Thanksgiving Sunday “Thank You!”
October 9th, 2022 – Luke 17:15
“Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice.”
Receive from God the good you have not deserved, not the bad you have, and peace be yours with God through the blood of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Grace, mercy, and peace. Amen.
Thank you!
Today is thanksgiving Sunday. What is today about? Of course, there is the obvious thanksgiving dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes, and roasted vegetables. There’s family that you gather with for the meal with and to have delicious home-made dessert like pumpkin pie with ice cream. Yet, all of this doesn’t really get at the meaning of what today is about.
If you break down the name “thanks” and “giving” it’s of course obvious that today is all about giving thanks!
Perhaps you have a tradition of going around the table at dinner time to express out loud what you are thankful for. This is a fine tradition and helps us, and others, to appreciate and be appreciated – at least one day a year – for all we have. As Christians, we would be missing a great opportunity if we did not take the time to give thanks to the One we know has made all things, cares for all things, and has given us all good things in our life – God our Father almighty maker of heaven and earth.
But why do we say “thank you?” at all? It is the simple acknowledgement of the gift someone has given you. It’s not anything close to a repayment of the gift. It’s the response to a gift. You say thank you to the person who holds the door for you, who tells you that you look nice, who brings you a casserole when you’ve lost a loved one. A thank you is good for the giver and for the receiver – to be thanked and to turn your heart in thanks. Ultimately, a thank you is good for the relationship.
Thank You, God for…
God shows his love for us each and every day. He loves us by giving us things endlessly. We are constantly receiving breath in our lungs, the sun in the sky, food in our bellies – all from God. He makes the plants and animals grow for our food. The examples of things we can thank God for are endless – therefore, out of love for the giver and acknowledgement the gifts, we say thank you. The thanks to God are endless – even if you don’t include the eternal life We have been given through Jesus Christ! Our thanks to Him ought never end.
Of course, as sin filled people, our thanks do end.
Ten Lepers
This point is illustrated in our parable of the Jesus healing the ten lepers.
Like us, all the lepers were sick and underserving yet all received. Jesus died for everyone’s sins while they were still sick in sin. God our Father even cares and gives what every person needs regardless of if they know or acknowledge him or not. Matthew 5:45 says, “He causes the sun to shine on the good and the wicked.”
So, like the Lepers we all receive God’s gifts – of forgiveness through faith and of daily bread by His grace.
In the parable of the ten Lepers, how many return back to Jesus to give thanks to God?
One returns to give thanks. A tenth or a tithe return for having been gifted their entire lives back.
We are the “tenth” who returns to God to give thanks. We are the tithe of all people who He cares for who gathers at His Word and Command to offer simple “thank you’s” in the Church and be gifted even more from Him – peace and pardon in His sacraments.
All receive daily bread. The things they need to support this body and life.
Let all people know, and remember, where these gifts come from so that they may return and give thanks to the giver and healer of our souls. Let all people know so they may, as the leper, “praise God with a loud voice.”
Again, it’s good for Giver and receiver for the receiver to say “thank you!”
Gift of Christ
When we turn to the gift of forgiveness and eternal life there are not enough “thank yous” in the world to speak or time to speak them to God.
Thankfully, God asks us to live lives of thanks loving Him and our neighbour – His burden is light. Out of all the things we have been given by Him, He asks us to return a tenth, 10%, that is it. It is a way, no it is one of THE ways God has actually asked us to give Him thanks.
Do you give 10%? Do you return a “healed lepers” worth to remind yourself God is the provider of all you have? Do you kill the idolatry and pride in your heart by giving away the money you have been given by God? Do you give anything to the Church in the offering plate this morning? If you don’t, start to! It’s an amazing gift to give back to God in thanks for all He has given you and reap the spiritual benefits that come with.
It is a way of loving Him for what He given and to support the proclamation of His ‘right-now’ gifts we all receive, and all his eternal ‘yet-to-come’ ones.
Give thanks where and when He has asked for it. Gather in Him name. Give to His Church. Receiving His gifts. Singing praise to His name. Pray for those He has given.
Give thanks to God for the turkey, mashed potatoes, roasted veggies, and pumpkin pie, or whatever God has given you – big and small this thanksgiving! Given thanks to our God – the true giver.