case, then perhaps we need to reason that ingratitude may well be the source of all, or at least many of our faults as well. When we begin to take for granted what God has done for us, then we become calloused and filled with pride and then God can no longer use us. For a Christian, every day ought to be a day of thanksgiving.

Here in the passage of scripture that I read this morning, there were ten lepers who met Jesus and had a life changing encounter with the Lord. When you break this story down to it’s simplest elements, that describes every Christian. We were outcasts from the Kingdom of God, on our way to certain death, but then we had a life changing encounter with Jesus. While we should never look back on the pleasures of sin, we should never forget where the Lord has brought us from. The Old Testament prophet Isaiah said: Hearken to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the LORD: look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. In other words, look at where God has brought you from, remember what God has done for you. Visit again in your mind the place where you first met God and His mercy and grace. However, what is so significant about these lepers who were healed is that out of the 10, only one returned to say thanks. There were nine who did not take the time to say thank you. If you were to infer the truth of this story on general humanity, we could say that nine out of ten people never really pause to give thanks for what they have. One man named Charles Brown, gave several suggestions as to why the other nine never returned to give thanks. Keep in mind that these are only suggestions, but they reveal a whole lot about human nature.

· One waited to see if the cure was real.

· One waited to see if it would last.

· One said he would see Jesus later.

· One decided that he had never had leprosy.

· One said he would have gotten well anyway.

· One gave the glory to the priests.

· One said, "O, well, Jesus didn’t really do anything."

· One said, "Any rabbi could have done it."

· One said, "I was already much improved."

And then there was one who returned to give God thanks. I want to share with you this morning several truths from this passage of scripture that I hope will cause us to truly give God thanks for what all He has done for us.

I. NOTICE THE LEPERS’ CONDITION.

1. Most of us have heard stories of the horrors of having leprosy in Biblical times. It was a horrible disease to have. Not only was there the pain of the disease itself, but there was also the stigma that went with having the disease.

2. The Mosaic Law pronounced a leper as being “unclean”. They were not fit to enter into the tabernacle, or later, the Temple to worship. They could no longer live with their families, but the law required them to live outside the city (). The Law required that they rend their clothes as a sign of extreme sorrow, that their faces be covered and that they cry out “unclean” when ever anyone came close to them. Their faces were hidden, representing that no form of intimacy could be known to them. In Hebrew tradition, the face was seen as being the most intimate part. You could not truly know someone until you could see their face. When the Jews were commanded to seek the face of God, they were commanded to seek His presence for the same Hebrew word for face, is the same word for presence.

3. To be a leper meant no intimacy with anyone, no friendship with anyone, you were isolated and a total outcast. Leprosy was regarded as a disease which the Jews supposed to be inflicted for the punishment of some particular sin, and to be, more than other diseases, a mark of God’s displeasure. If you were a leper, you essentially lost everything, your family, your job, and your money.

4. Note that verse 12 of describes these lepers as standing “afar off”. Rabbinic tradition said that they had to stand at least 100 paces from anyone else. They could not even come close to Jesus.

5. The reason I have spent so much time in describing leprosy this morning is because it is a picture of sin and what Satan wishes to do to every singular one of you here today. Eaton’s Bible Dictionary says of this disease. “Leprosy was "the outward and visible sign of the innermost spiritual corruption; a meet emblem in its small beginnings, its gradual spread, its internal disfigurement, its dissolution little by little of the whole body, of that which corrupts, degrades, and defiles man’s inner nature, and renders him unmeet to enter the presence of a pure and holy God”.

6. I’m not going to equate leprosy with sin, but there are important similarities between them. Like the leper, we too were isolated from true intimacy, like the leper, we too were outcasts (from the Kingdom of God), like the leper, we too were in the process of loosing everything to sin, and like the leper, we too were being destroyed by that which was in our bodies, the law of sin and death.

1. In verse 13, we are told, as Jesus was about to enter into the city, that these lepers, who had to stand afar off, began to cry, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”.

2. That was all that they could do. No physician could heal them, no medicine could cure them. They were completely helpless before the onslaught of this deadly disease.

3. We like to think that we are sufficient, that we are capable of handling life, but the truth is, we are born helpless into this world, and we are helpless to stand before sin and Satan. We stand condemned by sin and we are totally helpless.

Romans 5:6 HCSB

6 For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly.

4. Here in the Greek, to be without strength means to be totally helpless. Like these lepers, we were helpless to stop our destruction. All we can do is cry for mercy.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

4. Here in the Greek, to be without strength means to be totally helpless. Like these lepers, we were helpless to stop our destruction. All we can do is cry for mercy.

