Redemptive Ramblings

Gratitude is such a catchword in the church that it has almost lost its meaning. We think of gratitude as a quick “thank you” directed at the sky when things go our way: traffic wasn’t bad, we got a good parking spot, gas prices went down (can you tell I drive a lot?). But the Bible presents gratitude as so much more than a feeling of thanks for our blessings; Biblical gratitude is not a feeling of gladness that it all worked out, but a choice. 

We see this in Luke 17. Ten lepers come to Jesus begging for mercy. They stand far off, because lepers weren’t allowed to mingle with the crowd, and loudly call to Him, trying to get His attention, hoping to be healed. And Jesus heals them. I think all of them felt glad. I’m sure that each one of them had a feeling of thankfulness. But only one came back to express his gratitude. 

He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking him for what he had done. This man was a Samaritan.

Luke 17:16 (NLT)

The Greek word used in Luke 17:16 is eucharisteo, meaning “to actively show gratitude.” The feeling of gladness in all ten of their hearts as they looked down and saw that they were healed wasn’t counted as gratitude. Gratitude was not in the feeling; it was in the choice to return to the Source of the gift in an act of thanksgiving. It’s the same word used in 1 Thessalonians, where Christians are commanded to eucharisteo in every situation. 

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:18(NLT)

Active gratitude. In all circumstances. Notice it doesn’t say for all circumstances. There are things that we cannot be thankful for. And in those moments, we probably won’t feel thankful either. But the imperative in Scripture is that, even then, we can kneel before Jesus in gratitude for all He has done for us.

Jesus tells the leper that his faith has healed him (Luke 17:19), which always seemed funny to me when I was younger. This guy was already healed. That’s why he was coming back in gratitude. So for Jesus to tell him he’s healed seemed redundant. So what was Jesus really talking about here?

The Greek word in verse 19 for healed encompasses so much more than a physical healing. The word sozo is translated in different contexts as saved, delivered, and healed. The original Greek audience would have understood sozo to mean all three at once. Our gratitude is powerful, you guys!

Gratitude has a few healing properties. First, it helps us have healthy relationships. Without gratitude, life’s hardships can leave us bitter and complaining, towards both God and others. Bitterness places blame for what went wrong in a situation, often causing us to point fingers at the ones that we feel failed us, whether that’s God, friends, family, or even ourselves. Replacing it with intentional gratitude can help us to see the presence of God even in the situations where things didn’t go according to plan. People who lean towards bitterness and blame will struggle in their relationships, leading to more bitterness and creating a downward spiral. The exit point for that spiral is intentional gratitude.

Another way that gratitude heals us is that it’s the antidote to our anxiety and depression. Biblical, intentional gratitude changes our focus. Like putting on a powerful pair of glasses, looking at our lives with gratitude changes how we see everything, even our difficulties. Those problems that looked insurmountable begin to look like a testimony in the making when we focus our eyes on who God is and what He has done for us already. 

Leprosy left people scarred for life, profoundly visibly changed. So many of our problems in life have the potential to be that way. Nine lepers went back to their lives, healed but scarred, with permanent reminders of who they had been. I like to think that when the tenth one, the one who practiced gratitude, stood up, he was whole, unscarred, completely healed, sozo. Because that’s what God can do when we turn to Him with intentional gratitude.