THE NEW EWE

"What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!'"

Luke 15:4-6

November 24, 2021

LIFE IN THE FOLD:

Jesus was heading towards Jerusalem, and reached the border between Galilee and Samaria. As He entered a village there, ten men with leprosy stood at a distance, crying out, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!"

Jesus looked at them and said, "Go show yourself to the priests." As they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy.

One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, "Praise God!" He fell to the ground at Jesus' feet, thanking Him for what He had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Didn't I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?" Jesus said to the man, "Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you." (Luke 17:11-19)

Someone who was afflicted with leprosy led very lonely lives. They had to leave their homes and families and live outside the cities and towns. I'm sure that there were those who were afraid of them, who mocked them, who would go out of their way to walk a long ways around them in order to avoid being near them. Their families were probably embarrassed to have any type of association with them and may have even been ashamed to admit that they had a relative afflicted with this horrible disease.

When my sister and I went on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic a few years ago, we attended a local church on Sunday morning. Sitting in the very back of the church were some lepers. They were wrapped from head to toe, with only their eyes showing. It was very sad and our hearts went out to them.

These men in the Bible recognized who Jesus was, so began calling out to Him to have mercy on them. They likely knew that He was their only hope. Jesus did show compassion and mercy to all ten men. He told them to go show themselves to the priests, for only the priests could give them permission to enter back into the town and be reconnected to their families; once he saw that they were indeed healed and no longer had leprosy.

All ten men left to do what Jesus had said, in obedience to His words. But once they saw that their skin was cleansed of leprosy and that they were indeed healed, only one man turned around to run back to Jesus and worship. The others went to show themselves to the priests and probably told everyone they saw about their miracle. They may have been anxious to go back home to see their families again. But one chose to run back to Jesus and give thanks.

This particular man wasn't even a Jew, but a Samaritan -- a foreigner. Jesus acknowledged the one who had came back to say thank you and give glory to God; but asked where the other nine were.

The words that Jesus spoke to this one man are a little puzzling: "Your faith has healed you." Wait! Weren't the other nine healed, also?

Yes, they were all cleansed of the leprosy. But I'm sure that the affects of the leprosy upon these men caused a lot of personal trauma. Being mocked, living as outcast, not being accepted or welcomed into their homes or hometown, not being able to provide for their families..... but living, wrapped in rags, as someone who was rejected and living as an outsider. No physical touch with their spouse or children or grandchildren. That must have caused great depression and horrible loneliness.

This one, thankful, man was not only healed physically, but he was made completely whole.... completely healed... body, mind, soul and spirit. He received not only physical healing, but internal and mental and emotional healing. He received something extraordinary that those other men missed out on. How? By choosing to run back to Jesus, fall on his face and worship, and give thanks.

Sometimes we can get so caught up in the answered prayer or miracle that instead of worshipping and giving thanks to the One from whom the blessing and miracle came from, we run to tell others and talk about it. We fail to give glory to God and give thanks to Him. We're grateful for what God did for us, but forget to truly give thanks. Perhaps we say thank you, but soon forget about it. Next time something happens, we are quick to fret and worry, instead of remembering what our Father had done for us in the past. We say thank you, but aren't always truly thankful.

Last week I spoke at our Wednesday evening Bible study. We had an evening of thanksgiving and joy and thanksgiving.

I asked those present to name a prayer that God had answered for them this past year or how He had blessed them. They all just kind of sat there and drew a blank. They couldn't think of anything right off hand. As they sat there, they could look at others and think about things God had done for them and testimonies that they had given during this past year; but they couldn't think of anything for themselves.

Could it be because sometimes we are too much like those nine lepers? We're grateful and excited and happy about what God does for us and prayers He answers; but we lack the truly thankful and grateful heart that that one leprous man had, and fail to fall at the feet of Jesus and worship.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, "Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you who belong to Christ Jesus." Other versions say, "In everything give thanks."

It is God's will for us to live thankful. Regardless of our circumstances... we give thanks. We live thankful. In everything we give thanks, knowing that God loves us and takes care of us. We give thanks, knowing that He will never leave or forsake us. We give thanks, resting in the assurance that we can trust Him.

During this Thanksgiving season, let's live lives full of thanksgiving. Let's practice being thankful. Begin and end each day with a grateful heart, taking time to give thanks to God for His blessings. Let's practice saying thanks to God, until it becomes a way of life. Let's live like the one thankful leper, who was completely made healed and whole; and not like the nine who were healed, but not completely whole. Let's learn to live grateful and thankful!

JON'S PERSPECTIVE:

We have probably all given a gift to someone who didn't like it. Most often, it would be a child who was expecting something bigger, better, or a different color, or somehow more what they had been hoping for. The gift might be well-intentioned-but-misguided. The receiver may even say bluntly that it didn't measure up to what they thought they should get. I know giving to someone who doesn't appreciate it makes me feel pretty frustrated or hurt. It almost makes me want to stop giving them anything, especially if they are old enough to know better.

We are made in God's image, so we tend to expect God to think and feel like we do. So if He gives us some blessing, healing, or other miracle, it feels like He would expect us to show some gratitude. Even if it isn't exactly how we expected to receive it, and especially if we are mature enough to know better.

Part of I Thessalonians 5:18 says, "In every thing give thanks" or "give thanks in all circumstances." It isn't easy to do in some circumstances. But we need to grow up at some point, and show gratitude for God's gifts. God's gifts aren't just well-intentioned-but-misguided. They come from pure wisdom beyond our understanding. So it may be time to grow up and show some thankfulness, even for things that aren't quite what we hoped for.

ON THE MENEWE:

Cranberry Salad

The night before service, grind or chop the cranberries. Add sugar; stir and refrigerate.

The next day, drain cranberry mixture. Add sliced grapes, Cool Whip, and pecans. Stir together and refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER:

I have an uncle whose favorite saying was, "I don't hurry and I don't worry." That wasn't only a saying for him, but it was how he lived his life. He didn't hurry -- didn't live a life filled with busyness and rushing from one thing to another. He knew how to relax and enjoy life. He lived unhurried. He, also, didn't worry. He took whatever life brought his way, trusting God and not fretting and worrying or fearing. He must have practiced living life that way, until it became normal for him. He truly didn't hurry and didn't worry!

Let's choose to not just saying pretty words or phrases from the Bible, but let's practice them until they became our normal way of living. In everything, in all circumstances, give thanks. Rejoicing in the Lord. Praying without ceasing. Entering His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. Not fearing or worrying or fretting. Giving thanks to the Father and Jesus Christ. Etc... etc.... etc....

THOUGHT TO PONDER:

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)

OUR HEARTFELT THANKS TO YOU:

We love you!

Loretta & Jon

http://www.graysheep.org