Thanks Be to God!

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him-and he was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:15-16

Have you thanked anyone today? Thanksgiving is a rare commodity in our world. In this passage, we see that out of the ten lepers healed by Jesus Christ, only one thanked him. If we are honest, we must confess that we too have this problem-we are not careful to give thanks to others, especially to God, despite the many blessings he has given us.

It is God’s nature to bless his people. As Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son, Isaac asked, “Father, where is the lamb for the burnt offering?” (Genesis 22:7). Abraham replied, “Jehovah Jireh”-the Lord will provide. He provided for the Pilgrims who came to this country in the seventeenth century, and he provides for us today. He gives us food, clothing, housing, medicine, and so many other material blessings. And for those who are Christians, he gives the peace of God that transcends all human understanding. Let us give thanks to God!

The Greek word for thanksgiving is eucharist. At the heart of it is charis, which means “grace.” God’s provision is a manifestation of his grace to us. We deserve only judgment for our sin, but God grants us mercy. Thank God for his grace!

God shows grace not only to his chosen people, but also to his enemies. Luke 6:35 tells us, “He is kind to the ungrateful and wicked”; his sunshine and rain come to all men. Although the wicked never thank God, his righteous children do. So we thank God for our very existence, and for those who made it possible-our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and so on. We also thank God for our children, our grandchildren, and our great-grandchildren, and for our wives and husbands, relatives and friends. We thank God for this country where we can worship him freely. We thank God for our jobs, knowing they came to us from his hand. We thank God for his church, and for our Christian brothers and sisters who willingly lay down their lives for us.

Above all, we thank God for the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved us and gave himself for our salvation. Jesus is God’s “indescribable gift” to us (2 Corinthians 9:15). Therefore, let us continue to thank the triune God-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-not only during this Thanskgiving season, but every day of our lives.

The Law of Cleansing

To fully appreciate the story of Luke 17, we must understand the laws God gave to Moses about lepers (cf. Leviticus 14). All sorts of skin diseases were classified in the Scriptures as leprosy. According to Leviticus 13:45-46 and Numbers 5:1-3, leprosy was a symbol of divine curse. Thus, all lepers, whether men or women, were cut off from Israel and sent outside the camp. They had to wear torn clothes, keep their hair unkempt, and cover the lower part of their faces. They were to warn others constantly by crying out, “Unclean! Unclean!” They had to live alone, cut off from “clean” people.

Nine of the lepers cleansed by Jesus were Jews and one was a Samaritan. The Jews despised the Samaritans, a mixed race of Jews and Gentiles living in the north, and avoided interacting with them. When Jesus sent out his disciples, he told them, “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans” (Matthew 10:5). Elsewhere he said, “Salvation is from the Jews” (John 4:22). But these ten lepers were living together; apparently, there was no discrimination among them.

After cleansing the lepers, Jesus told them to go and show themselves to the priests, who were the health inspectors of the time. The priests could not cure leprosy, but it was their responsibility to certify that those with skin diseases were clean, offer the prescribed sacrifices to make atonement for them, and readmit them to society.

According to Leviticus 14, the cleansing ceremony had two stages. First, the priest would go outside the camp to inspect the leper. If the person was indeed healed, the priest would take two clean birds, some cedar wood, scarlet thread, and hyssop. He would kill one bird over fresh water in a clay pot and dip the live bird, along with the other items, into the blood in the clay pot. Then he would sprinkle the leper seven times with the blood. Next, he would release the live bird into the fields and pronounce the leper clean. All this speaks about Christ’s death for our sins and our freedom in Christ.

The leper would then wash his clothes, shave off all his hair, and bathe; thus, he would be ceremonially clean. He could now come inside the camp, but he still had to stay outside his tent for seven days. On the seventh day, he would again shave all his hair, wash his clothing, and bathe.

The second stage began on the eighth day. The cleansed person would bring two male lambs and a ewe lamb for a guilt offering, a sin offering, and a burnt offering, along with a prescribed amount of flour and oil. The lamb for the guilt offering would be killed in front of the Tent of Meeting, and the priest would put its blood on the right ear lobe, right thumb, and right big toe of the person. He would also put oil on the right ear lobe, the right thumb, and the right big toe of the leper, as well as on his head. By this application of blood and oil, the priest was consecrating the leper to serve God with his mind, with his hands, and with his whole way of life.

