“A Simple Act: Thanksgiving” (Luke 17:11-19)

Though it is a quote about prayer made in the 13^th century by a German Dominican priest, theologian, philosopher and mystic, I find it to one of the most powerful statements about the root of faith no matter what generation hears it.  Meister Eckhart said: “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”  It is true that gratitude is the center of our life of prayer, but more importantly it is the foundational way that we relate to God.

Gratitude . . . thanksgiving . . . or giving thanks is to acknowledge and show appreciation for a blessing, gift or act of kindness that has been received from another.  As the faithful . . . as a follower of Jesus . . . this points us towards God who is the “giver of all good things,” a phrase that comes from the Book of James, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17, NIV)  Our whole lives are to be based on the simple act of giving thanks to God who is present in all things in our lives . . . we are to live lives of gratitude.  Something we should be doing from the moment we recognize God’s presence in our lives.

In the story from our reading this morning.  Jesus is on the road to Jerusalem on the border between Samaria and Galilee.  As he is approaching a village, he encounters ten men with leprosy.  As they are mandated to do, the ten stand at a distance from Jesus, crying out to him to have pity on them.  Seeing them he blesses them and tells them to go and show themselves to the priests.  Jesus has healed them of their leprosy.  No longer would they be outsiders.  No longer would they be ostracized from the community.  They have been given a place at the table.  They are included.

Now remember that there were ten.  In the story only one returns . . . in fact, he returns before the group even gets to the priests.  He returns, falls at the feet of Jesus, and gives thanks.  It is at this point that we learn that he is a Samaritan . . . a foreigner.  Even Jesus acknowledges this about the man.  Jesus affirms the man and his faith for his simple act of giving thanks.

In saying thank you, the one acknowledges God’s presence . . . acknowledges the blessing that has been received . . . gives praise to God.  Missing from the story at this point are the other nine but let us not go ballistic on them.  Though Jesus sees that they did not return to give thanks, they have done nothing wrong.  They have done exactly what they had been told and expected to do . . . they went to the priests to be confirmed in their healing.  Jesus does not condemn the nine, he only notes that only one . . . a foreigner—a Samaritan . . . returned to say, “thank you”.  He also acknowledges the Samaritan’s gratitude as the key to his healing . . . as the foundation of his faith.

Now we can look at the undercurrents of this story . . . the fact that Jesus welcomes those who are on the outside looking in . . . encountering the unwelcomed and welcoming them into the family.  We could look at the fact that of the ten only the one who was not of the same people . . . a Gentile, a foreigner, a dreaded Samaritan . . . is the only one who pauses to offer thanks for the blessing he has received.  We could note that Jesus makes a hero out of this despised person, more or less an untouchable political and religious enemy.  We could look at the irony of the whole story, but the point here is not any of that . . . the point is that the man recognized God’s presence in his life, recognized God’s role in his healing, and understood that he needed to say “thank you”.  He needed to acknowledge God’s presence in it.  Because he did it made him well.

Now “well” in this situation is not talking about his physical body.  Jesus had already taken care of that earlier.  No, what Jesus is referring to here is the man’s spiritual body.  Here Jesus affirms that the man’s gratitude and thanksgiving has made him “whole”.  He has entered into the realm of “wholeness” or “holiness” . . . his mind, body, and spirit are aligned and in relationship with God.  He has discovered “peace” . . . Shalom.

We begin to enter into this “wholeness” or “holiness” when we start to live our lives in such a way that it is based upon giving “thanks” . . . giving thanks for the blessing that God’s presence is in every aspect of our lives . . . good and bad.  God is there.  Acknowledging it is the key.  Acknowledging it in the words that we speak and the actions that we take.  It is embracing our relationship of love with God and others . . . all that they bring to the table of our lives . . . and, saying, “Thank you!”

Saying “thank you” is such a simple act.  We can all do it.  We can all say “thank you” to God . . . we can say “thank you” to others.  It is as simple as that.  As Meister Eckhart says, “. . . it will be enough.”  Enough to acknowledge our gratitude for our relationships with God and with others.

We are entering into the season we have set aside as a nation to “give thanks”.  This is a good and worthy holiday . . . to pause and give thanks.  It is also a good reminder of what we should be doing all the time . . . giving thanks.  Each and every day . . . every moment . . . it an opportunity to give thanks because God is all around us like the air that we breathe.  It is not about the turkey, mashed potatoes, pumpkin pie, and all the mythological symbols . . . it is not about the eating.  No, it is about pausing and giving thanks . . . thanks that there is food to eat, people to break bread with, and a God who is present through it all.  Giving thanks is what the holiday is about.  It is a reminder of what we are to do each and every day . . . to say, “Thank you.”

Giving “thanks” this year might be a little more difficult . . . a little more cumbersome . . . as we deal with the restrictions placed upon us due to the pandemic that is still raging across the world.  It is not the same song and dance as it has been in the past.  There won’t be the big gatherings of family and friends.  There won’t be the big parades taking place.  And, yet, the opportunity is there.

We can still acknowledge God’s presence because God is here with us . . . always with us.  God never abandons us.  Therein lies the blessing . . . the gift.  We can still acknowledge the presence of others in our lives whether they are in the same room with us or in a virtual room found on the Internet.  We can say “thank you” for God, others, and our lives.  Not only on Thanksgiving Day, but each and every day.  We can show gratitude. In our gratitude we find “wholeness” and “holiness” . . . we discover the foundation of our intimacy with God and others . . . we discover our faith.  Our faith will make even the darkest hours, the most divisive moments, and craziest times bearable . . . bearable because we realize the blessing in not being alone.  God is with us.  We are with one another.

