It Is Really Not That Hard To Say This.

Lk 17:15-17 - Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.  Then Jesus answered and said, "Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine — where are they?  NASU 

• The Laws Lepers Had To Obey 

In our scripture passage today, Jesus healed 10 lepers. Leprosy was a horrible skin disease that left you isolated from society. If you were a leper, you had to live outside the town or city.
 
If you were out walking and you saw a person you had to warn them by crying out, "Leper." In doing this, you warned them that you were an outcast of society and to stay away from you.
 
Jesus on one of His daily outings approaches ten lepers and tells them to "go and show themselves to the priest."  On their way they are all healed of this horrendous disease. Their skin would have changed back to normal and it would have been very obvious to them.
 
All ten of them would have known they were healed. 

• The Word Too Hard For 9 Of Them To Say 

Only one of the lepers stops in his tracks, turns, and goes back and falls at the feet of Jesus and says to Him "Thanks."
 
WOW! One out of ten returns to say "Thanks!"
 
Jesus changed all ten of their lives for the better and only one will slightly inconvenience himself and return to Jesus to say "Thanks!"
 
How could such a little thing have been neglected?

Why was it so hard for 9 out 10 not to return and say "Thanks!"? 

• All Parents Teach This 

Let me ask you a question, "Which one of these ten would have pleased you as a parent?"
 
While I was a minister in MD for 20 years, I would handout Tootsie Rolls on Sundaymornings after the service to the children as they walked out of the building. You don't know how many parents I heard say to their child, "What do you say?"  The correct answer was always "Thank you."
 
It makes me feel good when I give my grandchildren a gift and they say "Thanks!" It allows me to know that my child learned the lesson they were taught and they have taught their children the same lesson.
 
All parents teach their children to say "Thanks!" 

• Who Do You Need To Thank? 

Who is the person(s) in your life who should be hearing a "thank you" from you?
 
You know if my parents were alive I would be calling them right now to "thank" them for all they did for me. I can't call them, but there are some others that will be hearing from me today.
 
Maybe you have a teacher, preacher, coach, friend or relative that really helped change your life. Today would be a great day to give them a call and say "Thanks!"
 
Let us be like the One Leper and not the nine.
 
Think On These:
 
Even though we can't have all that we want, we ought to be thankful we don't get what we deserve.
 
If you can't be thankful for what you have, be thankful for what you don't have.

Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word

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