Unlocking Blessings With Gratitude

~ As Jesus continued on toward Jerusalem, He reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As He entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what He had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you.” Luke 17:11-19

We live in a world that tells us we’re not enough, we’re lacking, and we need more. Our society emphasizes the pursuit of more – more wealth, more success, more recognition. Gratitude is as a powerful counterbalance between the ways of the world and the ways of Christ. Gratitude shifts our focus from what we lack to what we have, and in doing so, it transforms our perspective so we can see the way things really are.

Gratitude isn’t just a positive feeling, but a spiritual discipline that aligns our hearts with God’s goodness. The story of the ten lepers is a powerful reminder of this truth. We learn that gratitude is not just about saying “thank you” but about recognizing the Source of our blessings and responding to Him with a heart full of praise. The “Source” and “Him” being Jesus.

As Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem, He encountered ten lepers who cried out for mercy. These men were outcasts, suffering in body and spirit. When they saw Jesus, they called out to Him. Moved with compassion, Jesus told them to go do what the Scriptures said to do and show themselves to the priests. As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. Imagine the joy of knowing you’ve been healed. They had been given their lives back. Yet, out of the ten, only one returned to thank Jesus.

This one man, a Samaritan, fell at Jesus’ feet and praised God with a loud voice. His gratitude was not merely a polite gesture of thanksgiving. It was an outpouring of worship. He recognized that his healing was not just a random act of kindness, but divine intervention.

Jesus, noticing that only one of the ten had returned, asked why this was. His question highlights the sobering reality that it’s easy to receive blessings without acknowledging their Source. The other nine were healed, but they missed the opportunity to express their gratitude and deepen their relationship with Jesus.

In our lives, we’re often like the nine who forget to return. We pray for help, and when it comes, we move on without pausing to give thanks. Gratitude is more than a fleeting emotion. It’s recognition that we’re not self-sufficient. It reminds us that our blessings come from a loving and generous God who delights in caring for us.

So, let’ s take a lesson from the one leper who returned, and as we count our blessings, let’s remember to turn our hearts back to Jesus. By cultivating a spirit of gratitude, we honor God and keep our eyes fixed on Him.