✝ Daily Encouragement (11/27/23) "The Other Nine"

Published: Mon, 11/27/23

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Monday, November 27, 2023

Amish farm in Lancaster County.
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"The Other Nine"

Message summary: Let’s not make excuses for being unthankful to God or to others. Will we be like the one who returned to give thanks or like the other nine who failed to do so?

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Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan. Then Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine—where are they? Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?” (Luke 17:15-17).

During the last 18 years of his life Andrew Carnegie gave away around $350 million (roughly $5.9 billion in 2022), almost 90 percent of his fortune, to charities. When he died he left one million dollars to one of his relatives, who in return cursed Carnegie thoroughly because he had given so much to charities and had left him with just one measly million.

How’s that for a grateful heart? Now a million dollars is still a lot today but can you imagine how much more it was worth when Andrew Carnegie died in 1919! According to this site* $1,000,000 in 1919 has the same purchasing power as $17,389,595.38 today! Imagine complaining about this!

Carnegie’s ungrateful relative reflects the attitude of far too many, not only in our day but throughout the centuries. Let’s review a healing where Jesus healed ten lepers but nine failed to return to express thankfulness.

Jesus often asked questions to get His listeners to probe their own minds before he would launch into an important teaching. Settings where teachers set up their lesson by first asking thought-provoking questions always stimulates my own thinking and when I teach it helps me to assess the group that I am teaching.

In Jesus’ teaching from Luke 17:11-19 He had healed ten lepers but only one, a Samaritan, returned to give Him thanks. So He asks three probing questions:

- - - - Were there not ten cleansed?
      - But the nine—where are they?
      - Was no one found who returned to give glory to God, except this foreigner?

This brief Scripture passage certainly drives home a hard-hitting message about thankfulness, but it also stirs one’s imagination regarding those who failed to express thankfulness. I’ve wondered what excuses the other nine might have had in failing to return to give Jesus thanks. Of course the text does not tell us and we can’t be absolutely certain, but let us consider nine possible excuses they might have used. Notice they are all pertinent to our day as well!

Perhaps the excuses were:

1) One was too busy. Surely their time of isolation due to the leprosy had left a lot of work that needed done. (Self-importance)
2) One forgot. (Ingratitude)
3) One was planning to do it later. He reasoned that he would eventually get back to thank Jesus... sometime. (Procrastination)
4) One thought somebody else would do it. Perhaps he saw the one returning and assumed that “He will speak for all of us”. God does not accept vicarious praise. “Let everything that hath breath…” (Lazy)
5) One wanted to see if the healing would last. He looked and thought this is wonderful but let’s see if it comes back before I do any thanking. (Skeptical)
6) One had a religious prejudice. Perhaps he didn’t want to even be associated with the Samaritan (Superiority)
7) One thought it really didn’t matter. (Thoughtless)
8) One thought “I still have a lot of other problems.” Like many he saw the glass half empty. Indeed on this side whatever God may do for us we very likely have or will have other problems. (Negative)
9) One thought “I don’t want to bother Him.” Scripture is abundant in calls to thank, praise and glorify God. (Inferiority)

What’s your excuse for not returning thanks to God?

Four great truths from this message:

1) Thankfulness is an act of the will. One of the healed men made the decision to return and offer thanks. “Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back". We need to make a firm decision that we will be thankful and act upon it.

2) Thankfulness matters to God. It brings glory to God. The man “returned to give glory to God". The Westminster Catechism states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever”. We can be assured Scripturally that as we thank God we also glorify Him. “He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me” (Psalm 50:23).

3) Thankfulness is an excellent expression of faith. “And He said to him, ‘Stand up and go; your faith has made you well.’” This part of the text somewhat puzzles me. Apparently the Lord had seen faith in the demonstration of desperation in the ten lepers when they had cried out in a loud voice: “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Now Jesus is commending that faith. Chuck Swindoll notes, “Faith believes in advance what will only make sense in reverse.”

4) Thankfulness is an excellent testimony. Consider that this story made it into the record of Holy Scripture because this man was thankful! As we live a life of thankfulness we also present a good testimony.

Today let’s not make excuses for being unthankful to God or others. Will we be like the one who returned to give thanks or like the other nine?

Be encouraged today, Hebrews 3:13

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, we want to bless You at all times allowing praises to spring from our hearts and express themselves in our words and actions. As we celebrate our thanks to You we tell of Your mighty power and miracles in our lives. We teach these to our children so the next generation might know them, even the children not yet born, that they in turn might teach their children. We want each generation to set their hopes anew on You, Father, remembering Your glorious and miraculous provisions, as their hearts turn toward You. Thank You, Father, for everything You have done and that which is still in the works! For apart from You we have nothing! Amen.

(Prayer inspired by Psalm 78:5-8)

Additional thoughts from Bible teacher Brian Bell’s study notes on this passage:

* How grateful the men should have been for the providence of God that brought Jesus into their area.
* How grateful the men should have been for the love that caused Him to pay attention to them and their need.
* How grateful the men should have been for the grace and power of God that brought about their healing.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"A Thousand Hallelujahs" Watch on YouTube Brooke Ligertwood

Perspective: This website converts buying power in a specific year to today. The $1.90 per hour minimum wage I made in my first job at Kroger in 1971 would be worth $13.67 today. The house we purchased for $49,000 in 1986 would cost $134,000.

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