“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”
The words “Thank You” are pretty powerful. They can infuse joy into service faster than any other words. Those two simple words have saved marriages. Restored friendships. Healed work environments. And brought tears to many physically exhausted and emotionally weary eyes. One of my favorite things in the world is having one of my young kids, with excitement in their voice, wrap their arms around my leg and joyfully exclaim, “Thank you!” about some mundane thing I had done for them.
In the verses above, Jesus reminds us about the importance of gratitude. Ten men came to Jesus hurting. As they left his presence and were on their way, they experienced something miraculous. They were healed of their infirmities! They had encountered the grace of God in a profound way. They all had the faith to trust Jesus’ words and follow his commands. However, only one turned back. Only one of them had a gratitude that accompanied his faith. And what does Jesus say? “Your faith has made you well.” Wait, wasn’t he already healed of his leprosy before that moment? The Greek word for “made you well” could also be translated: “made you complete” or “made you whole.” Jesus is saying, “You have experienced physical healing, but now you have experienced a spiritual one. Now you are whole.” What was the key ingredient to that wholeness? GRATITUDE.
Let’s pause there for a moment.
Please take a moment to watch the video below.
Allow your heart to be filled with gladness and gratitude.
Would you consider doing something clunky this week? We know when people aren’t saying “Thank You” to us enough. But do we stop to think about whether we’re saying “Thank You” to others enough? This week, would you consider saying “Thank You” to someone who you wouldn’t otherwise do that to? And not just off-hand, say-it-without-thinking-about-it, kind of “thank you.” I mean a real heartfelt, say-it-with-all-the-gratitude-you-can-muster, kind of “Thank You.” The kind of “Thank You” that even has a couple of sentences attached to it at the end that elaborates on why you are thankful and expounds on just how thankful you are. And here’s the clunky part: be looking for moments to say that kind of “Thank You” to people throughout the day. Be present in the moment so that you don’t take little things for granted. You would probably be surprised by how many times you could say a heartfelt “Thank You” in a day.
Would you now consider doing something even clunkier? Try writing a letter to someone telling them of your gratitude for them. Maybe an email to your kid’s teacher. Maybe a letter to a mentor from your youth. Or a friend. Your spouse. Maybe a note to your kids thanking them for showing you what childlike faith looks like. Or maybe the best one of all, spend time thanking God.
-Pastor Tyler Lemen
Associate Pastor of Family Ministries at Friends Community Church