Jump Start # 985

Luke 17:17 Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they?

NOTE: Tomorrow is Thanksgiving. We will not have a Jump Start tomorrow or Friday. Enjoy the time with your family. Be thankful. Help others.

Our passage is one that I refer to often at Thanksgiving time. It is the account of the healing of the ten lepers. There are some interesting things about what happened. They are united in a deadly disease. The one who thanked Jesus was a Samaritan. Jesus made note of that. The very mention of that fact implies that the other nine were Jewish. Jews and Samaritans had no dealings with each other. They would not be standing together if they were well. This disease has crossed lines of differences and found that the only companion a leper has is another leper. I wonder if the nine cleansed lepers ever spoke again to the cleansed Samaritan.

They were also united in crying out to Jesus for mercy. Luke tells us that “THEY raised their voices, saying Jesus, Master, have mercy on US.” They and us—together in need.

They were united in what Jesus told them to do. The Lord didn’t tell the Jews to do one thing and the Samaritan something else. They were all given the same command—”go and show yourselves to the priests.” The priest of the Samaritan would be different from the Jewish priest but they seem to be united in going together. Go and show. He didn’t say, you are healed. Go and show. They left hoping, believing and thinking something would happen. It did. On the way, they were cleansed. They were given life, hope and a future. Jesus changed them.

The Samaritan returned to Jesus before he went to the priest. He fell at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him with a loud voice. The others were on the way to see the priest. They didn’t return. Jesus noted that. It is often suggested that they were not thankful. I doubt that. They were. They were wanting to have mercy and Jesus gave it to them. They received exactly what they were asking for. Why were they not thankful? Were they disappointed? Did this mean that they had to return to family and work and they didn’t want to? Not at all. They, like us, too often, are thankful in our hearts but we fail to express it. Others do not know that you are thankful until you say it. The one leper took the time to return and verbalize his feelings to Jesus.

We need to say “Thank you.” We need to say it often. Feeling it, knowing it, thinking it, isn’t the same as saying it. The one leper took the time to return and thank Jesus.

Here is a short list that comes to my mind of folks we need to say “thank you” to:

• Our parents for the care in raising us. Many of us got a great start in life because of our wonderful parents. They sacrificed for us. They worked hard to put us through college. They took us to worship often. They set rules. They fussed over us. They made us be modest, decent, and responsible. And look at us today…we are doing great things and much of that is due to our start.

• Our God for forgiving us. Salvation is a gift. God doesn’t have to save us. He chose to. What a mess we would be in without Jesus and grace. Have you ever said, “Thank you,” to God for forgiving you? Have you ever wondered just how many times God has forgiven you? Most of us would have run out of patience on ourselves by now. Not God. He believes in you, loves you and wants you. Amazing. Doesn’t that deserve at least a verbal “thank you.” One of my favorite hymns is entitled “Thank you.”
• God’s people that continue to help us. There are those in our congregations whose smiling face just seems to make everything right. There are those in other places who have preached sermons, written cards, sent emails, shared an article, said the right thing in the right way, that pushed us, reminded us, helped us, encouraged us and kept us going. They believe in you. They won’t let you down nor will they let you quit. They support, defend, and trust you. Thank you. Thank you. Let them know that. Tell them.

• And a personal one for me, thank you our readers of Jump Starts. So many of you have dropped me emails, nearly every day now, with expressions of warmth, love and encouragement. Who would have ever thought that this little thing I write each morning would have touched so many hearts. I feel that you, the readers have helped me more than I have ever helped you. I have been reminded that goodness is still out there. People do care. Honest and good hearts are making a difference. Our hearts have been brought together over sad news such as the death of friends and we have rejoiced with happy news like a wedding. Our list of readers continues to grow every month. I am amazed. You have touched my heart deeply and I would invite each one of you to my house for Thanksgiving but I think that would make my wife a bit frantic about where we would sit everyone. Thank you. Thank you for reading, sharing and believing in the goodness that I have tried to express in these Jump Starts.

Thank you. Say it. Express it. Show it. Mean it. Live it.

My thanks to you,

Roger