GIVE THANKS!

'I just want to say
"Baba ooo, E seeeee'....

I just want to end this year on a thanksgiving note. And this is a call to as many as would read  to give God thanks. I read through the New Testament and discovered not many times did people really thank Jesus Christ for the miracles He did for them. I saw a variety of reactions from recipients of Christ's miracles. Many of them rejoiced,  many were amazed at His works (Luke 5:9), some went ahead to spread the news (Matthew 9:31), some would simply walk away (Matthew 9:7), some could not even recognise the Man who healed them (Luke (9:12), and while some of them glorified God (Luke 5:26) not many actually thanked Jesus Christ for His goodness. Of course, Jesus is God, and He never sought glory for Himself. Not many of those that were healed had the courtesy to thank Jesus Christ specifically for doing them good. In fact, only one 'Thank You, Jesus'- incidence was recorded. We shall take a deep look at a leper who went back to thank Jesus. As the year runs to a close, heaven is watching out for those who would return to thank God. And God told me 'Thanksgiving is the key that unlocks 2012'.

What's the big deal about a 'Thank you?'. Is it not just to say the words? Well, even at that, many find the words so hard to say. More than the words, gratitude is an attitude. One phrase that should be so much part of a cultured person is 'Thank you'. Watch someone who says 'Thank you', there is a beauty about it- both to the giver and the receiver. And if you have this attitude in your relationship with other people, you have a good fragrance on you. People like grateful people. Nobody owes you anything in life, really. You came to earth on your own. That your parent took responsibility of you- is a privilege, not a right. Be grateful to them. Many people still abort, dump their babies or at best put them up for adoption. So if any man does you good, why not thank him as though he has done the unthinkable?

Now let us talk about the One to whom you owe your very existence. God is the One who  knew you before your mother did and He has followed you up till now. He formed you and ensures that you are still alive. People die everyday, and they are human beings like you and I.  If we are still alive, so much to be grateful for. And you are not alive for nothing- God has a plan for you. In my book '12 Tips of Greatness', which I intent to publish on a commercial scale in the coming year, I wrote that gratitude is like that essential oxygen a mountain climber must carry as he summits Everest. Like the aborted journey of the murmuring Israelites, many of God's children would not go far in God's plan for them because they just can not appreciate little things. "Thank you" is a phrase of two words and I think that is no accident. You breathe in and out. That cycle completes each act of respiration. "Thank", "You" to God is as essential to fulfilment as respiration is to living.

So for once in the entire Gospel, someone actually thanked Jesus Christ. In fact, the word 'thank' is so scarce in the Gospel except when Jesus says it. The other time another person said it was in a parable of the hypocritical Pharisee who 'thanked' God for not being like the tax collector (Luke 18:11). So when one leper who was healed returned to thank Jesus, Jesus took notice of it.  Luke 18:15-18: "And one of them ... returned ... and fell down at (Jesus')  feet, giving Him thanks ... Jesus answered and said 'Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine?...". Jesus took notice of the man who returned to give Him thanks. I like us to examine the question Jesus asked; 'But where are the nine?'
It is a question that needed no answer. The nine could be anywhere, but one. The nine did not return to say 'thank you'. But still, it is a revealing question- one that will expose the roots of ingratitude in many of God's children. I just hope you will not miss the chance to really thank God before this year winds up. 'But where are the nine?' I will draw three other questions from this one question Jesus asked as the Holy Spirit seeks to open a well spring of gratitude in the hearts of God's children. 


1.    'Who are the nine?'

There were ten lepers that cried out to Jesus Christ for mercy. (Luke 18:12-13). Lepers are lepers until they are healed. You see, at a point Miriam the sister of Moses; she was the 'Choir Mistress' in the wilderness- at a point, she had leprosy (Numbers 12:10). That highly respected woman of God was shut out of the camp as a result of that. She was there till she recovered. Some predicaments have a way of reducing people. Status becomes irrelevant. Position becomes inconsequential. Oh, it reminds me of King Nebu (his name is too long).

Something befell him and he could not seat on his own throne. He was reduced to the level of oxen. (See Daniel 4:33). So no one worried about who these lepers were until they were healed. So let us identify the lepers as much as we can. The one that returned was a Samaritan. (See Luke 17:16-18). Jesus showed us the identity of the other nine when He said 'Were there not any found who returned ... except this foreigner?'.

