Do you have much for which to be thankful? Sometimes in moments of despair and distress, it is hard to keep our minds focused on the positive and the copious reasons that we have to be optimistic and thankful persons. Perhaps a look at a passage in Luke 17 can help us to be reminded of some simple steps we can take to be more thankful.
If you were a leper in the first century and someone healed you wholly and instantly, would you be thankful? There’s no better word to describe the emotions that would flood your soul! Do you know what is even better than being healed of the horrible physical malady of leprosy? Being healed of the deadly spiritual malady of sin! The question for us is—do we respond like the nine unthankful lepers or like the one thankful leper in Luke 17?
In Luke 17, all ten lepers wanted the same thing of Jesus—“Have mercy on us!” (17:13). All ten lepers obeyed what Jesus told them to do—“Go, show yourselves to the priests” (17:14). All ten lepers received the same wonderful gift—they were “cleansed” (17:14). But, were all ten lepers thankful? One would think so, but the evidence is not there, because the response of thankfulness was not forthcoming. Except from “one of them” (17:15). What are three things that we can do, which this one thankful leper did, to be more thankful and to express our thankfulness to our Savior? Look at verses 15 and 16.
First, pay attention. The leper “saw that he was healed.” The other lepers were apparently too busy and too selfish. Let us not become so busy with life and so selfish in our own desires that we forget to pay attention and intentionally notice each and every way that the Lord blesses us.
Second, pay a visit. The leper “returned” to Jesus. Sometimes we might be like the nine lepers—we probably notice the blessings but don’t “return” to the Lord, from whom all blessings come, to acknowledge (at the very least) the fountain of all of these blessings. Let us spend more time with the Lord, and make sure that time is filled with thanking and not just asking.
Third, pay homage. The leper “with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.” Three things jump out: (1) he paid homage with a loud voice, (2) he paid homage with great humility, and (3) he paid homage over and over and over (as the present tense verbs emphasize). Let us seek to also overflow with exuberant praise to the one who overflows us with blessings.
Do you have much for which to be thankful? Even in times of despair and distress, let us turn back to our Savior!