All this points to the death of Jesus Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit for our salvation. By means of these offerings, atonement was made for the sins of the offender. And having been reconciled to God and pronounced clean, the person could now not only come inside the camp, but also come back to his tent to live with his family and come to the tabernacle to worship. The formerly excommunicated person was restored to full fellowship with his family, his community, and his God.

The Miracle of Cleansing

In Luke 17, Jesus Christ was traveling with his disciples and other pilgrims from Galilee to Jerusalem. Luke 9:51 tells us, “Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem,” where he would shed his blood to cleanse his elect people who are afflicted with the leprosy of sin.

As he traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee, he met ten lepers. In accordance with the Mosaic law, they stood at a distance as they loudly cried out, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” We must assume they had some understanding of Jesus and his miraculous works, including the previous healing of a leper (Mark 1:42, Luke 5:13). Though Jesus had told this leper not to say anything, the man went out and began to talk freely about his healing. So Luke 5:15 says, “Yet the news about [Jesus] spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses.”

The ten lepers called Jesus “Master”-Epistata-meaning “the one who has authority.” They knew he had authority over all diseases, included the dreaded leprosy. So when the lepers saw Jesus coming, they cried, “Jesus, Epistata, have pity on us!”

The lepers cried out for mercy, not for justice. They cried out for healing. They were tired of living lonely, wretched lives, lives of uncleanness and separation from family, friends, and God. They understood that only One was able to save them from this terrible condition. And now, amazingly, that One was coming to them!

This was their opportunity. They came as near to Jesus as they could and began to cry out. They cried out together, they cried out loudly, and they cried out earnestly and urgently. The truth is, friends, Jesus is coming your way also. Do not think this only applies to others; he is coming your way. So do not mumble or hold back. Be active and earnest. Cry out to him, ask him to show you mercy, and he will do so.

Have you cried out to him? You have heard of his person and miracles. He is the God/man. He is the Sovereign Savior. The Scripture says his name is Jesus, for “he will save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). It is he who cries out to us, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Cry out to him today, and he will cleanse you and save you.

The promise of salvation is not only for the Jews, but also for all who are far off (Acts 2:39). The promise of salvation is for Jewish lepers, Samaritan lepers, Gentile lepers, and all other lepers in the world, for “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Yes, the Bible says that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), but it also says, “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians 15:3). “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Ephesians 2:13 tells us, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” The blood of bulls, goats, and birds cannot cleanse us of our sin-leprosy; only the blood of Christ can. Ephesians 2:17 says, “He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.” If you are standing at a distance, cry out to him-as the ten lepers did, and as the publican in Luke 18:13 did. Jesus will hear your cry and save you.

When Jesus heard the lepers, he turned and looked at them. He did not touch them or tell them to be healed. He simply said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” But implied in those words was their complete healing, because it would be a mockery to send unclean people to the priests. And when the lepers heard Jesus’ command, they believed, they went, and they were healed. Faith obeys.

The Duty of Thanksgiving

Psalm 107:20-22 says, “He sent forth his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for men. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy.” These sick lepers cried to the Lord, and he sent forth his word and healed them. Now it was their duty to praise the Lord and give him thanks.

We find a similar story of healing in 2 Kings 5. Naaman, a Gentile commander from Syria, was afflicted with leprosy, and went to the prophet Elisha for healing. When Elisha told him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed” (v. 10), Naaman questioned the simplicity of this command and almost missed being saved because of his arrogance. But God granted him mercy to repent. He went to the lowly Jordan River, dipped himself seven times, and came up healed. Immediately he went back to the prophet to thank him.

Faith in God’s word brings deliverance and salvation. For example, Jesus told the man who was born blind, “Go and wash in the Pool of Siloam” (John 9:7). The man obeyed and came back seeing. Likewise, when Jesus told Peter to put out his net after a fruitless night of fishing, Peter replied, “Because you say so, I will” (Luke 5:5) and caught so many fish that the net began to break. Another time, when the disciples had also fished all night without catching anything, Jesus told them, “Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some” (John 21:6). When they did, they caught a large number of fish.

We are casting our nets on the wrong side until we come to Christ. But when we believe and act on God’s word, we will be saved. When we believe his promises, we will be reconciled, made clean and justified. The gospel “is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile” (Romans 1:16). The Philippian jailer cried out, “What must I do to be saved?” and Paul replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved-you and your household” (Acts 16:30-31). Everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved.

