When he saw that he was healed, one of them came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him for what He had done. This man was a Samaritan. Luke 17:15-16
“I already have this!” These were the words that came out of my six-year-old mouth when I opened presents at my birthday party. I had just opened up a present that my friend gave me. It was a gift I already owned, and I quickly let her and the rest of the attendees at my birthday party know. My parents promptly pulled me aside and told me that my thanklessness had probably hurt my friend’s feelings. I had to learn a better way. I had to learn gratitude. The same is true in my prayer life and yours. We need to praise God for the good things he has done for us when we pray.
Luke 17 teaches a poignant lesson about gratitude. In this section of Scripture, we find ten men who had leprosy. All of them came to Jesus and called to Him, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” (verse 13). They wanted to be healed of their disease. In response, Jesus told them to go show themselves to the priests. This was because, when someone had leprosy or any similar disease, the priest was the one who declared him or her clean and allowed to be let back into the community. With diseases such as leprosy, people were called to distance themselves from their community. The Bible teaches that as the men were on their way to the priest, they noticed that they were cured. Of the ten men, only one of them went back to Jesus to thank Him for what He had done. One man went back to thank Him. The ironic thing about this man? He was a Samaritan, one who was considered an outcast. He was not even a proper Jew. Yet this man had the right response full of gratitude.
The nine men who were healed by Jesus yet never looked back to thank Him missed a huge opportunity to show gratitude. I am quick to judge them for not even turning around thanking Jesus for the incredible healing He provided. I, too, have been guilty of taking the gifts of God without giving Him gratitude in return for His gifts. I am also quick to take His gifts for granted and forget them. Maybe you can relate.
It is time that we stop, recognize the blessings that God has given us, and thank Him. It is time that we express gratitude when we praise God. May you and I, with the joy and vigor of the grateful Samaritan man, never cease to turn and praise God. Prayer is our opportunity to thank God for all He has done.
We have to be people who for opportunities to praise God for His blessings. Today, take account of all of God’s blessings to you. Keep a log, and for every hour, write down one thing that you are grateful for. Let’s never miss an opportunity to praise God for every way He has blessed us. Spend some time praying a prayer of thanksgiving!
Read Luke 17:11-19(NLT)
As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, he reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As he entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.
One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” 16 He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.
Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.”
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