Living Thankfully

           The appointed Gospel lesson for Thanksgiving has the tendency to make people feel a little uneasy. It is the story of the ten lepers who were healed by Jesus, and you may recall that only one returned to say “thank you” to Him. This story makes us uncomfortable because we know how often we resemble the nine who did not express their thankfulness to Christ. Commentators have suggested all kinds of reasons why these people would’ve hurried off, but the fact remains, they didn’t say “thank you” to the One who had given them a new life.

           

            So, how thankful are you for your new life? How thankful are you for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross? How thankful are you for the countless little gifts your heavenly Father places in your path each day? When was the last time you returned to give God thanks from your heart? Or, like the nine healed lepers, are you convinced you’ve got some good reasons to hurry off right now, and maybe later, when things let up, you’ll get around to some thanks-giving?

 

            Living thankfully goes against our human nature. (Just try to teach a child to say “thank you” consistently.) But the good news is that Jesus took our selfishness and nailed it to the cross. He paid for our self-centeredness with his blood. In the shadow of the cross there is no room for thanklessness. There is only the overwhelming generosity of God, poured out for you, purchased at great price. May the Holy Spirit, who points us to Jesus’ cross, cause us to live in the humble joyousness of gratitude.