Lessons Learned From Lepers

Our last lesson from these lepers is at the heart of what I first said about our giving thanks is more than just being thankful for what has happened, but it a door for God’s blessings.

4. Being Truly Thankful

“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.” (Luke 17:15-16)

The story says that he was a Samaritan. Wow, he’s not even a Jew, he’s a Samaritan, one who is despised and spit upon. So this guy had a double whammy. First he’s a leper, and second he’s a Samaritan. But notice he’s the only one to return to thank Jesus.

Immediately when he saw he was healed as he was walking down this road of faith, he returned to glorified God and gave thanks to Jesus.

The lesson is that when the blessings come don’t forget to thank Jesus.

Notice there were ten lepers who came to Jesus to be healed, but only one returned to thank Him. The others took their healing and went on their way. And in a way you can hear the sorrow in Jesus’s voice as he asked, “Were there not ten cleansed?” You can almost hear His heart break over the callousness of people to His love.

People often ask God for help, but end up thanking the world.

I remember once when God answered my prayer that I said, “Thank you Jesus.” Now this offended the person God used to help me. He said, “Don’t thank God, thank me. I did it.”

And while I did thank him, and I thanked him again, but I also told him how I asked God to help me, and how God sent him to answer my prayer.

Most people, however, end up thanking others or the world for what God has miraculously provided. We thank the doctors, bankers, employers, friends and family. And there’s nothing wrong in thanking others, just don’t leave without coming back to the true source of our help, God.

“I will lift up my eyes to the hills -- From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1-2 NKJV)

Another reason people fail to thank God is because they’re too busy. Like these nine, they had places to go, and people to see.

What I find sad is how many people ask God for help, come to church, ask and seek for prayer, and when God answers you never see them back in church giving thanks to God.

Other people tend to concentrate more on their troubles than on God’s blessings. They tend to keep a balance sheet, listing out their problems and difficulties more than their blessings. And if you think about it, our salvation should tip the balance every time. So we need to be more about thanking God than dwelling on our problems.

Consider the story of Pilgrims again. That first year was tough. They had it hard when they first stepped off that ship, facing dangers and death. But they didn’t let that obscure God’s blessing, and they celebrated that first Thanksgiving giving thanks to God.

In their proclamation they said that it was a day of solemn thanksgiving and praise to God for His goodness and favor.

This is the same thing the leper did. He came back and fell at Jesus’s feet thanking Him and giving God the glory.