Becoming a 'Thanksgiver'
November 20, 2016
Luke 17:11-19
I remember when Joshua and Zachary would be invited to friends houses and every time they left - - we would remind them to be courteous, respectful, listen and always, always say . . . Thank you!! I can’t tell you how many times we reminded them. It’s one of those nice things, respectful and courteous things to do in our world.
But if we are honest with ourselves, even adults — and yes, even Christians — we need to be reminded to say thank you, as well. It drives me crazy when I give someone a pass when they want to change lanes or cut in front of me and they don’t give me that obligatory wave to say thank you. “It’s the last time I’ll let you cut in.” Like I’m going to see them again. Or when you hold the door open for someone and they walk by with their nose in the air and can’t say “thank you!”
Well, with Thanksgiving coming up very quickly, I want to talk about what it means to be a "thanksgiver."
Why is it so many of us struggle with remembering to give thanks? Sometimes we remember, sometimes we don’t! How does giving thanks even slip our minds? Do we really need a holiday to cause us to pause and give thanks? Maybe, we’re too busy, or we’re thinking about the next thing to do on our list, or maybe it’s because we believe we are entitled to receive something, so we don’t need to give thanks?
At home, we’re thinking about what needs to be done! What errands do I need to do? Who or what needs to be dropped off? Picked up? What is the next appointment?" As your kids grow and grow, you have to go and go, and in the midst of going and going, we fail to stop and hit the pause button . . . and give thanks. It's not because we aren't grateful; we are! It's because, giving thanks simply slips our minds and maybe it isn’t all that natural for us.
I’m sure we are all guilty with not giving thanks for gifts, for acts of kindness which have been bestowed upon us, or someone does a favor for you and you forget to say thanks. But can you imagine forgetting to give thanks to — of all people — Jesus?
Well, there is a story in the Bible about a group of people who didn’t give thanks to Jesus. I’d like to briefly look at this story, point out a couple of truths, then, I want to get really practical about giving thanks. I would like all of us to become better "thanksgivers."
This story is in the gospel of Luke. Luke was a doctor and this story may have been of great interest to him, because it involved a healing which took place. This is the story he shares in Luke 17 ~
11 On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance
13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
14 When Jesus saw them He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed.
15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;
16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?
18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
19 And Jesus said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” — Luke 17:11-19
Let’s review this story, then get practical - - -
Jesus and his followers were on their way to Jerusalem, it was Jesus’ final journey into Jerusalem. They were going to celebrate the Jewish holiday of Passover. In order to get there, they had to pass through the region between Samaria and Galilee. All along the way to Jerusalem were small towns or villages. There were a lot of little towns in which a caravan could stop, rest, get supplies, and then continue with their journey. We don't know exactly which village Jesus entered, but we do know who was waiting for him when He arrived.
As Jesus approached the village, there were 10 men who had leprosy who were waiting to meet Him. And they all stood at a distance. Leprosy is a disease that still exists today; it’s a horrible skin disease in which the skin slowly decays and deteriorates over time. We don't know if that’s exactly what these 10 people had, since the word "leprosy" was used for any skin disease at that time.
Irregardless, these ten men would have been social outcasts. If you were diagnosed as having a skin disease, you were as good as dead. By law, you were forced to leave your family, friends, job, and community. You could only live with others who had a similar skin disease. They were quarantined together. You were not allowed to have any contact with other people. Whenever you were walking down the street, you were supposed to yell, "Unclean, unclean!" so that people wouldn't accidently come in contact with you. It was always assumed you were contagious and you were being punished because of your sinfulness. This was God’s retribution on you. So these 10 men would have stood at a distance.
This was their chance. With these people living on the outskirts of a village that was well-traveled, word had spread that this rabbi and healer was passing through. He had healed the blind, deaf, mute, brought the dead back to life, and fed thousands. Could this man have the power to heal a skin disease?
They waited anxiously in anticipation at the entrance of the village for Jesus to show up. Finally, they see a large crowd … and in that crowd, there’s Jesus. This was the moment they’d been waiting for. They cried out 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!'" Their cry acknowledged Jesus as their master and asked if He would have mercy or pity on them. They got Jesus' attention and Luke tells us ~
14 When Jesus saw them, He said, Go, show yourselves to the priests.
In some ways this might not make much sense to us. For Luke’s readers, they would have understood. On the one hand, they were to keep their distance from people and if they were healed, they should go to a doctor, like Luke. But it was the priest who was given the responsibility to determine whether or not someone was fit to rejoin society, even when it came to skin diseases. So people would come to the priests, and if the priests checked them out and gave them a clean bill of health, then they could go back and rejoin their family and friends.
Then something unbelievable happens, Luke tells us
14 As they went, they were cleansed. You can imagine the ecstasy they were feeling as they looked at their hands, and their arms, then their legs and feet. As they went, they weren't just healed: They were cleansed. Now all they had to do was present themselves to the priests, and then they would be able to return to their spouses, their children, and all of their friends. After years in isolation, they would have been thrilled!
Then something strange happened . . .
15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice;
16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving Him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan.
This one man knew he needed to return to Jesus and give thanks. It hit him and he turned around and made a beeline for Jesus. He was crying out again, but this time it was not "unclean, unclean." Now he was crying out praises and giving thanks to God. Then, when he sees Jesus, he doesn't stop, but he falls at His feet, face resting on Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks.
Then Luke adds the twist to the story. He was a Samaritan. On the one hand, who cares? But again, Luke’s readers would have gotten it! That's a huge deal!
