Thanksgiving Every DayEsimerkki

# Too busy for God? Jesus and his disciples are on their way to Jerusalem and his death and resurrection when they encounter ten lepers. Fearing contagion, people isolated lepers from society (Leviticus 13:45-46; Numbers 5:2-4). They had apparently heard of Jesus’ healing ministry, including his compassion for lepers, so they stood at a distance and called to him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” This was the action required of a leper who had been healed of his leprosy, so the priest could certify him to be clean and allow him to rejoin society. In other words, he asked them to believe that they were healed and act accordingly. When they received his healing power through such faith, “they were cleansed.” Faith does not earn the blessing of God, but it is needed to receive such grace and mercy. Then “one of them,” the Samaritan, did three things: He praised God with a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet. This was an admission that Jesus was now his Lord. He thanked him. By crediting Jesus with his miraculous healing, he was acknowledging him as God. Jesus responded: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” It has “restored” him or “made him whole.” The nine were healed physically; the thankful Samaritan was healed spiritually and completely. Thanksgiving makes us whole. And business is the enemy of thanksgiving. The ten lepers had much to do. They needed to be examined by the priests and readmitted to society. Then they had to find their families, begin life with them again, find and begin jobs—in short, do all the things which would reinitiate life. The nine others were too busy to return and give thanks to Jesus. It’s easy for us to be the same way. I once heard about an executive who ate his lunch while making his way through the line in the company’s kitchen—when it came time to pay, he was finished with his meal. I confess to you that my first thought was admiration. In our text, only one was “made well,” or “made whole.” The others missed all that God had for them. When was the last time you made time for thanksgiving to God? Do you make time for your relationship with Jesus? Simply praising him in thanksgiving draws us closer to him, making us more and more whole. Take time today and for the rest of the study to sit and reflect in solitude.