As we are reminded in our moment of pausing this coming week, we are blessed.  What simpler or better way is there to express our gratitude than by simply saying, “Thank you!”  It is not just a beginning . . . it is enough.  Amen.

    

“Enough” (Luke 17:11-19)

In the dusk of the evening this past Friday, I drove over to Cooney Dam in the hope that I would be able to get some wonderful pictures with my camera.  For the most part, I didn’t have much luck.  I saw the usual suspects . . . lots and lots of deer and geese; but nothing spectacular.  Having driven two-thirds of the way around the lake, I pulled into a camping area to turn around.  Just as I was about to make a turn I saw a flash of white.  It landed on a fence post.

Of course I stopped my car.  I had to see what it was.  It was a pretty bird that was gray, then black, then white.  At first I thought it was a Clark’s Nutcracker . . . but, it was too small.  So, I whipped out my camera and started taking pictures.  Amazingly, it let me take quite a few pictures before it tired of me and flew off.  

I didn’t know what it was, but I was certain I would figure it out when I got home.  All I knew was that it was something I had never seen before and it was a strikingly beautiful bird.  All I could utter at that moment was “thank you.”  I had been blessed.

Well, it turns out that the bird was a Northern Shrike.  The Northern Shrike is a bird that is uncommon and fairly rare in this area.  It is a hunter that feeds itself on small birds and rodents.  Upon learning this, once again, all I could say was, “Wow!  Thanks!”

It was pretty nice to receive a blessing at the end of a tough couple of weeks.  With my job at the university I have been on the road eight out of ten days . . . lots of miles . . . and, lots of kids . . . looking in their ears and testing their hearing.  It was nice to receive an unexpected gift.  And, it was nice to be able to acknowledge that gift.

We are entering into the season of Thanksgiving . . . a season when we are encouraged to be thankful.  But, it is tough to be thankful when we are constantly worrying about life and the world around us.  There seems to be plenty to worry about whether it is as a nation, state, community, or even family.  We are living in some pretty worrisome times.  We might do better with a little moaning, groaning, and complaining . . . good ol’ biblical lamenting, than lifting up thanks.  But, we are called to giving thanks . . . thanksgiving.

It is something we should consider, especially in light of our scripture reading this morning.

As with many of the stories in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus encounters a group of outsiders . . . ten lepers.  These ten individuals called out to Jesus to heal them of their leprosy.  From a distance, Jesus heals them and tells them to go to the local priest to be declared healed.  And, they went . . . except for one.  One of the men, seeing that he was healed, returned to Jesus, threw himself at the feet of Jesus, and thanked him profusely.  

Now, in this story, there are a couple of things taking place.  First, there is the healing . . . Jesus said that they were healed and they were healed.  By sending them to the local priest this would be confirmed . . . and, the ten did exactly what they were told to do.  They did nothing wrong and they still received the blessing.  But, it was only one who recognized the immensity of the blessings . . . only one who returned to give thanks for the blessing he had received.  Now, remember, the other nine had done nothing wrong.  They did exactly what they were told to do.

Second, the man who returns to give thanks . . . well, he is blessed a second time.  True, like the other nine he was blessed with healing, but this time he receives something deeper . . . he receives wholeness . . . he is saved.  He received the blessing that comes from recognizing blessing and giving thanks--the blessing, that is, of wholeness and salvation.  This guy got the whole picture, and for getting the whole picture he discovers the wholeness and holiness that comes with complete intimacy with the Holy.

It is powerful to not only receive a blessing, but to also acknowledge it . . . to name it and give thanks for it.  Think about those moments when you have felt that power.

Last Sunday, as I sat back and watched our choir and others sing and fellowship with the residents at two care facilities . . . to see the residents singing along, laughing, talking . . . I was blessed in a powerful moment of hospitality, and all I could do was to say, “Thank you.”

On Friday evening, as I drove around, the sun was setting on the mountains . . . the clouds were vibrant in color . . . and, soaring in the air, playing in the wind currents, was a solitary Bald Eagle . . . looping and playing in glorious sky.  Again, I was blessed . . . and, all I could say was, “Thank you.”

At our first soup supper and discussion a few weeks ago, I sat there listening to conversations, enjoying the laughter, relishing the food . . . and just looking around at those who were gathered there . . . and, I was blessed.  In that blessing, all I could utter was, “Thank you.”

According to one biblical commentator, “Thanksgiving is like that.  It springs from perception--our ability to recognize blessing--and articulation--giving expression, no matter how inadequate it may seem at the time, or our gratitude for that blessing.  And every time these two are combined--sight and word--giving thanks actually grants a second blessing.”

Gratitude--giving thanks--is huge.  It draws us out of ourselves into something larger, bigger, and grander than we could imagine and joins us to the font of blessing itself . . . into the presence of God . . . into the Holy.  It frees us from fear, releases us from anxiety, and emboldens us to do more and dare more than we’d ever imagine.

Which brings us back to that tenth leper . . . the one who came back.  This was a man with many strikes against himself.  Not only was he an outside because of his leprosy, he was also an outsider because he was a Samaritan.  In his healing he realized that he was more than leper or a Samaritan . . . he realized that he had been acknowledge as a child of God, whole and accepted and beautiful just as he was.  With his words, Jesus affirms this, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”

The world is full of blessing and challenges . . . which will we focus on?  True, there are times for lamenting . . . but, given the day and age we live in, maybe we need to remember the tenth leper.

The 14th century German theologian, Meister Eckhart reminds us, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.”  May we become a people of giving thanks . . . a people of wholeness and holiness.  Amen.