november 23 2022
Thanksgiving Eve 2022; November 23rd
Old Testament: Deuteronomy 8:1-10
Psalm: Psalm 67
Epistle: Philippians 4:5b-20
Gospel: Luke 17:11-19
Sermon Text: Luke 17:11-19
Sermon Title: “Give Him Thanks”
Grace to you and peace, from God the Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ; Amen.
“The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious … but with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God”. (Philippians 4:5b-6) “My God will supply every need of yours, according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:19) “Man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. (Deuteronomy 8:3b) “And he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks”. (Luke 17:16a) These are some of the texts for our consideration this evening.
A national day of thanksgiving was celebrated off and on in the early years of our country, but it wasn’t until Abraham Lincoln was President, that it was declared a national holiday. Think about that for a moment. It was in 1863, in the middle of the “hot” Civil War, in which hundreds of thousands of men had already died; that a day devoted to thanking God for His many blessings on our nation; but especially for His mercy on us; was declared and it has continued ever since.
Giving thanks to God does not come naturally to sinful mankind, especially during difficult times, such as the Civil War, such as our own where persecution of the church is near at hand. But even in simpler times, we all had to be taught by our parents or some other authority, to give thanks for the many blessings that we have received from His gracious hand. Even as adult Christians, we are a forgetful people, who need constant reminders of God’s everyday gifts to us through Christ Jesus our Lord.
In the Old Testament reading, the people are reminded of how the Lord provided for their physical needs during the difficult forty years of wandering in the desert; so “that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every Word that comes from the mouth of the Lord”. (Deuteronomy 8:3b) Of all of God’s gifts, the Word of the Lord is His most precious gift to us. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you”. (Matthew 6:33)
But, we are a forgetful people, and often are not thankful for all of God’s gifts. Luther wrote, “Praising God and being thankful is the highest form of worship; here on earth and in eternity. Just so, ingratitude, especially for the Word of God, is the most shameful vice and dishonoring of God and yet the world is filled to the heavens with such vices”. Often we are “anxious about everything” rather than “with thanksgiving, making our requests known to God”. (Philippians 4:5b-6)
Therefore, Paul exhorts us to “give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1st Thessalonians 5:18). “I have learned in whatever situation I am, to be content”. (Philippians 4:11b) “My God will supply every need … according to His riches in glory, in Christ Jesus”. (Philippians 4:19) Paul wrote these confident words, while in prison, being held captive for his proclamation of the Gospel. He was suffering distress and (we would say) lacking in any material blessings; yet he was truly thankful to the Lord who in mercy had saved him from eternal death, by His death and bodily resurrection.
The lepers in our Gospel reading were also in a bad way. Leprosy was a dreaded disease in biblical times. It was a physically painful disease that often result in numbness, disfigurement, losing limbs, and eventually death as it progressed. It was also very contagious, so that lepers were isolated from the rest of society, often including their own families, unless/until they could prove to the priests that they had been cleansed/healed. They had to cry out “unclean, unclean” if they were approached by anyone.
Notice from the text that “as Jesus entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance and lifted up their voices saying; Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”. (Luke 17:13) In begging Jesus for mercy, they are acknowledging their sin and unworthiness before Him. They have nothing good to bring before Jesus; so they do not even try to persuade Him; they simply plead for the mercy they do not deserve.
“When Jesus saw them, He said to them, go and show yourselves to the priests. And as they went, they were cleansed”. (Luke 17:14) This was proscribed in the book of Leviticus, in order to prove they had been healed/cleansed. The healing did not take place immediately, but as soon as they were on their way it happened. Each of them received the healing and (actually) obeyed Jesus’ words to go to the priests. No more is heard of them and we probably should not assume the worst in the nine; after all, they simply did what the Jewish Law required and what Jesus told them to do.
Still, what happened next is profound as Jesus singles out one man for praise. “Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; (as he was returning) and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving Him thanks. Now, he was a Samaritan”. (Luke 17:15-16) As you probably know, the Jews and Samaritans did not get along at all, for a variety of reasons, both historical and religious, and so they did not worship at the same temple.
