What better way to celebrate a beautiful fall morning than with a leper story!
In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus heals ten lepers on the road to Jerusalem, and only one returns to thank him. Jesus wonders what happened to the other nine. The lesson seems straightforward: God’s compassion is for everyone, and we all need to be thankful for God’s grace and mercy. But there’s more.
Surely, all ten lepers are grateful to be healed. Back then, leprosy was a horrible, incurable, highly contagious disease, and lepers had to live in isolation outside the community. When Jesus heals these ten, not only are they made physically healthy, they get their whole life back — family, community, and all their daily routines. This is huge! Yet only one says, “Thank you.”
Unlike the other nine, this Samaritan sees that more than physical healing has happened. He senses something of who Jesus is and knows his very self — body and soul — is different now because of Jesus. He’s received a brandnew life, and his immediate response is to return to the source of this gift with praise and gratitude. Jesus calls this faith and says the man’s faith has made him well — not just physically healed, but well.
This “being well” is all about recognizing our gift of new life and wholeness from God, being humbled and transformed by that, and letting praise and thanksgiving become an anchor in our relationship with God. We are to live with an “attitude of gratitude” in response to all the undeserved gifts we receive from God, knowing we are incredibly loved and that everything is different when seen through that lens.
I confess — sometimes I forget I’ve been “made well.” Instead, I feel “unwell,” disconnected from any joyful, humble relationship with God. My mind gets caught up in all the realities of life, and I don’t feel like doing “praise and gratitude.” I even feel a little guilty being joyful or gifted when I know wars like Gaza and Ukraine are happening, incredible suffering is going on around the world, and so much injustice and unrest are happening in our own country. Who am I to be praising and grateful while others are suffering? People may also feel “unwell” because of painful things in their lives or because they are simply too distracted by the world to consider their blessings.
Here’s the good news for us: accepting our gifts, giving praise, and expressing our gratitude all strengthen our faith and trust in God. They help make us well, and that, in turn, makes us better able to go out and respond with intelligence, grace, compassion, strength, and boldness not only to the difficult situations in our own lives but also to the messy situations out there in our crazy world.
If we fail to appreciate God’s gifts and neglect the praise and gratitude, our faith is diminished. Without faith, we’re left to deal with all these difficult situations on our own. No thank you!
So, be like the Samaritan — always recognize this incredible gift of new life, love, and relationship God gives us. Let that soak in and change you, and be joyful! Then let yourself recognize all the other blessings you receive and all the things, great and small, that bring you joy each day. These are gifts, too! Praise God and say, “Thank you!”
Acknowledging the blessings in our lives with praise and gratitude isn’t ignoring the reality of pain and suffering — it’s making us well, restoring us in faith so we can get up and go on our way to share the love we have received with the rest of the world.
Trinity Episcopal Church welcomes you each Sunday at 10 a.m., where you will find a warm congregation, uplifting liturgy, and the good news of God’s love shared in word and sacrament. All are welcome — come and be part of a community that seeks to stand tall together in faith and love.
