It was horrible disease.  Those who bore it were banished from home, family and society.  They couldn’t work; they couldn’t shop; they couldn’t worship; they couldn’t interact with anyone.  (No, I’m not referring to those diagnosed with COVID, but to those with leprosy in Bible times.  There are certainly some similarities between the two, but leprosy was usually much worse.) 

Leprosy was the most feared disease, bar none, and was regarded as “the kiss of death.”  If one had leprosy, the odds of recovering were slim.  Leprosy typically meant a long and lingering death sentence, making lepers true-life versions of the living dead.

The only people lepers were allowed to associate with were other lepers, so they gathered themselves together in little banished colonies outside cities, well away from their homes and the comfort of loved ones.  Horrific doesn’t begin to describe the life of one with leprosy.

One day ten lepers (their personal leper group) stood at a distance from Jesus and called out to him, begging for mercy and healing.  The Lord instructed them to “Go, show yourselves to the priests,” which is what healed lepers were to do to be reinstated back into society.  On their way, their leprosy disappeared!

Nine ran joyfully on to the priests, leaping, laughing and shouting, eager to get back to their families and their lives.  Imagine their exuberance!  It was over; they were healed!  One of the ten however, when he realized he was suddenly leprosy-free, ran in a different direction.  In his exultation, he sprinted back to Jesus and fell at his feet, praising and thanking him.  (Luke 17:11-19)

Nine of the healed lepers demonstrated a thank-fail.  Only one showed a thank-full.

Have you ever considered how you might have reacted if you were one of the ten?  It’s easy for us at a cool, calm distance to subjectively convince ourselves we would have shown thank-full-ness like the one.  But it’s not unlikely, in our excitement and selfishness of the moment, after being diseased perhaps for years and slated for certain death, that we would have been guilty of thank-fail-ness, just like the nine.

Of course, Thanksgiving approaches. I will go on the record to state that I am opposed to Thanksgiving Day.  I am NOT opposed to thanksgiving, but I AM opposed to the concept of only giving thanks to the Lord on one day.  (Sadly, more and more people fail to even acknowledge God or give him proper thanks on the holiday!)  But when a person honestly reflects upon their blessings from the Lord, it becomes clear that setting aside a single day for being thank-full, and implying that there are 364 other days to be thank-fail, is inexcusable.

Forget the ten lepers for a moment.  What is our own attitude today? 

Yes, I know we are all struggling at the moment.  No one is unaffected by the virus.  Everyone is impacted.  Everyone’s life is more complicated at the moment.  Difficulty, frustration and discouragement abounds.   We are so ready to be done with it all.

And in the midst of it all we are tempted to slip into thank-fail.

But the Lord is still Lord.  He is still our Rock, our Fortress, our Shield and Defender.  He is still our almighty, all-seeing Leader and our ever-present Friend.  He is still our loving, providing and protecting Shepherd.  He is still our Healer and Blesser.  He is still the Promise-keeper, faithfully fulfilling all his promises to us and always working everything for our good. 

Most importantly of all, he is still our Redeemer and our Living Savior.  The cross is behind him and his tomb is empty.  He makes us victors along with him – all-encompassing forgiveness is won; death and the devil are defeated!  Jesus, the King of kings, now lives and reigns in heaven, watching attentively over us in our lives, accompanying us every step of the way, and waiting to welcome us home to heaven one day. 

So no matter our difficulties, we are blessed beyond degree.  Beyond comprehension!  Beyond our wildest hopes and dreams!  Which means we simply cannot react with a thank-fail.  Rather, our hearts of faith respond to our loving God with a thank-full!

“Praise the LORD.  Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.  Who can proclaim the mighty acts of the LORD or fully declare his praise? … Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.  Let all the people say, “Amen!”  Praise the LORD!”  (Psalm 106:1-2, 48).

May your every day be a thank-full day!