Thanksgiving III

Luke 17:12-19 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up [their] voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw [them], he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on [his] face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where [are] the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger. And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

Gratitude and thanksgiving qualifies us for favour. Remember the leper who came back to give thanks for the healing, he found favour from Jesus and was declared whole. The other lepers were merely healed but the thankful one was restored to health fully. Leprosy causes someone's body parts like the fingers or toes to be cut off. So the healing to the other 9 people were just healed. The one thankful leper's toes grew back. 

Many people degenerate into uselessness and become reprobate because they do not give thanks. Thanksgiving brings life to relationships just like it brought life to the one leper's body parts.. Thanksgiving means you honour the other person as someone who is great and important and respond through words and actions or gifts. 

I remember a story of one child who made an unreasonable request to his parents to compile all the money they spent on him since he was born in order that he may pay them back. "That is impossible to do," the parents said. But the boy insisted. So they asked him to quantify into monetary amounts some of the things they did like, staying up all night when he was sick, labour pains for having a troubled delivery, stress they encountered while looking for money to pay tuition,  the cleanups they made on him when he pooped on them etc. The child came back to his senses and acknowledged that the only way to pay back is by saying thank you. No amount of money can equate the parents love. 

For that reason we should not take God's love for granted. He has loved us and given us life, families, friends, basic needs and salvation. 

Further scriptures 

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.