5. GREEK word for mercy is "eleeo" {el-eh-eh’-o} have mercy or compassion on. Some of you have heard me give the different between mercy and grace because they are often confused. I’m going to give it again. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what you deserve.

6. Remember that mercy is not getting what you deserve. I believe that these men realized that they were sinners and whatever they had received, they deserved. Yet now they are crying out for mercy, for relief from their torments.

They are begging the Lord to have compassion on them, to help them in their time of need.

7. Their only hope was placed on this man Jesus. Everything had come down to this moment, to this encounter with Jesus. Aren’t you glad that when your only hope is placed on Jesus, He will be more than enough. Jesus had compassion on them and told them to go and present themselves to the priests, as the law commanded. The priest would inspect them and give them a clean bill of health so they could rejoin their communities and families ().

Leviticus 14:2 HCSB

2 “This is the law concerning the person afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing. He is to be brought to the priest,

Leviticus 14:2–3 HCSB

2 “This is the law concerning the person afflicted with a skin disease on the day of his cleansing. He is to be brought to the priest, 3 who will go outside the camp and examine him. If the skin disease has disappeared from the afflicted person,

Leviticus 14:4 HCSB

4 the priest will order that two live clean birds, cedar wood, scarlet yarn, and hyssop be brought for the one who is to be cleansed.

lev

8. Why did Jesus tell them this? Why didn’t He just say, “be healed”? Because faith is always required of the helpless. Naaman the Syrian had to act on faith in the OT to be cleansed. The story of the leper in , who came to Jesus confessed faith and that is why Jesus healed him by just touching him. They went on by faith and as they did, they were healed. They heard the Word of Christ and they believed and they were healed. This was by faith. They were not healed first and then told to go to the priests, they had to act on faith. However, how simple that was.

1. We are told that as they began their journey to the priests, they were cleansed or healed. What is significant is that out of the 10, there was one who reacted differently than the rest. The Bibles says that he saw that he was healed, he turned back and glorified God, and he came to Jesus and gave Him thanks.

Why did this one react differently? Here is the meat of my message this morning. This is a sermon within a sermon. There are three distinctions between him and the others.

He saw what has happened and responded in Kind.

2. The Bible says, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed”. The Bible says that he saw he was healed. Now the others no doubt knew that they were healed, but there was something different here. The Greek word used is one that we have came across several times lately. It is the word eido, and it means to know, see, or perceive. He took the time to note that he had been blessed. He realized that something wonderful had happened to him. He was sensitive to the power of Christ working in his life. His perception had entirely changed.

3. There is an old Jewish story that illustrates this point. There is a man who goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the room with you." The man in incredulous, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week." A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy." The rabbi then tells him, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week." A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there’s no goat -- only the nine of us." The situation was the same as at first, but now his perception had changed. He realized that he was blessed to begin with.

4. Do we really perceive the ways that God has blessed us? Not a one of us is hungry, not a one of us is naked, but most importantly, if you are a Christian, you have been given everything through Christ Jesus our Lord. The devil will do his best to keep your mind off the blessings of God. He will constantly tell you how bad you have it, of how everything is wrong in your life. You see, it’s when you begin to realize how much you have in the Lord, that you will truly begin to be thankful, and when you are thankful, your heart will abound with love for the Lord that has so graciously given all to you.

5. An unthankful Christian is a defeated Christian for he/she has lost their joy.

6. When he saw that he was healed, he turned around. Now the Lord had given the command to go to the priest but he delayed, he turned around and went back to the Lord. Why didn’t the Lord rebuke him for this? The reason is because this man realized the priority of gratitude and worship. Remember a couple of months ago, we talked about the importance of worship, of how it is the main thing. God has called His church to give glory to Him above everything else. I believe that this man fully intended to obey what the Lord had told him to do, but he realized that he had a higher calling that must first come first.

Psalm 119:62 HCSB

62 I rise at midnight to thank You for Your righteous judgments.

Ps 119:

Not the Action in the verse....”I Rise” and the time Midnight!!!

The psalmist both gets out of bed and has a specific time to do it. Do what? Give thanks.

2. If you don’t give God thanks, it won’t be long until your obedience just becomes a job to do, you lose the meaning of what God is wanting you to do. You become unthankful. It is fitting and proper to give thanks and praise to the Lord for what He has done in your life.

7. As he drew near to where the Lord was, he glorified God. The Greek means that he made the Lord glorious, he manifested the worth of the Lord. He came to Jesus and fell down before Him in perfect submission and gave Him thanks. The Lord asked the question, Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Then note what He told this man, “Arise, go thy way, thy faith has made thee whole.”

