Psalm 66.1-12 & Luke 17.11-19

Our lectionary reading today places the account of the healing of ten lepers before us.  As Jesus and his disciples approach a village ten lepers cry out to him for mercy.  He tells them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”  In faith, they go and “as they went, they were cleansed.”  How overjoyed they must have been as they made their way to the priests who could examine them and pronounce them “clean!” Now they could go back to their families and friends.  A new life was now theirs to live.  But, astonishingly, only one of the lepers returns to give thanks to Jesus; a Samaritan.  He returns to Jesus, praising God and throwing himself at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks.  Jesus asks, “Were not all ten cleaned?  Where are the other nine?  Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he says to the Samaritan, “Rise and go, your faith has saved you.”  This account begs a question of us: “How thankful are we to Jesus, for his mercies, his gifts, in our lives?”  And in particular, how thankful are we for our salvation?  Do we “return and give praise to God?”  This message is a call to cultivate a thankful heart, and to "return and give praise to God" in the gathering of God’s people each Lord’s Day.