The other nine were Jews- Jesus' kindred. Is it true that 'familiarity breeds contempt'? Could it be that they took it for granted that Jesus should not have done less? Is this why God's children hardly thank Him? I feel pained to see this insight. I put myself in the position of a father and imagine that my son knows I love him so much and I am also responsible for his well being. That is true. Now if my son begins to act as though I am only doing my duty as a father by meeting his needs, if my son takes it as his right (which it is) to receive from me and hardly show (God forbids) genuine appreciation for my provisions - Oh, I will feel pained.
Many of God's children mumble a few words of appreciation when God does them good, and then hands Him the outstanding items in their lists.
Could it be that the nine did not return because the were Jews? Have you taken God's love for granted because you are His child?


2.    'Where did the nine go?'

Okay, if one of the lepers return after being healed to thank Jesus, where were the others headed? Oh, may be they went to their homes to show off their healing. But if they were jews, they should know better than to go home. You see, leprosy was a serious social ailment back then (I guess, it still is). And you don't joke with it. In Leviticus 13 1nd 14, God rolled out what was termed the 'law of leprosy'. There, if any man has a boil, burn, scale, colouring on his skin, or even bald head- he must go to the priest to clarify whether he had leprosy or not. If it were leprosy- no cure. Isolation is the way to go until the person is healed- if he gets healed. And only a priest can declare a man 'clean' from leprosy. So, the nine lepers -if they were Jews as we established, would go straight ahead to the priest. The priest would examine them and certify them 'clean'. Have you not noticed that whenever even Jesus healed a leper, He would say 'Go to the priests'? (see Matthew 8:1-4). This is because a miracle was not sufficient to convince a Jew, only a priest could declare a leper as 'clean'. Is it not still true? There are diseases an evangelist will heal and still say 'Go for a test'.

Well, I have a feeling these nine lepers proceeded to the priests' place to verify. And that is okay. So what did Jesus think about the man who need no other highly 'esteemed' verification of the priests? Hear what Jesus told him; '... your faith has made you well'.  Faith! Oh, that man esteemed faith above facts! With Jesus, he needed no priest to be sure. He returned at Jesus' feet to thank Him. Many of the Jews around would probably scoff him saying 'Better let the priest say first before you conclude'.

And I wonder; Is it that too many issues in our lives are pending the verdicts of men before we believe God has done them? Is this one other reason God's children are ungrateful? Society has its standards and until it calls us 'rich', we can not thank God for His provisions. Okay, just check why you have not returned to thank God. Are you on your way to the priests?


3.    'Must the nine return, really?'

You see, this was not the first time someone healed would 'glorify God'. In Luke 5:25 the paralysed man that was healed 'departed to his own house, glorifying God'. So who says the nine did not 'glorify God' as they went forth? In another account in Luke 18:43, the blind man who Jesus healed actually followed Jesus 'glorifying God'.  So what was it about this ex-leper's returning that struck Jesus. You see, when he was a leper, he stood afar off along with the his colleagues. For a distance, they lifted up their voices to cry for mercy from Jesus (Luke 17:12-13). But when he was healed, he returned and fell at Jesus' feet to thank Him. He touched Jesus' feet. Now that is no small thing those days. It is an act of worship. That was what Satan demanded from Jesus at the temptation; '... if You will fall down and worship me', Satan said. As that man fell at Jesus' feet, he glorified God in a loud voice. Was he saying Jesus was God? Of course, Jesus is God- take it or take it. But Jesus Himself maintained the glory for God the Father when He said in verse 18; 'Were there not found any who returned to give glory to God...?' What is definite about this ex-leper's method?

A 'Thank you' to any man is not necessarily deifying that man. It is glorifying God. Whenever God would do you good, He more often than not, uses people. How many times have we 'commonise' these people? Oh, we give God thanks- no doubt about it. But do we really thank the people He uses to bless us? Parents, spouses, children, pastors, bosses, colleagues, friends, strangers- name them. Those are the people you should identify these few days left in the year. They are the ones God uses for you. Don't make them feel used, appreciate them.

Then, this is the shortest cut to giving God thanks, give to the poor. Need I say more?

I have a mission these thirteen days left for 2011 to end. It is a mission to thank God. Join me in these Thirteen Days of Thanksgiving. As God permits, I will be raising a Thanksgiving Point each day on this medium for the next 13 days. Just do it, and watch 2012 open all its gates for you! (Psalm 100:4; Psalm 24:7; Isaiah 60:11).

Thank you for reading. (Hmm, so this is my first time ever to thank you for reading my posts).

Thank you so much, without you my time was wasted.