8. This was something that the others did not receive. One scholar said that a new power was given to him that day. He had faith, not just to be healed, but many commentaries state that he had the faith to follow Christ. All people are blessed of God, but not all follow Christ. This man’s thankful heart responded in faith and he was perfected as a disciple of the Lord. no friendship with anyone, you were isolated and a total outcast. Leprosy was regarded as a disease which the Jews supposed to be inflicted for the punishment of some particular sin, and to be, more than other diseases, a mark of God’s displeasure. If you were a leper, you essentially lost everything, your family, your job, and your money.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 HCSB

18 Give thanks in everything, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 4:1–9 HCSB

1 A person should consider us in this way: as servants of Christ and managers of God’s mysteries. 2 In this regard, it is expected of managers that each one of them be found faithful. 3 It is of little importance to me that I should be evaluated by you or by any human court. In fact, I don’t even evaluate myself. 4 For I am not conscious of anything against myself, but I am not justified by this. The One who evaluates me is the Lord. 5 Therefore don’t judge anything prematurely, before the Lord comes, who will both bring to light what is hidden in darkness and reveal the intentions of the hearts. And then praise will come to each one from God. 6 Now, brothers, I have applied these things to myself and Apollos for your benefit, so that you may learn from us the saying: “Nothing beyond what is written.” The purpose is that none of you will be inflated with pride in favor of one person over another. 7 For who makes you so superior? What do you have that you didn’t receive? If, in fact, you did receive it, why do you boast as if you hadn’t received it? 8 You are already full! You are already rich! You have begun to reign as kings without us—and I wish you did reign, so that we could also reign with you! 9 For I think God has displayed us, the apostles, in last place, like men condemned to die: We have become a spectacle to the world and to angels and to men.

Exercise Thankfulness

5. The reason I have spent so much time in describing leprosy this morning is because it is a picture of sin and what Satan wishes to do to every singular one of you here today. Eaton’s Bible Dictionary says of this disease. “Leprosy was "the outward and visible sign of the innermost spiritual corruption; a meet emblem in its small beginnings, its gradual spread, its internal disfigurement, its dissolution little by little of the whole body, of that which corrupts, degrades, and defiles man’s inner nature, and renders him unmeet to enter the presence of a pure and holy God”.

6. I’m not going to equate leprosy with sin, but there are important similarities between them. Like the leper, we too were isolated from true intimacy, like the leper, we too were outcasts (from the Kingdom of God), like the leper, we too were in the process of loosing everything to sin, and like the leper, we too were being destroyed by that which was in our bodies, the law of sin and death.

II. NOTICE THE LEPERS’ CRY.

1. In verse 13, we are told, as Jesus was about to enter into the city, that these lepers, who had to stand afar off, began to cry, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”.

2. That was all that they could do. No physician could heal them, no medicine could cure them. They were completely helpless before the onslaught of this deadly disease.

3. We like to think that we are sufficient, that we are capable of handling life, but the truth is, we are born helpless into this world, and we are helpless to stand before sin and Satan. We stand condemned by sin and we are totally helpless.

For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

4. Here in the Greek, to be without strength means to be totally helpless. Like these lepers, we were helpless to stop our destruction. All we can do is cry for mercy.

5. Here the Greek word for mercy is "eleeo" {el-eh-eh’-o} have mercy or compassion on. Some of you have heard me give the different between mercy and grace because they are often confused. I’m going to give it again. Grace is getting what you don’t deserve and mercy is not getting what you deserve.

6. Remember that mercy is not getting what you deserve. I believe that these men realized that they were sinners and whatever they had received, they deserved. Yet now they are crying out for mercy, for relief from their torments.

They are begging the Lord to have compassion on them, to help them in their time of need.

7. Their only hope was placed on this man Jesus. Everything had come down to this moment, to this encounter with Jesus. Aren’t you glad that when your only hope is placed on Jesus, He will be more than enough. Jesus had compassion on them and told them to go and present themselves to the priests, as the law commanded. The priest would inspect them and give them a clean bill of health so they could rejoin their communities and families ().

8. Why did Jesus tell them this? Why didn’t He just say, “be healed”? Because faith is always required of the helpless. Naaman the Syrian had to act on faith in the OT to be cleansed. The story of the leper in , who came to Jesus confessed faith and that is why Jesus healed him by just touching him. They went on by faith and as they did, they were healed. They heard the Word of Christ and they believed and they were healed. This was by faith. They were not healed first and then told to go to the priests, they had to act on faith. However, how simple that was.