All ten lepers were healed as they went. I am sure they took off their clothes, inspected their skin, and found themselves to be good as new! And, filled with joy, the Samaritan leper must have tried to encourage the nine Jews to return with him to Jesus, the source of their happy healing, and thank him. But the nine refused, so the Samaritan went back alone.

We are told that Jesus expected all ten to thank him, and he was grieved when the nine did not. Psalm 107 and many other psalms teach that thanksgiving is the obligation of those who receive from God. Even Naaman the Syrian went back to say “Thank you” to Elisha.

Why did the nine not thank Jesus? I believe it was because, in their view, their healing came from their own merit, not God’s grace. The heart of thanksgiving is unmerited favor (charis), but these Jews did not believe in grace; thus, they did not feel that they owed Jesus anything.

We see this attitude in the proud Pharisee of Luke 18, who prayed: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men” (v. 11). He was saying, “Lord, I thank you that I am righteous because of my own goodness.” This is a denial of grace. It is the reason the nine refused to thank Jesus, and it is our problem as well; we take everything for granted, even though all things come to us from God’s grace.

When the Samaritan came to Jesus, Jesus asked him three questions. First, “Were not all ten cleansed?” The answer was “Yes!” Second, “Where are the other nine?” In other words, God expects us to thank and praise him when he has acted on our behalf, and is angry when we give ourselves the glory instead. Third, “Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” thus implying that Jesus is God.

These men all were lepers, they all prayed to Jesus, and they were all healed. But only one-a foreigner-thanked Jesus. Are we like the one, or the nine? If the latter is true, may God help us to appreciate his grace and give thanks to God in Christ for everything. And we must do so immediately. When we do not thank God right away, we are turning off the tap of divine blessing, for God refuses to continue blessing those who are unthankful and self-sufficient. Yet if we think about it, no one is truly independent and self-sufficient, for “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). God sustains us every day; we live because of him.

The Pleasure of Thanksgiving

The Samaritan acted differently from the other nine lepers. When he realized he was healed, the Samaritan was filled with irrepressible joy and said to himself, “Everything else can wait; I must thank the one who healed me!”

This Samaritan understood something of Jesus’ superior person and miraculous powers. Jesus is greater than the temple. He is greater than all the priests, for he is the high priest after the order of Melchizedek. He is greater than any man, for he is the God/man who alone can heal and save lepers.

So the Samaritan turned and went back to Jesus. As he went, he was loudly praising God, unashamedly giving public testimony to everyone: “Praise be to God! Although I am a Samaritan, this Jewish Jesus cleansed me. I asked him to have mercy on me, and he healed me. This Jesus has all authority over people and diseases. I was a leper, but Jesus healed me. He must be God! And if you are lepers, Jesus can heal you also.”

The Samaritan then cast himself down at the feet of Jesus. This is worship. When Cornelius fell before Peter, Peter said, “Don’t do it” (Acts 10:25-26). When John fell before the angel, the angel also told him not to worship him (Revelation 19:10). But, notice, because he is God, Jesus accepted this man’s worship and was pleased that the Samaritan had returned to thank him. Jesus told him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” The nine only received physical healing, but this Samaritan received eternal salvation.

There are many people in the churches today who are like the nine Jews. They seek only personal health, peace, power, and wealth, which is also what the pagan fertility religions pursued-material and temporal wealth. So we could say that many who call themselves Christians today are, in fact, following fertility religions, putting pressure on God to give them temporal blessings. They have no interest in fellowship with God the Blessor; they want only the blessings.

Psalm 73 speaks of a man who was afflicted by an intense desire for temporal blessings. But when he was given a revelation of God, he was enabled to say, “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (vv. 25-26).

What is our greatest need? It is not a house or a car or any other object; it is God himself. The greatest blessing God gives us is eternal life in his presence. (PGM) It is God dwelling with man and man dwelling with God forever. As St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless until they find rest in God.” The psalmist declared, “One thing I ask of the LORD, this is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple” (Psalm 27:4). That is why Moses prayed, “Show me your glory” (Exodus 33:18). A true Christian is fascinated with God and his glory.

