Reflections on thankfulness – Day 2 – Thank God for what he has done

Read

Luke 17:11-19 (NIrV)

Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. He travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men met him. They had a skin disease. They were standing close by. And they called out in a loud voice, “Jesus! Master! Have pity on us!”

Jesus saw them and said, “Go. Show yourselves to the priests.” While they were on the way, they were healed.

When one of them saw that he was healed, he came back. He praised God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. The man was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, “Weren’t all ten healed? Where are the other nine? Didn’t anyone else return and give praise to God except this outsider?” Then Jesus said to him, “Get up and go. Your faith has healed you.”

Reflect

This simple story reminds us to say thank you to God for what he has done.

Jesus sends the ten lepers to the priests as part of the Jewish law (see Leviticus 13), which says that lepers must be declared clean by the priests. However, it doesn’t state that they must give thanks to God. Jesus’ questions suggest he thinks saying thank you and praising God is important. Why do you think this is?

In this story, ten men are ill, and reading between the lines, it sounds like the one who said thank you was the only one who wasn’t a Jew – he was a Samaritan. This shows how thankfulness, even thanking God, isn’t something reserved for people who are part of organised religion. Thankfulness is often the easiest concept for people who find other aspects of our faith and worship difficult.

Many people who don’t know God personally keep a thankfulness journal, listing at least three things they are thankful for each day. Could you do this? If you do it, you might also like to reflect after a week or two to see if it has changed you in any way.

Notice that the thankful leper used volume and also physical action to praise and thank God. What could you use?

Share this with your family

When we’re together at the end of the day, let’s all say our three best things about today. When everyone who wants to has had a turn, let’s go round again thanking God for our three best things.

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