by Emmett Smith

In Luke 17:12_vff, Luke the physician recorded the account of ten lepers who were healed by Jesus. They attracted His attention from afar, as required by Old Testament law, and were instructed to go show themselves to the priests. Then Jesus healed them as they went. Although all ten were healed, only one turned back to thank Jesus for having healed him of this dread disease! And to top it off, this individual was a Samaritan, regarded as a stranger or foreigner, inferior to the full blooded Jews of the day. But our Lord’s questions and remarks to this Samaritan indicate that He didn’t share that opinion.

In fact, this entire account was an indictment of the self righteous and ungrateful attitudes that prevailed among many of the Jews at that time. In verse 15 the Samaritan is said to have turned back and glorified God with a loud voice. And in verse 18 Jesus remarked that none of the other nine had returned to give glory to God. From the record of this event we may infer that gratitude in and of itself glorifies God. And ingratitude certainly displeases Him.

And while we are not lepers (at least the probability is almost nil) we certainly have much to be thankful for. As Paul told the Athenians on Mar’s Hill "in him we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts 17:28). Everything that we are and have, every thing, is provided by Him. And as if that isn’t enough, in Christ we have pardon from the ultimate consequences of our sins, a far greater healing than from leprosy! And yet we so often take these blessings for granted.

May we count our blessings each and every day. Of course, none of us can really count that high!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6,7).