Thanksgiving, The Minority Rules

Luke 17.11-19

We are told that in this scripture of the scarcity of Thanksgiving.
Jesus used this incident to show the disciples what they would be dealing with.
People getting healed and only a small percentage thankful. God giving gifts, life changing gifts, to people and most not taking time out to thank Him
The questions He asked were piercing.

Luke 17:17-18 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” We will look closer at them in a moment.

We have a National Day of Thanksgiving which will be celebrated this Thursday.

Here in America:
Our country's heritage has had in it a Day dedicated to giving thanks to the LORD God Almighty... from the very foundations of our nation, in its infancy.

George Washington's First Thanksgiving Proclamation

By the President of the United States of America, a Proclamation.

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor-- and whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness.

(Can you imagine that happening today?)

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, Who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be-- That we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks--for His kind care and protection of the People of this Country previous to their becoming a Nation--for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his Providence which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war--for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed--for the peaceable and rational manner, in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted--for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed; and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which He hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions-- to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually--to render our national government a blessing to all the people, by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed--to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord--To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the encrease of science among them and us--and generally to grant unto all Mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

We ought to be the most thankful people on the earth. What happened?
Well not too far from the place where Washington signed this first Thanksgiving Proclamation in New York City there was a terrorist act on September 11, 2001... just blocks away. What was/is God saying?

Afterwards Ann Graham Lotz had this conversation:
She spoke with the Early Show's Jane Clayson on Sept. 13, 2001 to offer some comfort to the families of the terror victims.

Jane Clayson: We've turned to your father, the Reverend Billy Graham, so often in times of national crisis. What are his thoughts about what happened on Tuesday?

Anne Graham Lotz: I turned to him also. In fact, I called him last night
after you all called to arrange for this. He's reacting like a lot of
Christians around the country, we're all praying. I think about those people you just showed. I wasn't sure I'd be in control when you came on because it just provoked such emotion to see these people carrying pictures of their loved ones and knowing they don't know if they're alive or dead.
And at a time like that, I know the families and the friends of the victims
can hardly even pray for themselves. They don't know what to say or how to pray. I want to say to them - families and friends of the victims, that there are thousands of people in this country who are carrying you in prayer right now. And we're praying for you with hearts filled with compassion and grief and just interceding on your behalf, asking the God of all peace and the God of all comfort to come down in a special way into your life and meet your needs at this time. My father and mother are also praying like that.

Jane Clayson: I've heard people say, those who are religious, those who are not, if God is good, how could God let this happen? To that, you say?

Anne Graham Lotz: I say God is also angry when He sees something like this. I would say also for several years now Americans in a sense have shaken their fist at God and said, "God, we want you out of our schools, our government, our business, we want you out of our marketplace." And God, who is a gentleman, has just quietly backed out of our national and political life, our public life. Removing His Hand of blessing and protection. We need to turn to God first of all and say, God, we're sorry we have treated you this way and we invite you now to come into our national life. We put our trust in you. We have our trust in God on our coins, we need to practice it.

Luis Meza speaking to our Bible Study on Thursday about our heritage, spiritual heritage.

Luke 17:17-18 Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?”

1. Were Not All Ten Cleansed?
Their cry, standing at a distance, in a loud voice was ( Luke 17:13) “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”

They asked God for help, for deliverance. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for the final time, for the Passover Feast.
Their plight:
They could not come near anyone, no less participate in the Passover Feast!
They had to yell out, "Unclean!"
They were cut off from family and society.
They had no hope until they heard about Jesus.

All ten were cleansed.
They were cleansed as they went to show themselves to the priest at Jesus' directive. The priest was the only one who could give them a certificate of cleanliness which would enable them to return home.
They all had faith. They all were healed.

My daughter Theresa worked in a leper colony in India one summer. I don't think we realize when we read this what this healing meant to these ten lepers.

Jesus points out and begins building His case for the ingratitude. He faced it but was pointing out I believe that followers of His would face, not just in the areas of physical healing but in all areas of God's gifts. Take just the food we enjoy here in the United States! Abundance and yet very few pray a prayer of thanks anymore publicly. Almost like Daniel in Babylon.

2. Where Are The Other Nine?
This question is haunting. Not because it does not have an answer but because:
* It had to be asked.
* We pretty much know the answer. They got to the priest, got their certificate and ran home to their families, began celebrating.

We can fall into their error if we allow the gifts of God greater place in our lives than Him! Days which are designed to celebrate His goodness (every day and the special ones) can be reduced to pure secular days if that happens. It is incredible when you think what Thanksgiving has become today from when George Washington first gave that Proclamation 234 years ago here in New York.

Jump back to the first Thanksgivings... Pilgrims... even the one Washington made the first proclamation for... many people giving thanks. Scarcity but thanksgiving... abundance often=equals forgetting.

Where are the other nine?
They are too busy to give thanks.
They are too excited over the blessing of healing.
Their priorities are messed up.
They forgot God.

3. Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?
He was a Samaritan.
Widely despised by the Jews because of the mixture of race and religion with non Jewish this Samaritan, like the one in Luke 14 and John 4 were spot on. They understood the law of love more than most Jews.

The healing mercy of Christ not only made this Samaritan very thankful, it also made him humble. "He fell on his face at His feet." Humility and thankfulness are characteristic of those saved by the grace of God.

Jesus spoke of this one leper as the disciples viewed him, "a foreigner".

I see the pictures of the kids with the Shoeboxes from last year. Smiles, waving, hearts full of gratitude for a bunch of stocking stuffers. I remember my Dad telling about Thanksgivings during the depression, about the Christmas when he got his first gift (I have that gift in my living room) I remember how thankful he was.

I see something missing among us today. There is a scarcity of Thanksgiving in our nation like there was outside that village where Jesus healed those ten lepers that day. Be in the minority! Be thankful to the LORD for all He has given!!!

We will gather Tuesday Evening to share specifics...
Generally
Our Salvation
God's Word
Fellowship of Believers
Food
Clothing
Homes

We will gather around tables this Thursday with family. Let us give thanks!

Psalm 107:1, 8-9 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing loveand his wonderful deeds for mankind, for he satisfies the thirstyand fills the hungry with good things.