What God Owes You If you’re new to Lifpoint | Worthington, take 30 seconds to fill out our Welcome Card! Serve our Community on Christmas Eve Interest Form Luke 17:11–19 (ESV) 11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.” Introduction In 2003, psychologists Emmons and McCullough conducted a study proving that gratitude makes people happier, healthier, and more helpful. Despite these benefits, we often struggle to maintain a lifestyle of gratitude. “It’s not hard to be thankful, it’s just really easy not to be.” The Story: Ten Lepers Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem and encounters ten men with leprosy. In this context, leprosy was more than a skin disease; it was a sentence of radical loneliness. They were “untouchable” and separated from their families. They had to warn others of their presence by shouting “Unclean!” They were utterly unwanted. The Request and The Command The lepers ask Jesus for mercy. Instead of an immediate healing, Jesus gives them a command: "Go and show yourselves to the priests." Only a priest could legally declare them clean and restore them to society. Jesus demonstrated power by healing them as they went. They obeyed before they saw the result, which was a profound act of faith. The One Who Returned All ten were cleansed, but only one returned. He fell on his face in worship. This man was a Samaritan—a foreigner and outsider to God's covenant people. Two Kinds of Healing Jesus asks, "Where are the nine?" While ten men received physical healing, only the Samaritan received spiritual restoration. Jesus tells the Samaritan, “Your faith has made you well” (literally: saved you). The Samaritan recognized that the healing was an act of undeserved kindness. “Thankfulness is our response to God’s undeserved kindness.” Why Didn't The Nine Return? It is possible the other nine didn't return because Jesus did exactly what they expected Him to do. The Problem of Entitlement We struggle with gratitude when we view our relationship with God as a contract rather than a relationship. We often believe God “owes” us blessings (health, spouse, job) in exchange for our good behavior. When we view God as an employer satisfying a contract, we don't feel the need to say “thank you.” We must shift our perspective to see our blessings not as rights we are entitled to, but as gifts we are entrusted with. “God is not your employer. He is your Father. And life isn't a wage you earn; it is a gift you receive.” The Gospel Resolution Spiritually, we are like the lepers. We have a condition called sin that we cannot fix on our own. Religion says: “Clean yourself up, then come to God.” The Gospel says: “God came to the Leper colony.” In the ultimate act of undeserved kindness, Jesus took our “infection” upon Himself on the cross. He died so that we could be restored. Liberated for Gratitude When we realize that we earned death but were given life, we are liberated to be thankful in all circumstances. “It’s only when we truly believe God owes us nothing that we are actually freed to be thankful for everything.” As always, if you'd like to talk more with me about anything we discussed, you can sign up for meeting time. If you have any questions from the message today, send them here and I'll follow up!