The Power of a Thankful Heart

"Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus travelled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, 'Jesus, Master, have pity on us!'

When he saw them, he said, 'Go, show yourselves to the priests.' And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?' Then he said to him, 'Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'"

This is a story of a miracle, but it's more than that. It's a story about a moment of profound transformation for ten men, and it's a timeless lesson for each of us about the importance of a thankful heart.

Let's first consider the plight of these ten men. To be a leper in the time of Jesus was to be an outcast. It was a life sentence of social and spiritual isolation. These men were barred from their homes and communities. They were required to stand at a distance and shout to warn people of their presence. Their physical suffering was immense, but their emotional and spiritual anguish was perhaps even greater. They were lonely, desperate, and without hope.

Then, they encounter Jesus. From a distance, they cry out for mercy. And Jesus, in a simple but powerful act, doesn't even approach them. He says, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." According to Jewish law, a priest was the one who could declare a person clean from leprosy, allowing them back into society. It was a strange command; they were still visibly sick. But in an act of profound faith, they turned and began to walk. And it was "as they went" that they were cleansed. They were not healed instantly while standing still. They were healed in the act of obedient faith, in the middle of their journey.

The miracle was complete. All ten men were healed. Their skin was made new. Their futures were restored. The possibility of returning to their families and their lives was now a reality. And yet, only one of them turned back. Nine of them, overjoyed by their new lease on life, continued on their way to the priests. They got what they came for, and they moved on.

But the tenth man—the Samaritan—he turned back. And the text tells us what he did. He praised God, he returned to Jesus, and he fell at his feet, thanking him. This man, an outsider, a person from a despised group, was the one who understood that the source of the blessing was greater than the blessing itself.

Jesus' question rings through the ages: "Where are the other nine?" It's a question for us, too. How often are we like the nine? We receive a blessing—a good report from the doctor, a promotion at work, the love of family, or simply the gift of a new day—and we move on, wholly engrossed in the gift and forgetting the Giver. We get what we want, and we carry on with our lives.

The story of the ten lepers isn't just about a miracle. It's a challenge to our hearts. It's a reminder that gratitude is not an automatic response; it is a choice. It's an intentional act of turning back to God to acknowledge His goodness and to offer our thanks.

Let us be like the one. Let us choose to return to the source of our blessings. Let us not simply receive the gifts, but let us also pause to give thanks and praise the Giver. A grateful heart is not just a happy heart; it is a heart that understands its dependence on God, and in that understanding, finds true well-being.

Amen.

A.L.D 24/25