Luke 17: 11-19 tells us about an encounter Jesus had while traveling through Samaria on his way to Jerusalem. When he entered a certain village, he met ten men, standing far off, who were lepers. They called out loudly, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”
Jesus saw them and told them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
It came to pass that while they were on their way to see the priests, they were cleansed. One of them, when he realized what had happened, was so thankful that he turned back to Jesus and with a loud voice glorified God. He fell on his face at Jesus feet, thanking him for the healing. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus said, “Were there not ten that were cleansed? Where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, except this one stranger.” And he said to the man, “Arise, go thy way: they faith has made thee whole.”
As I read this passage from Luke, I thought about last week when we enjoyed Thanksgiving. I wondered how many who gathered around their tables, loaded with food, remembered to give God the glory for all the blessings we’ve enjoyed this year. I hope we all remembered to open our hearts to Jesus and say, “thank you.”
In Jesus’ encounter with the lepers, it is pointed out that the only one who thanked him was from Samaria. Samaritans were shunned by the Jews because of their pagan beliefs and the fact that they were half Jew and half Gentile. In order to avoid them, most Jews traveling from Judea to Galilee, crossed the Jordan, went around Samaria, and crossed the river again to reach their destination… Jesus went right through the middle of Samaria and Galilee.
As always, Jesus is not concerned about who we are or where we are from, but what is in our heart. As he told the Pharisees when they demanded to know when the kingdom of God would come in Luke 20-21: “The kingdom of God comes not with observation. Neither shall they say, lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.”
We can make every day Thanksgiving by remembering to do as it says in Ephesians 5: 18-20…but be filled with the Spirit. Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ.