THE STORY OF JESUS: Luke 17:11-19
“Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:18)
Children raised in a rich family can often become spoiled, ungrateful.
The poor can’t take anything for granted, and tend to be more thankful.
Often those on the ‘inside’ take their blessings for granted.
Jesus experiences this with the nine ungrateful Jewish lepers.
The application for us today is to those within the church.
Have we become so spoiled by God’s grace we don’t appreciate it?
Do we take our blessing for granted, and maybe even think we earned them?
How we respond to outsiders will reveal the truth here.
If we make it hard for them to join, it shows we don’t appreciate grace.
We have been amazingly, shockingly graced well beyond our deserving.
If we really understood this, we would throw the doors open wide.
Not because sin doesn’t matter, but because grace matters more.
Our whole life and ministry ought to be driven by gratitude for grace.
Can you think of anyone who does NOT deserve grace?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, if it wasn’t for Your gracious love and patience for me, I could not be here writing this. How can I withhold grace from anyone else?
The lepers asked for pity. In other words – mercy.
And Jesus did show mercy – He healed them as they followed His command.
Only one showed his gratitude and the others their ingratitude. We have just celebrated Easter – praising God for His gift to us of life in Him for He is risen. Emmanuel. God with us. And how grateful am I for what the Lord God has done for me? Of all the kindness, love, gifts I have received by His hand do I show gratefulness to those around me? Parents, friends, my attitude, my giving, my kindness, my . . . .
Help me Lord each day anew to count my blessings and give thanks for all what You have done for me. May I have the attitude of gratitude with altitude each and every day praising Your name. Always.
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done.