Tag: lepers

The One Who Came Back

Carl Pollard

Luke 17:11-19, ”On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

Two friends met each other on the street one day. One looked upset, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, “What’s wrong?” The other answered and said, “well, three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars.” The friend responded and said, “That’s a lot of money.” 

“But you see, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and he left me eighty-five thousand dollars.” The guy answered back, “Sounds to me that you’ve been very blessed.” “You don’t understand!” he interrupted. “Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million from her.” Now the man’s friend was really confused. “Then, why are you so upset!?” “Because…this week I got nothing!”

We can often come to the point where we expect to get certain blessings that God never promised us, and when they do not come, it is easy to get bitter. As Christians, our lives should be filled with gratitude. There’s so much that God has already done for us! But there are times where we expect God to do things, or give us something that isn’t promised to us. When the moment comes and we don’t get it, what is our response? If God’s answer is yes, be grateful. If God’s answer is no, be grateful. 

Gratitude is a forgotten and dying attitude. Which sadly, has long been difficult for mankind to express. A well known example of this is found in Luke 17. This account is unique to the gospel of Luke. Up to this point Jesus has been giving parable after parable, but what happens in 11-19 takes place on their journey to Jerusalem? 

A real life example that we should take to heart. Gratitude is a lost art. 

But we can learn what God expects of us from these few verses: 

  1. Gratitude Is Not Conditional (11-14) 
  2. Gratitude Must Lead To Action (15-16) 
  3. Gratitude Is Uncommon (17-18) 
  4. Gratitude Is Life Changing (19)

Ten were healed, but only one came back. And he came back because he realized that he had something to do. Jesus changed his life, and he couldn’t just leave and not show his appreciation. He HAD to turn back, because Jesus was his salvation!

I’d like to suggest that as Christian’s we ALL have a reason to turn back. 

Eph. 2:4, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved.“

God has shown His love, so let’s show our gratitude. You can do that by praising Him each day, because every day He is with us and is forgiving of our faults. Show God that you are grateful for what He has done by giving your life to Him. There’s no greater joy than trying to give back to a God that has given so much to us.

Seven Reasons We Fail To Give Thanks

Brent Pollard

Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and I can’t help but wonder how many people in the United States will take a moment to thank God. While some reject the day due to its association with Plymouth and the “original Thanksgiving” celebration, the fact remains that all of our presidents have thanked God in their Thanksgiving proclamations. Therefore, I am okay with doing away with the pilgrims as long as we can maintain the day’s significance set forth by historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln. On Thanksgiving Day, we reflect on our blessings, express our gratitude to God, and ask for His continued beneficent providence in our national life. Thus, unlike Easter and Christmas, which carry pagan baggage from the standpoint of their traditions, Thanksgiving is the most Christian of all federal holidays.

Luke records an instance during Christ’s ministry in which He encountered ingratitude on a par with modern America. Only one of the ten lepers He healed returned to thank Christ for what He had done (Luke 17.11–19). Jesus even asked, “Were there not ten cleansed?” (NASB Luke 17.17) People do their best to spin the nine’s actions in a positive light. Emotion overcame the nine, and they longed to return to their previous lives. Besides, they followed Christ’s command to go and show themselves to the priests. And what if the Samaritan only returned because he lacked a priest to whom he could present himself as a foreigner? In any case, Jesus told the Samaritan that his actions had made him “well” (Luke 17.19).

What prevents us from showing gratitude like the Samaritan? Here are seven possible reasons:

We are too busy and distracted. Modern life can be busy and distracting, making it difficult to appreciate the present moment and count blessings.

We can be too materialistic. It can be challenging to be grateful for what one has in consumerist societies because materialism has overtaken the value placed on intangibles like relationships and experiences.

We compare ourselves to others. Due to constant comparison with others and the influence of social media, one may experience feelings of inadequacy or jealousy, which can prevent one from feeling grateful for their life and circumstances.

We may have a negativity bias. People naturally tend to dwell on negative rather than positive things. Instead of focusing on what we have, we will concentrate on what we don’t. That inclination is a negativity bias.

We are on a hedonic treadmill. This phenomenon of becoming accustomed to pleasure is known as hedonic adaptation. In simpler terms, we get used to things emotionally. For example, when I acquire a new and shiny object, it brings me happiness. However, this happiness is short-lived, as I soon become accustomed to it.

