Blizzards, Lepers and Gratitude

Luke 17:11-19

            Jesus was traveling through South Dakota.  As he entered the village of Rapid City, ten families that had been stuck in a blizzard without power for three days approached him.  They called out “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”  When he saw them he said “Go talk to the power company.”  And as they went on their way their power was restored.  Then one family, when they saw that the power was restored to their home, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.  They all lay down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him.  And they were nonbelievers.

Talk about good timing with this parable!  I think in the past week we have all had a moment of thankfulness or gratitude after that blizzard.  For some it was having power restored and for others it was the sound of running water.  For some it was being rescued from their car or home.  For others it was having their car plowed out.  For some it was finding that some of their herd of livestock had survived the storm.  For me as a people person and an extrovert, someone who gains energy from being around others, it was finally seeing people again.  At that moment I was so thankful and grateful to God that I had survived the blizzard and that I could be back around the people that gave me energy.  I would imagine that you had a similar moment of gratitude and thankfulness this week after blizzard Atlas.

That gratitude and thankfulness is a lesson to be learned in our text today from Luke.  There are ten lepers.  Lepers had a skin disease that was highly contagious, so they were cast out of their families and out of their homes.  They were sent out of the camp or community to live with other lepers, so no one else would catch their disease.  If they were healed of their leprosy they needed to go to the priest, who was the only one who could certify that they were now clean and could return to their community. 

            So when Jesus came through their village they called out in loud voices asking Jesus to heal them, to have mercy on them.  Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priest and as they went they were made clean.  Then one of them recognized the miracle healing that had just happened.  And he recognized who it was who had just sent them to the priest and who it was who had healed them.  So he decided to return to Jesus.  He praised God and then lay down in front of Jesus feet and thanked him for making him clean.

            This leper-made-clean was a Samaritan.  Remember that Samaritans were unbelievers.  They were outsiders.  Regardless, this man knew what had just happened and he was overwhelmed with thanksgiving and infused with a sense of gratitude.  He knew he needed to give thanks and praise to the one who had made him clean.  On that day the Samaritan leper received more than he ever dreamed he was asking for when he and his fellow lepers asked Jesus to have mercy on them.  He received a second blessing by Jesus.  Because he had returned, Jesus gave him one more blessing saying, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”  An even better translation of the Greek would be “your faith has saved you.”  Yes, Jesus provides salvation for this Samaritan – this nonbeliever.  Even though he was a Samaritan Jesus blesses him, loves him and saves him, just the way he is.

            But what about the other nine lepers that were made clean that day?  What happened to them?  Why didn’t they return to Jesus to say “thank you”?  Now, I am not sure that they did anything wrong.  They did what Jesus said.  They went to show themselves to the priest.  After all, Jesus didn’t tell them to make sure to come back and say thank you.  So they had followed directions and done what Jesus had told them to do.  According to the text, they did not give public verbal thanks for their blessing.  We don’t know if they gave thanks in private, maybe without even using any audible words.

            The one leper, the Samaritan, was able to receive the blessing that Jesus had given him, recognize it and give thanks for it.  That is a powerful thing.  Those two little words pack a powerful punch – “thank you.”  They mean a lot when we say them and when we have them said to us.  Thanksgiving is born out of our perception, our ability to recognize a blessing.  It is also created from articulation, our ability to put words around our gratitude.

            So, what?  How can this text intersect with our life?  For starters, we have plenty to be thankful for in our daily lives.  All too often, we take that for granted.  So be thankful.  Be thankful for a roof over your head and clothing on your back.  Be thankful for hot water and electricity.  Be thankful for health and life.  Be thankful for money in the bank and in your wallet.  Be thankful for food to eat and water to drink.  Most of all be thankful that you are a loved and forgiven child of God.

This text can also apply to our lives because we are lepers of sorts.  Now I don’t mean we have a skin disease, but we are infected with the disease of sin.  We need to be made clean.  We need to call out “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”  Then we need to allow the power that Jesus has to forgive our sins to soak into those sinful places of our lives.  Through the waters of baptism, the bread and wine of communion, and the words of confession and absolution we are offered forgiveness. 

And in response to the forgiveness we are granted and all the good gifts that are bestowed on us we need to have the perception to recognize the blessing that has just happened.  Then we put articulation with that and put words around the deep gratitude we have for our Savior, that he would forgive us our sins, love us, provide for us and save us.  Today Jesus says to you and to me, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has saved you.”  What is your response?  Amen.