As a young dad, I remember teaching my toddler children to say “thank you,” gently reminding them after every gift or kindness. I wasn’t just shaping manners — I was shaping perspective. Even now as they are much older, they willingly continue to say and express thanks. During the Thanksgiving season, this simple habit of being “thank full” leads us into a deeper truth: gratitude changes us.
In the Bible, Jesus performed miracles to show people his divine power and love. In one account found in Luke 17:11-19, Jesus was traveling to Jerusalem along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village he met ten men who were cast out of society because they were plagued with a disease called leprosy. While the physical effects took a toll on their bodies, they also experienced the pain of being disconnected from their homes, families and all they held dear.
From a distance, these men cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” (Luke 17:13). Talk about a cry for help. They needed something and they were lining up in desperation for a handout. Think about how many times they searched for something or someone to cure them, but this Jesus had a response. He just didn’t say, “Be healed!”, but told them to go show themselves to the priest. The priest was one who could declare a person was well enough to return home and back to a normal way of life. In verse 14 it says, “…as they went, they were cleansed.” I bet these men never appreciated life so much as being healed on the journey to see the priest. Upon be deemed “clean,” they likely ran immediately home to their families and loved ones.
You would think this is the happy ending of a nice story highlighting restoration. But the twist in the story comes when we hear about the actions of one of the “lucky” ones. Before resuming life, he seeks out Jesus and loudly praises God as he throws himself at the feet of Jesus (Luke 17:15-16). Jesus is amazed that only one of the ten returned to give thanks when he asks, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?” (Luke 17:17). Then Jesus said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:19). This guy got it! He understood and modeled being thankful because he was full of thanks. I believe he just did not get a better understanding of thanks and healing, but he also received a greater insight in what it meant to be in a closer relationship with God. What a gift he received by returning as he overflowed with thanks.
From this text I see an amazing example of what it means to be thankful. With the Thanksgiving season on us, take inventory of the blessings you have received and thank God for giving them freely. In Psalm 107:1, we are reminded to “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Giving thanks anchors us in the truth of God’s love and his presence even when times are difficult. Remember the moments God carried you. Take some time alone or with family and friends and recount the things God has done and thank him for ways he continues to show up in your life. Those memories can restore hope and make you into the person who returns, remembers and lives truly being thank-full.
Frank Alioto is the pastor of Roots Family Church and serves as a chaplain in our community.
