A Prelude To Thanksgiving

Luke 17.11-19

Jesus was on His Way to Jerusalem. We read in Luke 9.51 "As the time approached for Him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem." So on His way to die, on that final journey from Galilee to Jerusalem, He encounters these 10 lepers on the outskirts of a village.

His popularity had grown in the 3 1/2 years of ministry in Galilee and the surrounding area. People knew about Him. Lepers, especially, held Him in high regard and believed that He was indeed the Messiah. No on could heal a leper except Jesus. They were outcasts They still are. In the book about Bob Pierce, Let My Heart Be Broken With the Things That Break the Heart of God, Elmer Kilbourne, of the Oriental Mission Society, is quoted, "The worst part of leprosy is the social isolation connected with it... it happens all over the world, wherever there are lepers. Leprosy can arrested. In many cases it can be cured. But even though a man may survive it, once he has been driven from his home he can't go back. His relatives, friends and neighbors simply will not accept him. So he has to live with other lepers." In Israel provisions were made for a return in the law. Verse 13 "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

These lepers believed Jesus could help them. They were asking Him to come to their aid in their affliction. The fact He could heal lepers had spread among those afflicted with the disease. He was their only hope.

Now we see the healing here and the subsequent ingratitude. We see it as a horrible thing- this scarcity of Thanksgiving. If you are a person who likes to give to others you have no doubt encountered this issue giving complete when there is that appreciation expressed. When there they like the gift? Was it discarded?

Before we tackle the obvious here let's think about Thanksgiving for...

1. Blessings Seldom Thought Of. v.11
These are blessings we often take for granted.
For example, if you received a public school education being thankful for those who paid the taxes so you could go.

The disciples were walking with Jesus. We walk with Him. Sometime we need to be reminded of His Presence with us, particularly when things are going well!

How about your health? Give thanks you are able to be here this morning. I spoke to our nursery school kids in their chapel this week and we talked about being thankful for our country. With all its flaws, we have freedoms that the majority of the 7 billion people on the earth today do not enjoy. Blessings taken for granted, seldom thought of.

As we think about Thanksgiving...

2. Give Thanks for the Obvious. vs.14-16
Jesus was giving them instructions from Leviticus 14.1-3
The Samaritan man came back praising God in a loud voice and threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him.

Thanksgiving springs from humility- an acknowledgment that everything good in my life has come from the Hand of my Father in Heaven Who loves me. (James 1.17)

Often there is a continent of blessing in our lives and just an island of praise. Gigabytes of blessing and kilobytes of thanks.

These 10 men were all touched by God. They were healed. It is wrong to pray for blessings, receive them and fail to thank God for them.

Things right in front of us- v.15 when he saw he was healed... obvious blessings: food, shelter clothing.

Psalm 103.3 Praise the LORD, O My soul, and forget not all His benefits.
More, much more receive benefits and than thank Him for them.

Finally in this prelude to Thanksgiving we see in this passage...

3. A Lesson For All Who Serve. vs.17-19

This man by passed the priest and went to the Great High Priest. The percentage of people who appreciate the work of God through your life will be low. Look to Jesus for approval not to men for appreciation. So often some gets something from the LORD what they want and they never come back. Excitement overwhelms them and they forget to give thanks.

Blessed are those who do not expect much appreciation for they will not be disappointed.

However the rewards of serving Jesus are overwhelming! There is much to give Him thanks for as you serve.

Give Thanks to God for His Indescribable Gift!