Giving Thanks

Deuteronomy 8:7-18; 2 Corinthians 9:6-15; Luke 17:11-19

Our scriptures today are about giving thanks in several settings. They remind us of the longstanding promises of God to provide for us and our thankful response to such benevolence.

… As the people prepared to enter the land promised to them long ago, Moses reminds them that this land and its produce is given to them by God. They are to remember often to thank God for this gift.

In Second Corinthians, Paul has been collecting offerings to support the church in Jerusalem. The believers there have been suffering from persecutions already, only 20 years after the death and resurrection of Jesus. The Jews are unhappy with them, the Romans are unhappy with them, and life has become hard. Paul has asked all the churches established by then to contribute to a fund he will carry himself to Jerusalem.

Paul makes it clear that he is not demanding they contribute, because some of these Corinthian believers are also experiencing persecutions. But just like the clients of Bethel New Life, there are folks who have less than they have. And in the same way that Moses shared God’s promises to the Israelites, these Corinthians will discover abundance when they give.

… The familiar story of Jesus healing the lepers makes us cringe a bit. We want to understand why ten were healed, and only one turned around to say thank you. It’s easy to ridicule, to blame, to shame the nine. 

We need to understand the religious and political conditions of the time. Jewish people who have leprosy have been trained since birth that the priest and the rabbi holds the power over their lives. It is the priest who judges if the skin is clean or still contagious. It is the priest who will give them permission to return to their family and community. But, it sure seems to us that they should have at least nodded a thanks to Jesus for the healing before heading off to see the priest.

So, we need to offer them some grace. We look back 2,000 years and know who Jesus is. In that time, the cross hadn’t happened, the resurrection hadn’t happened. Jesus was just some preacher, teacher, healer among several others of the era. They didn’t owe him any special honor.

The Samaritan, on the other hand, does not feel compelled to see the priest of a religion that is not his own. He does turn around and say thank you before returning to his own family and community, and perhaps his own priest. … This doesn’t mean we don’t think the nine should have been polite and said thank you, too.

…

I know people who claim that what they have, their nice houses, their fashionable clothing, the latest technology, they have it all because of their own hard work. God plays no role in their lives, as the creator, as the giver of this abundance. They might give to a worthy cause occasionally, but mostly, they keep what they receive for their own uses.

And I know other people who claim that everything they have, their houses, their clothing, their technology, they have it all because of God’s abundance. They work hard to tithe, giving 10% to the church and making additional gifts to other causes.

Are their lives better either way? I can’t really say, but I can share my own experiences. For a long time, back when I was a young mom, I wanted to give more than a couple dollars a week to my congregation, but that was what it seemed the budget allowed.

I was especially influenced by an experience at Bethel New Life Church on Chicago’s West Side. All the clients were urged to tithe. And I was told by the clients themselves that they did so happily because there was always someone who had less than they had.

I promised myself while I was at seminary that when I was out of school that I would begin tithing. I have kept that promise to myself. Mike and I support several congregations and give often to Lutheran World Relief and Lutheran Disaster Response and occasionally to other causes. I can only say that it feels good to give to others some of what God has given me. And I thank God that I can be so generous.  

… This week, we as a nation pause to say thank you. We remember our history, how 400 years ago Europeans landed on the shores of this continent and were met by indigenous peoples up and down the east coast. We know that in some cases, the Europeans were killed, but in others they were welcomed and taught how to survive in this foreign-to-them place. We remember the hospitality offered at shared meals and the thanks they all gave for successful harvests.

It is good for us to remember that God is the original source of all our abundance and to remember to say thanks for everything. This week I hope you take some time to give God thanks for all the good things in your life. Think about the big things – family and friends, house, income, good doctors, but also the little things: the ability to walk, to eat, to remember, to use both hands. Amen