Jesus asked, "We're not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?"
Luke 17:17
Once while traveling along the border between Samaria and Galilee, Jesus encountered a group of lepers who, with a loud voice, asked Him to have pity on them. Even though the men were a mixed group of Jews and Samaritans, their illness had broken down their racial barriers, and they were united in their misery.
We do not know how long these men had been together, but their survival probably depended on doing things as a group. Jesus asked them to show themselves to the priest, which was against the law of Moses. The Bible tells us that without hesitation, all of them started walking, and they were healed on their way to see the priest.
These men showed an incredible level of faith by being willing to show themselves to the priest. By law, a leper could not go into the temple. On the rare occasion that a leper was healed, he had to bring two birds and make arrangements for the priest to declare him clean. These men were willing to risk their lives to be cleansed, but nine did not want to walk a short distance to thank Jesus after He healed them.
When in need, we fast, pray, travel to conferences, make promises to God, called people requesting prayer, but how much time do we spend thanking God for His goodness after He answers our prayers? Jesus missed the nine lepers that did not come back to thank him. God notices our gratitude. Our humble "thank yous" matter to Him.
Friends, why don't we take some time this Thanksgiving Week to reflect and evaluate our expressions of gratitude towards the Lord? Let us ensure that even if the entire world forgets to thank God for His goodness, we do not. Let us be like the Samaritan who did not mind walking alone for the first time in a long time to express his gratitude towards the Lord. God has been good to us. Let us thank God for His blessings today, this week, and always.
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