You see, Samaritans were considered half breeds by the Jewish people of the south. They were the northern Jews, who never had a good king, who worshiped idols and intermarried. They were looked down upon by the Jews. They were never good enough. Out of all the people to return and give thanks to a Jewish rabbi, it was a Samaritan.
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not 10 cleansed? Where are the 9?
18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”
Why did only one person return? What was it that made this man turn around and come back to Jesus? After all, it would take longer before he could be reunited with his family. Weren't they all grateful? Of course they were grateful: All 10 of these people just experienced a life-altering miracle. Their lives were about to change forever. But only one person turned his gratefulness into thankfulness.
He turned from being grateful into being thankful. He turned his gratefulness for what Jesus had done into thankfulness for what Jesus had done.
If there is one thing Jesus is trying to get at with these questions - - - and if there’s one thing Luke is trying to get at by recording this story - - - and if there’s one thing I’m trying to nail down with you, it's this: in all of your busyness . . . can you stop and turn your gratefulness into thankfulness?
Turn your thoughts of I'm grateful for this or I'm grateful for that person into action, into an expression, into doing something. It’s one thing to be grateful about something, but to be thankful about something takes action. It takes doing something about it, just like this man who was healed. This man turned his gratefulness into thankfulness.
Then Jesus said to him, 19 “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” — Luke 17:11-19
The phrase “your faith has made you well” is an amazing statement by Jesus, that we may not fully understand. Again, Luke’s readers got it.
Your faith has made you well - - literally means - -
To deliver out of danger and into safety; used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provision of safety.
Jesus was telling the man - - - his faith had saved him. In essence, Jesus was telling him, "I didn't just come here to heal you disease. I came so that you may be saved." For one man, his life changed the day he paused and turned his gratefulness into thankfulness.
For some of you, your life can change the day you pause and turn your gratefulness for what Jesus has done into thankfulness for what He has done.
Now, I want to get more practical. Many of you have already made that decision to follow Christ and give him thanks. But how often do you give thanks to God on a daily bfasis. Even if you’re not having the greatest of days, there is still good in your life. There is much to be thankful for. We may be grateful for all we have, but do we give thanks for our gratefulness?
Talk to God about what you’re thankful for. It’s an important part of prayer, in fact, I believe when you pray, that should be your starting point. Start with praises and thanksgiving to God. That sets the tone for what you are doing.
Be specific. When you’re giving thanks to God, be specific.
Don’t just give a generic . . . “Hey God, thanks for all my stuff. I’ve got lots of it, and thanks!” Try to vary what you are grateful for and then give thanks for it. Whether it’s your physical belongings, your health, your body, your family, your job, your hopes and dreams. Whatever it is, even if you thrilled about an upcoming even, give thanks! Be specific.
If someone does something for you, don’t just give that good old , “hey, thanks!” Be specific! Gives thanks for someone vacuuming, or doing the dishes, or organizing something, for cooking a meal. Whatever it is . . . be specific.
And - - - don't let your thankfulness stop with Jesus, because there are people in your life whom you need to give thanks to. Giving thanks is crucial when it comes to the overall health of our families, our work place, school, friends, and so on.
Be honest!
People can tell when you are unauthentic. If you aren't thankful, then don't fake it. Don't say thanks because you feel like you are supposed to. Say thanks when you are truly thankful. The Samaritan didn't turn and go back to Jesus and give thanks because it was what he was supposed to do. He did it because that's what he wanted to do. He fell face first on Jesus’ feet. His gratefulness led him to show his thankfulness. He was genuine. You be genuine!
Make it public
It is one thing to tell someone "thank you," but if you ever get the right opportunity, be thankful for someone in public. As an example, I want to publically embarrass our secretary. Kelli has done an amazing job with our new sign. She has learned how to do it, does it tastefully, has even come in late at night to work on it. I’m grateful for her knowledge and caring and I want to say thank you, Kelli!
Maybe there is something to share at the dinner table about what someone did for you. Maybe it’s to praise your spouse in front of your children so your children gain a better understanaind about giving thanks and about a healthy marriage. Public - - - can simply be in your home.
Make it permanent
Put it in writing. Write someone a note, a thank you note, or on some stationary that you’re thankful for them. Email’s and text messages are nice, but a hand written note means you took the time to go above and beyond. Those often stay with the person forever. You may not realize how many of your cards I keep, they are a great reminder that someone cares and has turned their gratefulness into thankfulness.
So turn your gratefulness into thankfulness by being specific, honest, making it public, and making it permanent. I hope this is not a "one and done" thing for you, but I hope this is the beginning of a new way of living.
Can you imagine what it would look like if, just over the next week or two, we got this one truth right? What would your dinner table look like if you and your family paused and periodically spoke about gratefulness being turned into thankfulness? If you could be specific about things someone has done that makes you want to authentically give thanks.
I know you are grateful, but in our busy world, we need to pause and let the world know we are not just grateful - - but we are also thankful.
What if you went to work tomorrow and you weren't just grateful for the people you worked with, but you showed them, either publically or privately, how thankful you truly were for them? Imagine if that became the norm?
What if we would show our gratefulness to one another? How can we not only show our gratefulness to God, but our gratefulness and thankfulness for one another? How can we show that love for one another in practical and real ways?
Here's the beauty of this truth. We all have the ability to do this. It’s not someone else’s job, it’s all of our jobs. We can’t be the 9 who were grateful but not thankful. We need to be the 1 who stands out and proclaims, cries out . . . thank you, thank you, thank you!!