III. NOTICE ONE LEPER’S CELEBRATION.

1. We are told that as they began their journey to the priests, they were cleansed or healed. What is significant is that out of the 10, there was one who reacted differently than the rest. The Bibles says that he saw that he was healed, he turned back and glorified God, and he came to Jesus and gave Him thanks.

Why did this one react differently? Here is the meat of my message this morning. This is a sermon within a sermon. There are three distinctions between him and the others.

A. Note the perception of gratitude.

2. The Bible says, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed”. The Bible says that he saw he was healed. Now the others no doubt knew that they were healed, but there was something different here. The Greek word used is one that we have came across several times lately. It is the word eido, and it means to know, see, or perceive. He took the time to note that he had been blessed. He realized that something wonderful had happened to him. He was sensitive to the power of Christ working in his life. His perception had entirely changed.

3. There is an old Jewish story that illustrates this point. There is a man who goes to the rabbi and complains, "Life is unbearable. There are nine of us living in one room. What can I do?" The rabbi answers, "Take your goat into the room with you." The man in incredulous, but the rabbi insists. "Do as I say and come back in a week." A week later the man comes back looking more distraught than before. "We cannot stand it," he tells the rabbi. "The goat is filthy." The rabbi then tells him, "Go home and let the goat out. And come back in a week." A radiant man returns to the rabbi a week later, exclaiming, "Life is beautiful. We enjoy every minute of it now that there’s no goat -- only the nine of us." The situation was the same as at first, but now his perception had changed. He realized that he was blessed to begin with.

4. Do we really perceive the ways that God has blessed us? Not a one of us is hungry, not a one of us is naked, but most importantly, if you are a Christian, you have been given everything through Christ Jesus our Lord. The devil will do his best to keep your mind off the blessings of God. He will constantly tell you how bad you have it, of how everything is wrong in your life. You see, it’s when you begin to realize how much you have in the Lord, that you will truly begin to be thankful, and when you are thankful, your heart will abound with love for the Lord that has so graciously given all to you.

5. An unthankful Christian is a defeated Christian for he/she has lost their joy.

B. Note the priority of gratitude.

6. When he saw that he was healed, he turned around. Now the Lord had given the command to go to the priest but he delayed, he turned around and went back to the Lord. Why didn’t the Lord rebuke him for this? The reason is because this man realized the priority of gratitude and worship. Remember a couple of months ago, we talked about the importance of worship, of how it is the main thing. God has called His church to give glory to Him above everything else. I believe that this man fully intended to obey what the Lord had told him to do, but he realized that he had a higher calling that must first come first. If you don’t give God thanks, it won’t be long until your obedience just becomes a job to do, you lose the meaning of what God is wanting you to do. You become unthankful. It is fitting and proper to give thanks and praise to the Lord for what He has done in your life.

C. Note the perfection of gratitude.

7. As he drew near to where the Lord was, he glorified God. The Greek means that he made the Lord glorious, he manifested the worth of the Lord. He came to Jesus and fell down before Him in perfect submission and gave Him thanks. The Lord asked the question, Were there not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Then note what He told this man, “Arise, go thy way, thy faith has made thee whole.”

8. This was something that the others did not receive. One scholar said that a new power was given to him that day. He had faith, not just to be healed, but many commentaries state that he had the faith to follow Christ. All people are blessed of God, but not all follow Christ. This man’s thankful heart responded in faith and he was perfected as a disciple of the Lord.

Posted in: Gratitude, Gratitude Revealed Tagged: Gratitude Challenge, Gratitude LabAuthor: Moving Art📷

You may have heard, we have been talking a lot about gratitude. If you haven’t seen Louie Schwartzberg’s extraordinary work upon the Guggenheim rotunda, you’ll not want to miss it. We also have an exciting program running right now called the Gratitude Lab. Made possible by the generosity of John Templeton Foundation, we have created 4 beautiful “portals” of gratitude for you to explore and experience: Families, Schools (K-12), Faith (congregations and communities), and College/Universities.

While the results have been beyond moving, we’ve also received a number of requests to create a portal for the individual. In truth, this was an oversight on our part! Of course, we should have provided the option for you, the individual, to dive deep into your own heart.

And so, we have created the following 3-Day Gratitude Challenge just for YOU.

The following can be adjusted in any way you need. The point is for you to have the ability to engender gratitude. Our only hope is that you will take the time to share your experience with us in comments below. Your comments are why we do this!

Day 1: For the One You Love

You will need: a notebook or writing paper, writing utensils. You may use any other preferred writing device, as well.

Think of a person you love, who is currently alive. If you prefer, you may select an animal or any living thing.

