Forward Movement is an official, non-profit agency of the Episcopal Church whose mission is to create compelling content for Christian living. Since 1935 we have published the quarterly devotional Forward Day by Day, as well as pamphlets, booklets, and books that encourage and nourish people in their lives of prayer and faith.
THURSDAY, November 24 Thanksgiving Day
Luke 17:11-19. He prostrated himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.
The nine lepers who did not return to thank Jesus for their healing are often dismissed as ingrates. Yet, they were only doing what Jesus had told them to do, which was to go and show themselves to the priests at the Jerusalem Temple. On their way, they were made clean, so they continued to the Temple, where Jews made thanksgiving offerings for extraordinary blessings. It is not necessary to think of them as ungrateful.
Why did the one leper turn back to Jesus? As a member of a loathed minority group, the Samaritans, he surely knew the priests at the Temple would not receive him if he sought to make a thanksgiving offer- ing there. He therefore turned back and expressed his thanks directly to Jesus where he knew they would be accepted.
I shall not here discuss whether the Jews should have scorned the Samaritans (Jesus, as is clear from this passage and others, did not), but all ten lepers in this story expressed their thanks in the way that was open to them. For some people, the options are limited. What avenues are open to you? How are you expressing your gratitude for God’s blessings?
PRAY for the Diocese of Warri (Province of Bendel, Nigeria)View the daily Lectionary Readings at http://satucket.com/lectionary/
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