Forgetting to Be Grateful

Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" And he said to him, "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well." (Luke 17:11-19)

In today's passage, we read about 10 men living with one of the most challenging trials of their time: leprosy. The people who suffer from leprosy are thrown into isolation, forced to deal with their torment all on their own. Presumably, this group of people have hit their lowest valleys. They come to Jesus, who has just arrived in town, and they cry out, "Teacher, please heal us! Save us from our agony! Give us our lives back!" And guess what? He does it. By the end of verse 14, all 10 of these men walk away with hope for a new life and with their pain a mere memory.

Then something else happens. One of them comes racing back with an attitude of thanksgiving, of confidence, and of humility, knowing that his healer was the one and only Messiah. He exclaims, "Praise God!" and proceeds to fall at Jesus' feet, completely in awe of what He had just done. Admittedly, I find this next verse a little funny. Jesus says, "Wait a minute? Have I not healed 10 men? Where are the other nine? No one has come to praise me except for you." Then, he simply ends with this: "Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well" (Luke 17:19).

As Christians, how often are we, like the other nine, forget to be grateful for all God has done? The man could have thought to himself, "Hey God, thanks for healing me, but I'm really busy today, so I'll just see you later." But no, he comes back after everyone else had left, after all the hype had died down, and he said, "Praise God!" He remembered to be grateful.

What does it look like for us to keep praising God and to be grateful even when everyone (and everything) seems to demand almost all of our time and attention? When things are falling apart around us, do we remember to keep praising His name? In Luke 17:19, Jesus does not say that the man is healed by doing life on his own, and instead, he is healed because of his faith.

I challenge you to live the same way: to know that your healing—your whole life— is not determined by your own efforts, but by keeping an unwavering faith in our Lord, even during your most challenging moments—and remembering to give praise to the only One who is worthy.

Let us pray - Dear God, we ask that You help us live by faith and not by sight. We ask that You remind us of Your goodness at every moment, even when we are in the valley. Lastly, we ask You to remind us that You are God, and we are not. In Jesus' name. Amen.