공동체와 양육

Are You Grateful? (Luke 17:11~19)

2018.07.29P. Stephen Cha

Gratitude is the response that brings us closer to Jesus, as the one leper who returned to thank him met the Lord himself and received salvation. When we thank God daily, we see his mercy, grace, and presence in every circumstance.

Jesus sees our need and shows mercy (12-13)

The ten lepers lived as outcasts, unable to worship at the temple or to touch their families, so they cried out from a distance. Jesus saw their need and knew the sin and isolation that leprosy brought. They called him Master and asked for mercy, and Jesus did not turn one of them away. Because he is both Savior and Lord with authority over sickness, he welcomes everyone who seeks his mercy.

Jesus looks for thanks, not only requests (17-18)

Jesus asked where the other nine were, and only the Samaritan foreigner came back to give thanks. Perhaps we are more like the nine, who ask God for blessing again and again but seldom stop to thank him. Think of a gift that is received with excitement but never returned to the giver with love. Gratitude turns our eyes from what we lack to the God who has already given so much.

Faith made him well, and saved him (19)

Jesus told the healed man that his faith had made him well, and the word can also mean saved. The other nine received physical healing, but the one who returned met Jesus himself and entered a relationship with him. Jesus gives eternal life not only as a future promise but as a life we walk out with him. As we know him more and give thanks, we grow in joy and abundance.

Gratitude grows from remembering God's grace

We often forget that we deserved punishment, yet God sent his one and only Son to take our place and made us his children. Nothing we have is earned, since family, friends, church, and daily life are all gifts from the Father. Even in hard seasons, we can trust that God works all things together for good and shapes us to be more like Christ. Nothing can separate us from his love.

Thanks turns us into worshipers

Like the man who returned, we can bow low and worship Jesus as our thanks rise. Research on a shooting at Seattle Pacific University found that people with higher gratitude before the tragedy were better able to grow through their trauma. Ann Voskamp began listing a thousand gifts and saw God's hand and love behind each one. Thanking God opens our eyes to his presence and purpose.

Apply to Life

  • Let us remember the mercy and grace God has shown us in Christ.
  • Let us say thank you to God every day, naming the gifts we have received.
  • Let us express our gratitude to the people around us as well as to God.
  • Let us become worshipers who thank God in every season rather than grumbling and complaining.

This summary was made automatically from the sermon's captions and may differ from the sermon.

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