Tidings for Tuesday
And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Luke 17:17
What possible excuse could the nine lepers give for not thanking the Lord Jesus for healing them? In the worst possible condition, they had received the greatest blessing imaginable; but they didn’t stop to thank the Healer. Why? Someone has come up with nine possible excuses these nine men might have used. One was waiting to see if the cure was real. Another saw the cure was real, but was going to wait to see if it was lasting. A third had an urgent appointment and would see Jesus later. Another decided he probably didn’t have leprosy in the first place. Yet another felt he would have gotten better on his own. One leper gave the glory to the priests who performed the cleansing ritual. Another didn’t think Jesus had actually done anything. Another said that any rabbi could have done the same thing. The last leper wasn’t impressed because he was already much improved. All empty, thankless escuses. The sad thing is, there are too many of those excuses today. Among Christians, too.
We know it is discouraging to do something worthwhile for another person and not to hear a hint of thanks. It happens all the time. But it should never become an excuse for us to not be thankful ourselves. Certainly we would never forget to thank the Lord many times a day for ever saving our souls! And to thank Him for the many blessings He has given us, although it wouldn’t hurt for us to take a crash course on recognizing the Lord’s many blessings. Thankfulness to the Lord is the hallmark of a happy Christian. Conversely, thanklessness will make us sour.
We have others to thank every day, too, and it should be a habit with us to express our thankfulness frequently (every hour, not every month!). Fellow Christians appreciate a word of thanks, too, and not just for kind and thoughtful things done for ourselves. Being appreciative is also a good way to present a good testimony to the world. For example, a person who has done me a favour will be much more receptive to taking a Gospel tract if I have thanked them appropriately for the favour.
How much sweeter the world would be if more people were thankful! Make sure you are part of the ten percent who recognize there is much to be thankful for. -Jim MacIntosh