In the Old Testament, leprosy was a symbol for human sin. But sin is a much more terrible disease than leprosy. When Jesus told the leper, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well,” he meant, “Your faith in me has saved you.” So the Samaritan was healed not only physically, but also spiritually. Jesus was saying, “Your sins are forgiven and you are saved, for you believe in me as God. I know you do because you thanked me and cast yourself down at my feet in worship.”

As the true high priest, Jesus certified this man as saved. We find the purpose of Christ’s incarnational life in Luke 19:10: “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” Jesus came that way to seek and save this one Samaritan leper, just as he came seeking and saving the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4) and the sinful tax collector, Zacchaeus (Luke 19). He came that way to seek, not the ten, but the one. From there he would go to the cross and shed his blood to cleanse all the leper-sinners of his eternal choosing. Even on the cross, he cleansed the leper-thief, saying to him, “Today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).

This same Jesus is with us today to save us. Cry aloud to him. Be convinced of the wretchedness and severity of your condition. The Holy Spirit must do that work, for one of his duties is to convict the world of sin. Repent of your sins and let Jesus apply his cleansing blood upon your ear lobe, thumb, and toe. Let him cleanse your whole person by his blood, and let him pour out his Spirit upon you. Let him pronounce you clean. Let him say to you, “Rise and go; your faith has saved you now and forever.” Then live for this Jesus in thanksgiving for the rest of your life. Think his thoughts, because he put the oil on your head; hear his words, because his blood and oil were applied to your ear lobe; do his will with your hands, because he applied his blood and Spirit upon your thumb; and walk in his ways, because he put his blood and oil upon your feet.

No more are we crying from afar. In Jesus Christ, we have been brought near; yea, we are seated with Christ. Nearer we cannot be. Fall down at his feet; then you shall sit at his side forever.

Scriptures of Thanksgiving

Psalm 103:2 exhorts believers, “Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” We are prone, as were the nine lepers, to neglect to thank God for the benefits he has bestowed upon us. But more blessings will come to us as we thank God for the blessings we have already received. The more we thank God, the more he delights to bless us.

We read in the Bible that Jesus Christ himself thanked the Father for bread, for answered prayer, and at other times. We should follow his example in thanking God as well as in thanking God’s agents, whom God uses to bless us. The Scriptures abound with examples of how and why we should be thankful:

1. God gives us victory. “But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). This verse is speaking about the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, his life and his death on the cross, by which he granted us victory over sin. Our condition is now posse non peccare-it is possible for us not to sin. That is a new possibility that we did not have before. Before, we were slaves of sin and we gloried in sin. We were like worms in a sewer who delighted only in filth. But now we have victory over sin and Satan-so much so that the Bible says we can resist the devil and he shall flee from us. In Jesus Christ, God has granted us victory over the world and its evil philosophies. Not only that, in Jesus Christ we are given victory over death itself.
2. God leads us in triumph. “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him” (2 Corinthians 2:14). Christ defeated all his enemies on the cross. Christ died, Christ rose, Christ reigns, and now he leads every one of us in triumph. Even in poverty, affliction, and persecution, he leads us in triumph. When people mock us and speak all manner of evil falsely about us, he is leading us in triumph. So we keep praising God.
3. Thanksgiving honors God. “He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God” (Psalm 50:23). One who does not thank God is despising God and taking God’s blessings for granted. He is like the Pharisee who thought that he deserved the blessings coming to him. He is like the nine lepers who were healed but unthankful.
4. Thanksgiving is our duty. “We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and rightly so . . .” (2 Thessalonians 1:3). Thanksgiving is not optional; it is our divinely ordained duty.
5. We thank God through Jesus Christ. “First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is being reported all over the world” (Romans 1:8). Jesus is our mediator; there is no other way to the Father except through him. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). That is why we must thank God through him.
6. We thank Jesus Christ. Not only do we thank God the Father through the Son, but we also thank the Son directly. He is God; therefore, we must thank him. So Paul declared, “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service” (1Timothy 1:12).
7. Thanksgiving should be joyful. Colossians 1:11-12 tells us we are to please God by “joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified [us] to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.” Thanksgiving is not just a duty; it is pleasure.
8. Thanksgiving should be profuse. Paul said, “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness” (Colossians 2:6-7). Christians should abound in thanksgiving.
9. Thanksgiving is the antidote to evil. “Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving” (Ephesians 5:4). When we are tempted to do foolish, wicked things, we should remember our duty to thank God. That knowledge should motivate us to avoid anything for which we cannot give thanks to him.
10. Thanksgiving is a necessary ingredient in prayer. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). Do you wonder why your prayers are sometimes not answered? Perhaps you are not thankful. Prayer without thanksgiving is simply a demand notice. It has been said that true prayer must include adoration, confession, thanksgiving, and supplication (ACTS). As we meditate on God’s past mercies to us, we become thankful and are encouraged to hope that God will again show us favor in our present situation. God is pleased when we remember his past mercies. “Forget not all his benefits,” Psalm 103:2 instructs us.
11. Thankfulness is God’s will for us. “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
12. We are to give thanks for all things. Ephesians 5:20 says we are to praise God, “always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” We are commanded to give thanks to God “always . . . for everything”-even when our child dies, or when we have a miscarriage, or when we lose our job, or when we learn we have a terminal disease. Our human nature finds it difficult to thank God in such circumstances. But as Christians, we can function supernaturally through the Spirit of God.