Yet it was the Samaritan, the one least likely to associate with Jesus; that returned to thank Him. “Then Jesus answered, were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner? And Jesus said to him, Rise and go your way, your faith has made you well”. (Luke 17:17-19) The Samaritan would not even have been welcome at the temple in Jerusalem, where the other lepers went to “show themselves to the priests” (Luke 17:14b); but he was able to thank Jesus, the true High Priest, in person, and so he received not just cleansing for leprosy, but more importantly, forgiveness of sins and the hope of eternal life through faith in Christ.
All ten received healing, but only one returned to give thanks and worship Christ Jesus our Lord. How often do we act like the 9 who went on with their lives, rather than the 1 who returned? Whether it is forgetfulness, carelessness or worse (unbelief), how many among us fit this description that Luther gave the church of Germany about 10 years after the beginnings of the Reformation; He said, “despite the fact that the Gospel has returned, many have mastered the fine art of abusing their freedom”. (Preface to the Small Catechism)
Like the people of Israel who had to wander 40 years in the desert wilderness; like the Apostle Paul who wrote the words we heard this evening from a Roman prison; like the ten lepers who had suffered many years with a dreaded disease; like those living during the time of the Civil War; we too live in difficult and dangerous times. Like all of those, we are also called to be thankful to God.
Tomorrow is once again a national Day of Thanksgiving, and through the evangelist Luke, our Lord Jesus is asking us, what He asked the nine; where are all those whose sins I have forgiven “through the washing of water with the Word” (Ephesians 5:26) in Holy Baptism? Did I not die on the cross to atone for their sins and rise bodily from the dead, that they might have eternal life? Where are those, who in their confirmation vows promised to be faithful? Why are not all of these (My people) giving thanks to Me on this day?
Even for those of us who are here, God is warning against “drawing near to Him with our lips while our hearts are far from Him”. (Isaiah 29:13a) As Moses said, “You know in your heart, that as a man disciplines his son, the Lord God disciplines you. So, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in His ways and fearing Him”. (Deuteronomy 8:5-6) In all these words, we hear a call to repentance.
Luther’s Small Catechism; in the explanation of the three articles of the Apostles Creed; helps us to repent, remember and be thankful for the mercy and grace of God; for all that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has done and continues to do for us, His people. “Thanks be to God for His inexpressible gifts” (2nd Corinthians 9:15);
For He has, “made me and all creatures; He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land and animals, and all that I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does out of fatherly divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For this it is my duty to THANK, praise, serve and obey Him”. (1st Article explanation)
He has also, “for us and for our salvation”, sent His Son Jesus Christ; “true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary … who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious blood and innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own, live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness; just as He is risen from the dead and lives and reigns to all eternity”. (2nd Article explanation)
Finally, even though I “cannot by our own reason or strength, believe in Jesus Christ the Lord or come to Him; the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts and sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way, He calls, gathers, enlightens and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He (continues to) daily and richly forgive all my sins and the sins of all believers. And on the last Day, He raise me and all the dead; and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ”. (3rd Article explanation)
Knowing our Lord gladly provides us with all these things as gracious gifts, we can truly relate to the lepers in our text this evening; humbly approaching our Lord with the words, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us”. (Luke 17:13b) Our Lord does show mercy to all who cling to Him in faith; even when we forget at times what He has accomplished for us by His cross and resurrection. Thanks be to God that He continues to provide all these gifts to us; especially the forgiveness of sins, the strengthening of our faith, and the hope of eternal life, which we receive here in His Word and Sacrament every time we gather.
Gracious Lord, grant that we would gladly continue to confess Jesus, no matter the cost, in our sin sick world; and never tire of thanking Him for all His gifts of both body and soul. “O give thanks to the Lord; call upon His name; make known His (saving) deeds among all the peoples”. (1st Chronicles 16:8) Amen.
The peace of God …