Thank You

Thank You
Luke 17:11-17
Pastor Aaron Robinson

As a child, my mother drilled into me the act of saying Thank You, regardless.  In my adult years I say thank you most of the time without thinking about because of the way I was raised.  Sometimes I forget to say thank you because of the focus on the next assignment.  The reality is seldom in this day and age do I hear thank you. We live in a different time and people are less likely to say thank you, regardless.
 
In the text for today, only one of ten healed says thank you to Jesus after he is healed.  Imagine if you got a thank you ten percent of the time.  What if one out of ten people said thank you.  They asked for mercy, and it was granted, yet they didn’t say thank you to the one who healed them.  Before you judge the nine, think about the times you lacked gratitude for the mercy given.

I hear you saying, I would never be ungrateful, yet when you rose this morning, you didn’t thank God for allowing you to experience another day.  Remember the time you prayed and prayed for something, and it finally happened. Did you remember to thank God?  Jesus heals without the expectation of a thank you but was moved by it.

Someone is thinking, Jesus gave them instructions which caused them to forget about the thank you.  Maybe you are correct, we get so caught up in the tasks and daily assignments of life we forget to express our gratitude for God’s glory in our life.
 
During this Lenten season, we must grow our attitude of gratitude.  The Samaritan stops to recognize the blessing he received and acknowledge the giver of the blessing. He understood that if it had not been for Jesus’ intervention and God’s healing he would still be hurting and hindered by his situation.  When we are thankful, it changes our outlook and our openness.
Thankfulness is an act of humility and appreciation.  When we realize a need for assistance, and we are open to receive it we are humbled by the kind act and feel a sense of appreciation.

In the Old and New Testaments of the Bible we are reminded to be Thankful.  Our praise can be uncovered in our thankfulness and our thankfulness reflects our praise.   Are you a part of the Thankful Tenth, willing to pause amid a blessing and give thanks? For the remainder of this Lenten season thank God daily and thank those around you for the little things.  Just say Thank you daily it will change your attitude.

Prayer:
Most Gracious and Merciful God, thank you for keeping me this far along the way. Thank you for blessings seen and unseen.  Thank you for new mercies and abounding grace.  Thank you for sunshine and the rain.  Just thank you for it all.  Amen and Asé!