Similarly, when something terrible happens, I feel sad but adapt to the change over time, and my happiness levels return to normal. As a side note, we note that God offers us joy, not happiness. Joy is renewed from within, avoiding the hedonic treadmill. Hence, it can even be an implied imperative (see Philippians 4.4).

We forget to be still. This results from failing to heed Psalm 46.10, which says, “Be still, and know that I am God” (KJV). A similar root cause is that people are too preoccupied with their lives to stop and offer thanks. Luke 11.24–26 shows that refraining from one bad behavior is not enough to prevent the substitution of another bad behavior. We need to fill the void by starting something useful. New Agers and Buddhists would call this “practicing mindfulness.”

But Christians do engage in their form of mindfulness as well. A Christian sets aside specific times for quiet reflection, away from the distractions of daily life, rather than sitting in the lotus position and breathing deeply. Christian mindfulness is about creating a space to focus inwardly and become more aware of God’s presence. Praying and reading the Bible are two of the best ways to accomplish this. Those who commit to being still and knowing God will be grateful.

We feel entitled. Individuals may feel entitled in societies where success and happiness are highly valued. This thinking can dull people’s gratitude and lead them to take their blessings for granted. Gifts become their norm rather than providential occurrences (see James 1.17).

As Thanksgiving draws near, we must truly understand what this holiday is all about. It’s not only a time for food and family gatherings but also genuine gratitude. In our busy lives, full of distractions and the pursuit of material comforts, we often forget to give thanks for the simple things. However, this day allows us to break free from these tendencies. It encourages us to step off the hedonic treadmill, put aside our negativity bias and the sense of entitlement that clouds our perception, and instead embrace a spirit of thankfulness. By being still, as suggested in Psalm 46:10, we can truly appreciate the blessings bestowed upon us, recognizing them as gifts from God rather than mere entitlements or passing pleasures. Thanksgiving, at its core, is a day to emulate the gratitude of the Samaritan leper, acknowledging our blessings and expressing our heartfelt thanks to the Divine. In doing so, we honor the tradition set forth by figures like Abraham Lincoln and cultivate a more profound sense of joy and contentment in our lives. So, let this Thanksgiving remind us to pause, reflect, and give thanks with a full heart.

Are You Grateful?

Neal Pollard

Jesus asked a lone, appreciative soul, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine–where are they? Was no one found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:17-18). They were terrified (13), terminal (12), transformed (14), but they were not thankful. They were saved, but to what end? They were selfish and not spiritual. God made them whole, and what did they do? They blended into the world when they should have blessed The Word.

Ingratitude increasingly characterizes man’s interaction with man–the etiquette of thank you cards is rarer, the feelings of loyalty and appreciation for the American military and first responders is waning, and many have forgiven themselves of the debt owed to generations past whose sacrifice has led us to national plenty. This is not all-inclusive and at times there are spikes of improvement and pleasant, positive change toward greater thankfulness.

Yet, since the time when Christ’s sandals kicked up dust in Palestine, people have failed to show gratitude to Him. that the ingratitude comes from those whom He saved from the devil’s disease and death is remarkable! Yet, we all struggle with that sin.

New Testament writers point out how grave an error ingratitude is. Paul warned about the “ungrateful” (2 Tim. 3:2) who would ultimately make no spiritual progress. God rejects as foolish and futile those who “glorified Him not as God, neither were thankful” (Rom. 1:21). Someone may ask, “Why make such a big deal about something so seemingly minor?”

Is it minor? If we’re not thankful to God, one or more things have occurred. (1) We are convinced there is no eternity and it’s all about here and now. (2) We have forgotten how it felt to be forgiven. (3) We believe that everything is about us and nothing is about anyone else, let alone God. (4) We have come to believe that sin is just no big deal. (5) We think we owe everything we have and are to no one but ourselves. No doubt, more answers could be postulated, but here is the bottom line. A failure to thank God for His abundant blessings makes one in more dire condition than any leper ever was. We may not be losing our extremities, our hair may not be turning bleach white, we may not have painful sores, and we may not be social outcasts. But, here is what has happened. Our heart is cold, our soul is endangered, we’re in denial, and we’re blinded to the realest of realities.

Won’t you say with David, “Enter His gates with thanksgiving And His courts with praise. Give thanks to Him, bless His name.For the Lord is good; His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations” (Ps. 100:4-5)? Stop and think how much you owe to God. Translate that gratitude into godly servitude. Give Him your best. Give Him yourself. Give Him your thanks. 

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