Thankfulness!
Sunday, November 1, 2026
Sunday Message: Thankfulness!
(Luke 17:11-19)
In the Old Testament, thanksgiving has limited expression. Bible verses about thanksgiving in the Old Testament are closely tied to “praise.”
In other words, the people would praise God for who He is or for delivering them from a bad situation.
In the New Testament, “thanksgiving” becomes a way of life for Christians—in the good times and the bad.
Therefore, to give thanks can include praising God for who is and for what he has done for you. Also, giving thanks can involve a general expression of gratitude and thankfulness.
In the story of the Ten Lepers, according to Luke 17:11-19… King James Version…
11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.
12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:
13 And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.
14 And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.
15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.
17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?
18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.
19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.
In the story of the Ten Lepers, according to Luke 17:11-19…The Message…
11-13 It happened that as he made his way toward Jerusalem, he crossed over the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten men, all lepers, met him. They kept their distance but raised their voices, calling out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14-16 Taking a good look at them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.”
They went, and while still on their way, became clean. One of them, when he realized that he was healed, turned around and came back, shouting his gratitude, glorifying God. He kneeled at Jesus’ feet, so grateful. He couldn’t thank him enough—and he was a Samaritan.
17-19 Jesus said, “Were not ten healed? Where are the nine? Can none be found to come back and give glory to God except this outsider?” Then he said to him, “Get up. On your way. Your faith has healed and saved you.”
The 10 lepers, comprise a group of people excluded from community life because of their medical condition.
The lepers, “keeping their distance,” call out to Jesus, not specifically to heal them but to “have mercy on us!”
Their call for mercy, indicates a desire to be healed of their afflictions. And since the lepers call out to Jesus by name, they seem to have some previous knowledge of him.
They also call him “Master”, a word which is used only by Jesus’ disciples. This calling after Jesus already indicates a measure of faith.
The lepers immediately demonstrate their faith by following Jesus’ instruction even though they still have their disease. Only as they are on their way, do we find out that “they were made clean.”
Jesus responds to their cries for mercy by drawing from them an act of faith that results in their physical healing.
Many times, we think of thanksgiving as thanking God for something that has happened to us already. But, the real purpose of giving thanks, though, is opening the door to even greater blessing. Thanksgiving becomes a window through which God's love shines.
Giving thanks is directly tied to your relationship with God. In fact, thankfulness is the natural outflowing of a heart that is attuned to God.
A spirit of thanksgiving is always the mark of a joyous Christian.
Why should we be thankful?
Because God has blessed us and we should be thankful for each blessing.
This story of the Ten Lepers is a great reminder of the importance of thanking God.
God has given us so many things to be thankful for, and too many times, we take those gifts for granted.
Let’s stop and thank God for his gifts when they happen.
Thankfulness is not just for Thanksgiving.
It’s for every day, because every day is a day of thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving—the giving of thanks—to God for all His blessings should be one of the most distinctive marks of the believer in Jesus Christ.
“ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life”…John 3:16 KJV.
King James Version
Pastor Jeff