    When I have gone through certain terrible experiences in my life, the Holy Spirit has always enabled me to say, “O God, you are good.” No matter what happens to us, we can trust in God’s goodness. So we give thanks to God the Father for planning our salvation; we give thanks to Jesus Christ for accomplishing our redemption on the cross; and we give thanks to the Holy Spirit for applying this salvation to every elect individual. We give thanks to our triune God, and we do so always, in everything.

    “In everything” particularly means when painful things happen to us. Romans 8:28 tells us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We may not see the good in a particular situation, but God does. So without understanding everything, we can praise God and trust him to work it out.

13. We are to thank God especially for Jesus Christ. In 2 Corinthians 9:15 Paul exclaims, “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!” Most of the gifts we receive from God can be described. But there is one that is indescribable-the gift of Jesus Christ. God did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all. The eternal God, the Second Person of the Trinity, took upon himself human nature for our sakes. These are unfathomable mysteries, but we thank God for them.
14. Thanksgiving is what we will do in eternity. The entire book of Revelation is full of thanksgiving: “Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever . . .” (Revelation 4:9); “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” (Revelation 7:12); “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign” (Revelation 11:17). Not only are we to give thanks now, but we will also be thanking God in heaven. The wonder of God’s salvation will fill our hearts with thanksgiving throughout eternity!

Characteristics of Thanksgiving

Finally, this story of the ten lepers gives us five aspects of proper thanksgiving:

1. Thanksgiving must be done by the individual. The one who received mercy must come and give thanks. If God blesses you, don’t send someone else to thank him. God is waiting to see you in his presence. Fall on your face and thank him personally.
2. Thanksgiving should be prompt. As soon as you receive something, you should thank the giver. This should be done both for God and for the human agents whom God used to bless us. We must train our children to thank people for the things they receive. Otherwise, they will become demanding and think that it is our responsibility to always bless them. Delay may lead to amnesia.
3. Thanksgiving should be intense. As the Samaritan returned to Jesus, he cried out loudly, praising God. It was not some cool, dull, unemotional mumbling; it was a clear and passionate articulation of thanksgiving and praise. He could not contain himself; he was overflowing with gratitude, and we should do likewise.
4. Thanksgiving should be public. The Samaritan thanked Jesus publicly. He did not worry about what other people thought; in fact, he wanted everyone to hear his testimony: “I am a Samaritan, but Jesus heard me! I was a leper, but Jesus healed me! When I cried, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on me!’ he saved me.” Public testimonies are good, as long as they give the glory to God. And when others hear how God answers prayer, they say, “I will also pray; maybe Jesus will help me too.”
5. Thanksgiving should be given humbly. The Greek text says the Samaritan leper fell on his face as he thanked Jesus and lay prostrate for quite some time, probably confessing his former life of misery. Imagine his words: “Jesus, Master, I did not deserve healing. I am only a Samaritan; you did not have to help me at all. But you did!” And Jesus told him, “Rise up and go; your faith has saved you.” This Samaritan received the greatest blessing imaginable-the salvation of his soul.

I pray that we will forsake our sin of not giving thanks. This story of the lepers teaches us that God expects us to thank him, and he is pleased when we do so. May God forgive our sins and help us from this day on to be a people overflowing with thanksgiving to our gracious God.