“But Are We Grateful?” – Luke 17:11-19 – October 14, 2007

One evening I arrived home just after dark. When I entered the house my wife said, “Did you see the new flowers out by the mailbox?” Unfortunately I didn’t notice. I had driven within a few feet of the spot where my wife had replaced her summertime flowers with fall flowers. I was so focused on getting home that I hadn’t noticed anything had changed. I used the excuse that it was dark outside and told my wife I was sorry that I hadn’t noticed.

I wonder how many times we miss things or we are simply unable to “see?” Some folks are totally oblivious to the fact that the world is changing and they refuse to adapt. Others ignore problems or make no decisions when a response is necessary. Still others fail to see the needs of others because they are too consumed with themselves. Perhaps people are too busy, too focused on their personal agendas, or people simply don’t care about what is happening around them.

In the story of the ten lepers Jesus “saw” those who no one else could see. People with leprosy in that day were outcasts and spiritually unclean. Therefore, Jesus told them to go to the priests and subsequently they were made clean. This is not unusual since Jesus was always aware of those around him who had special needs. However, what is unusual is that one of ten returned to Jesus and thanked him for being whole again. “When he saw that he had been healed, he turned back, and praised god with a loud voice.”

The lone leper was acutely aware that he had been healed. There was a change in his life and he was grateful. He showed his appreciation to Jesus by returning and prostrating himself at his feet. Meanwhile the other nine did nothing. They were made clean but none of them gave God any credit for the change that had taken place. In other words, they took their good fortune for granted.

For me, this story illustrates three important messages. First, God wants us to be aware of what is happening around us by empathizing with those who are hurting. Secondly, there are some on the outside who see clearer than those on the inside. Third, God wants us to be grateful when our lives have been changed in a positive way.

In this series of saying and stories, Jesus was trying to change the perceptions of his followers. The disciples were not seeing clearly. Their vision was distorted by their pride, their lack of commitment and the influences of the culture they lived in. Faith is about seeing and responding to what we see. Jesus saw the ten lepers who needed healing and the one leper saw that his life had been changed. He attributed his new found wholeness to the love he received from Jesus.

What do you see? Better still, who do you see? “Seeing” means more than just physical sight. It means seeing an opportunity to help someone who has need. In this case it also means being grateful for what God has done. To see is to have faith. To have faith is to show gratitude toward God for God’s mercy and blessings.

Ironically, the one leper who saw clearly was a Samaritan. He was an outsider twice over. Yet, it was this outsider who was thankful for what Jesus has done. Did the others take Jesus for granted? “Where are they?” Jesus asked. The others took Jesus’ act of mercy for granted but this outsider was grateful. Sometimes it takes people on the outside, complete strangers, even adversaries, to help us see clearly.

The lone leper knew what it meant to be an outsider. In that society, the Jewish culture had boundaries and specific rules as to how Jews should treat Samaritans. They also had rules as to how priests should treat Israelites, how men should treat women, and so on. Boundaries enabled certain groups to maintain position, power and privilege. Samaritans were regarded as unclean because of their history of mixed marriages and the fact that they came from the Northern Kingdom. By identifying the lone leper as a Samaritan, Jesus shatters the stereotypes of social boundaries. He demonstrates that God’s love is not limited to any one particular group. Since a Samaritan could praise God because of God’s mercy, therefore so can we.

Sadly I missed my wife’s newly planted flowers by the mailbox. I felt guilty, like I had let her down. I feel the same way when I discover after the fact that someone in the congregation has been in the hospital. Had I’d been aware, I could have visited.

How often do we drive by someone’s home that we know who has problems and wonder how they are doing? Because we are in neighborhood we have a heightened awareness. Unfortunately there are times when we see but our seeing is limited when we do nothing to respond. When Jesus saw the lepers on the road, their presence heightened his awareness of a group of people who were on the fringes of society and who had a special need. He acted, although only one showed gratitude.

Perhaps this story is also a reality check for us. Not everyone we reach out to, not everyone we “see” will take the time to thank us. On the other hand, some do and that’s why we continue to respond. Look at it this way; if only 10% responded to Jesus, why should we expect anything more?

An old legend tells how a man once stumbled upon a great red barn after wandering for days in a forest in the dark. He was seeking refuge from the howling winds of a storm. He entered the barn and his eyes grew accustomed to the dark. To his astonishment, he discovered that this was the barn where the devil kept his storehouse of seeds. They were the seeds that were sown in the hearts of humans. The man became curious and lit a match. He began exploring the piles of bins of seeds round him. He couldn’t help but notice that the greatest majority of them said, “Seeds of Discouragement.” About that time one of the devil’s helpers arrived to pick up a load of seeds. The man asked him, “Why the abundance of discouragement seeds?” The helper laughed and replied, “Because they are so effective and they take root so quickly.” “Do they grow everywhere?” the man asked. At that moment the devil’s helper became very sullen. He glared at the man and in disgust he said, “No. They never seem to grow in the heart of a grateful person.”

God wants us to have a thankful heart. Being grateful is a way of expressing our faith. For by being grateful we are acknowledging God as the true source of our healing and return to wholeness. The lone leper returned to give thanks because his life had changed. His life had been profoundly touched by a God who cares. While all ten lepers were healed, it was only this one man who truly experienced the life giving mercy of God.

The lone leper was healed and so he gave thanks. What about being thankful when things don’t go our way? Are we still grateful when a health problem does not go away? What happens when some dream goes unrealized or we have to continue to live our lives with a persistent ailment?

In his book, I Remember, by Dan Rather, Rather told about his experience with football tryouts at Sam Houston State Teachers College. Rather weighed 155 pounds and he didn’t fare well at all. Coach Wilson told him to give it up which meant he would have to lose his athletic scholarship and his dream of playing college football. Instead of being bitter, Dan Rather thanked his coach for helping him face reality. That became the turning point in his life as it led to another vocation of sports casting and journalism. His attitude of thanksgiving enabled him to prevail in spite of his adversity.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio