“HE GIVES GIFTS AND DRAWS FORTH OUR THANKS”
Saint Luke 17.11-19
The Eve of a National Thanksgiving: 24 November Anno Domini 2004
Fr Watson
Pastor, didn't we just have the story of the 10 Lepers on the 14th Sunday after Trinity, only 11 weeks ago? Yes. But when your children were growing up did you teach them about thanking people only once every quarter? By nature you are ungrateful, as quick to forget your benefactors as the 9 Jewish former-lepers. Your old-Adams will just naturally curl in on themselves and ignore, or minimize, or give mere perfunctory "thanks" to those who care and give to you. You were not hard-wired that way; not in the beginning. In Eden, Adam was made perfect. Adam delighted in thanking God in thought, word and deed for the paradise that he had been given. Adam was in perfect communion with God. Adam sang his daily thanks to the Lord in everything he did.
But now in the world of sin and death which Adam has given you, in which your fallen natures readily contribute to, now giving thanks is an alien emotion. Now you have your wiring ripped apart by Satan so that ego triumphs over empathy; the "I" triumphs over the "you"; and people just don't like giving true thanksgiving because to do so is to admit that they are grateful for a gift. Pride doesn't like to show need.
Even when one is grateful, as I'm sure the 9 Jews in the Gospel were, it's hard to take ones mind off ones self and bend the knee in genuine thanks. Or as Paul said: "the things that I want to do, I do not..." Who will save you from this loathsome sin of ingratitude?
You are saved by the Savior; The same One who saves you from all of your other transgressions as well; The Healer of Leprosy, the Forgiver of Sin.
Being washed clean from Leprosy is what tonight and tomorrow is all about. Being forgiven over and over again for what you really are is what tonight and tomorrow is all about. It isn't about you feeling warm and fuzzy inside because you're duplicating some family tradition or because you are happy you live in America rather than some other nation; and it isn't even about coming to church so you can tell God how thankful you are. Tonight, tomorrow, any day and every day is about God's Mercy and Grace for you. And not just generic love, but Love in the flesh. God loves you in His only Son Jesus Christ. God loves you in that His Son was sent to be your worker. Jesus had to do the things you didn't do, can't do, and won't be able to do... like live the way God created man in the beginning. Jesus came to "stand in" for your just and righteous punishment; He came to pay the penalty your ungratefulness really deserved. It's all about the Christ of God.
Cain gave thanks...kind of, sort of, the way "little Johnny" might when Mom makes him go up to the Aunt he doesn't like in the first place, to say "thank you" for the gift he didn't want He does it, but it doesn't really mean anything; all form and no substance. Cain gave thanks the way we do many times, he gave to God the things that he, Cain, had done. Here God, you can have what I have raised, grown, harvested; my work; my deeds; look at me! Cain gave God what God doesn't need: stuff. Cain made a present of that which he knew in his own mind he could always have more of through more hard work on his part. His heart was resentful. Even as he gave some fruit of the now-cursed-earth, he was munching again on the forbidden fruit of self; of selfish ingratitude.But Abel gave thanks the way you do in Christ. Abel gave the Lord his trust and faith and deep devotion. Abel praised God for being God, for being the great giver, redeemer and sanctifier. Abel gave the firstlings of his flock. Abel didn't make the lambs, didn't grow the lambs. Sheep are not like corn, they are living breathing sentient and mobile. Abel had taken care of his fold, he had shepherded them, but he knew they were but "on loan" from the Lord. He didn't know whether he would ever have a flock again. That was up to his Creator and Master. He gave the gift of life, the gift of blood. He made a sacrifice which was a "type" of the sacrifice to come; the blood of the lamb instead of the eternal blood of mankind. Ultimately, to give God worship and praise, to properly thank Him, isn't something we do of ourselves, or that we produce deep down inside of ourselves. Praising God as did Abel, as did the Samaritan Leper who fell at Jesus' feet "giving Him thanks" is to receive the gifts of a gracious giver God and then reflect back the light imparted, to speak back the words of love first spoken to us.
You are thankful for all your "First Article" gifts. It is good that you thank Jesus for your spouse, your parents and children, your jobs, homes, countries, food, friends and leisure time. He gave them all to you because He loves you. He preserves them and you with body, soul, eyes, ears, reason and all your senses.
You are thankful for all your "Third Article" gifts. It is good that you thank Jesus for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The Spirit has called you by name in the waters of Holy Baptism, washed you clean in Jesus blood and adopted you into a family of faith here in time, the Church, and guaranteed you a place in the Church Triumphant for all eternity. You do give thanks for this precious gift of faith in Jesus. And finally, you are thankful for the "Second Article" gifts; the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are thankful like Abel and the Samaritan, that Jesus is your Savior from Sin; that He forgives you all your trespasses. You are thankful that His love was/is so great that He died on the cross to take your leprosy away forever.
So, you're doing right now what His grateful children do, and will be doing at table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, you're receiving Christ Himself in His free gifts of love through His Words and through His Body and Blood, the true "Thanksgiving Feast."
Sing with the Angels, worship with Abel, and the Samaritan, and now pray with Dr. Luther and me: "Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good, for His Mercy endureth forever. He giveth food to all flesh; He giveth to the beast His food, and to the young ravens which cry. He delighteth not in the strength of the horse. He taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man. The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy. We thank Thee, Lord God, heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, our Lord, for all Thy benefits, Who livest and reignest forever and ever. Amen."