With that person in mind, consider what they might truly need right now. Expand beyond monetary objects and large purchases to explore simple, experiential gifts, such as friendship, comfort, a good meal. Consider true needs of those where appropriate – a warm coat, toys for children, help with yard work, shoveling snow, running an errand. Consider needs one might be embarrassed to admit – help with reading, tutoring a child who struggles, acknowledgment.

When we think beyond the material and superficial purchases to truly consider how we might improve the life and happiness of this one person we have chosen, what could we provide them right now? Write down specific gifts that you can actually provide within the next 3 days. This might be time, information, company, or perhaps a thing of simple value that is possible for you.

Write down everything you can think of that you, yourself, could do for this person you love.

Your challenge is to do at least ONE of these today! This gift can be anonymous, if you so desire. And, if the gift requires logistics or preparation, the key is to initiate this process TODAY. Make the commitment to give what your heart whispered to your mind, and don’t retreat.

If you can do more than one, do as many items as you can complete today. Make this person feel like it is a National Day in his or her honor!

At the end of the day, write down in your journal:

Successes

How did you respond to this exercise? How did your recipient respond? Were there any funny or endearing moments you’d like to share? What was it like to experience such a concentration on one specific person’s needs?

Why did you choose this person? Write why they are special and deserve your love. Let your heart fill with gratitude for this person in your life, and write how your own gestures of generosity impacted your own feelings of love and gratitude for this person. Did thinking of them and giving to them have any affect on your gratitude for them?

Anything else you’d like to share?

Challenges

Were there any difficulties with this exercise? What did you struggle with, and how did you adjust (or perhaps didn’t)?

Day 2: Personal Gratitude Wall

This day will be about giving thanks.

You will need: Space on a wall or surface to post thank you notes, note paper, writing utensils, tape (preferably the kind that won’t stick to walls… You may also use sticky notes, tacks, or create a large piece of cardboard that can be taped).

Start by writing one thank you note. You may write to a person, living or passed. Write to animals, other living things. Write to yourself. Write to one recipient per note. Start by saying, “Dear ___, thank you for ______.” See where your pen takes you.

You may write more than one, but try to write one note per recipient, and try to be as specific as possible for why you are grateful. Take your time. Be present to your heart’s message. It’s voice will guide you to write the perfect thank you note.

Set a reminder for every hour throughout the day. When prompted, stop to write one thank you note. You are not limited to one, but you are encouraged to create at least one.

See if your list expands or surprises you. See if you struggle or if there are gentle releases? When you think of reasons to acknowledge a person, enjoy the process of reliving that gift they gave to you, for which you are grateful.

Collect and post the thank you notes on your dedicated wall or surface to enjoy and celebrate, and be filled with gratitude! At the end of the day, now that you have this collection of thank you notes upon the wall, you might even want to turn it into art! Frame it or take a picture of it, if inspired!

Successes

Were there any funny or endearing moments you’d like to share?

Challenges

Were there any difficulties with this exercise? Any disruptions, or other interference? We’d love to hear what you struggled with, and your thoughts on any causes, and how you adjusted (or perhaps didn’t)?

Day 3: The Glow of Gratitude

Today we’ll connect gratitude to faith – in whatever way we express our faith. On Day One, we performed generous acts for those we love. On Day Two, we expressed thanks and acknowledgement for those around us. Today, we will dedicate our gratitude to a larger entity. Faith is defined simply as “strong belief or trust in someone or something.” Today, we ask to consider this faith be expanded beyond ourselves to something greater.

For this exercise, you will need: one candle, one candle holder, one lighter. You may use more than one if you wish.

Light your candle first with the lighter. Say to that which you faith in, “Thank You for taking care of [name the recipient from DAY 1] and [name the objects of your thank you notes from DAY 2], and thank you for taking care of me. I especially thank You for ____.” This last line is for you to fill in as you are so inspired. Say the sentence and let the line fill itself.

Express your thanks out loud, and then save a moment of silence, with your candle(s) lit, to give thanks to that which you have faith in, for the gift of your capacity for gratitude. Let the room fill with gratitude.

In the comments below, describe how you carried out this exercise. Include as many details as you are able.

Where Are The Nine?: A Celebration Of Thanksgiving

Where are The Nine?

I. THE LEPERS’ CONDITION.

Isolation & Outcast

II. THE LEPERS’ CRY.

III. ONE LEPER’S CELEBRATION.

A. He perceived the need for gratitude.

B. He Understood the priority of gratitude.

C. He Experienced the perfection of gratitude.

3-Day Individual Gratitude Challenge

Be the first to receive our collaborative Gratitude e-book, filled with Louie’s breath-taking photography & an inspired collection of your shared experiences from the challenges below (completed March 1, 2017).