Luke 17:11-19
Living through the coronavirus pandemic, coupled with various forms of social unrest, continues to be an unsettling experience. Collectively we’ve tried to cope with the consequences of isolation, anxiety, depression and grief while grappling with losses of income, life choices, and loved ones.
I’m not quite sure when the pandemic became a little easier to navigate, even with conflicting response strategies, but a shift did occur. It happened gradually, and not as consistently as I would have liked, but I’m still grateful. I thank God for this shift, though I confess that my gratitude comes more easily now that more of life resembles what was previously familiar.
Luke’s narrative about Jesus healing the ten lepers challenges me. The illness that those ten endure causes them to live with tremendous uncertainty. Leprosy forces them into an isolation with limited choices. When they cry out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (v. 13), we are relieved to see Jesus respond to them. He instructs the group to show themselves to the priest. As they go to do what he says, they are made clean (v. 14).
So one of the ten returns to Jesus to express gratitude. Jesus points out that the foreigner is the only one who does so. Jesus tells him, “Your faith has made you well” (v. 19), making a clear connection between a vital faith and a dedication to being grateful. Challenging circumstances often make us more attentive and appreciative of the gifts that sustain us. But Jesus is telling us that thanksgiving is the fruit of a faithful life. Those who live gratefully experience a form of healing other than physical.
Consider
When have you missed the opportunity to thank God for the progress in your life?
Pray
God, forgive me for taking you for granted. Thank you for my life and for sustaining me through the good times and the bad. Amen.