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Sermon: Thanksgiving Eve
Text: Deut. 8:7-18; Luke 17:11-19
11/23/05
Pastor Mark Schlenker
November sure is a time for giving thanks. Early in the month was All Saints Sunday, and we recognized all of those who have departed from their life here on earth, and we thank God for the time we were able to share with them. Then November 11th was Veteran’s Day, and we were able to give thanks and recognition for all those who have served and died in the armed forces. Now here we are on the Eve of Thanksgiving. The day that students everywhere are eagerly anticipating. A holiday that grants a long extended weekend, lots of food, relaxation, football and shopping.
Aside from those fun benefits of the holiday, Thanksgiving is a time we give thanks to God for the beauty of His great creation, and for the bountiful gifts of life, food, friends, shelter, family, country, and for the numerous joys we receive through our bodies five senses that we just heard about. Sight, sound, touch, taste and feeling. The body really is an amazing creation when you think of it. I remember taking human anatomy and physiology in college, and just being amazed at how the body is put together, and how it functions. How the immune system fights off disease, and how the body works together to heal injuries. It’s truly something special to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is a time of gratitude. To offer our thanks and praise to God for all that has been provided, and for God’s sustaining love and grace. Our two bible texts tonight talk about this as well.
Deuteronomy reminds the Israelites, who are about to enter the Promised Land flowing with milk and honey, to remember that God is their provider and giver of all good things.
A story came across my email the other day that I’d like to share with you. I used to get emails all the time with stories, but they’ve slowed down a lot thankfully. I just don’t have time to read them all, and all of those guilt ridden ones or promises of blessings or dreams come true get a little too much for me. You know the ones that say, “If you send this to five other people and the person who sent this within the next five minutes your prayer will be answered.” That’s a little too out there for me, and I make it a point not to reply to any of those. Anyway, I digress. Here’s the story:
One afternoon a shopper at the local mall felt the need for a coffee break. She bought herself a little bag of cookies and put them in her shopping bag. She then got in line for coffee, found a place to sit at one of the crowded tables, and then taking the lid off her coffee and taking out a magazine she began to sip her coffee and read. Across the table from her a man sat reading a newspaper.
After a minute or two she reached out and took a cookie. As she did, the man seated across the table reached out and took one too. This put her off, but she did not say anything.
A few moments later she took another cookie. Once again the man did so too. Now she was getting a bit upset, but still she did not say anything.
After having a couple of sips of coffee she once again took another cookie. So did the man. She was really upset by this, especially since now only one cookie was left. Apparently the man also realized that only one cookie was left. Before she could say anything he took it, broke it in half, offered half to her, and proceeded to eat the other half himself. Then he smiled at her and, putting the paper under his arm, rose and walked off.
Was she steamed! Her coffee break ruined, already thinking ahead of how she would tell this offense to her family, she folded her magazine, opened her shopping bag, and there discovered her own unopened bag of cookies.
Funny story!! I got a good laugh when I first read it. It still makes me laugh to think about it. But the more I thought about it the more I wondered about the two different reactions. Both people thought they were eating their own cookies. One reacted with anger and frustration. “Darn it this is my coffee break, I just wanted to relax, enjoy my coffee and my cookies. Who does this guy think he is taking my cookies?” The other responded to the same situation with kindness and graciousness. Could it be that this kindness flowed out of his appreciation of what he had, and that what he had was already a gift from God? That’s what our reading from Deuteronomy is reminding us today.
Moses reminds the Israelites not to forget that the Lord is blessing them with good land to sustain them. They will no longer be wandering in the wilderness. They will no longer have to rely on manna from heaven to satisfy their hunger. They will soon be in a land where they can grow their own crops, raise their own livestock, and have an abundance of water through streams, springs and pools of water.
For forty years the Israelites were wandering in the desert. A whole generation knowing nothing but how God was the provider for every need. All they knew was how to live by the word of God, and trust in His providence. Moses wasn’t foolish. He knew the hearts of the Israelites, and how they would be tempted to turn from God, to trust in themselves and forget God. So here we are, thousands of years later, and it’s a good reminder for us too.
Maybe that’s why George Washington back in 1789 declared a national holiday to celebrate Thanksgiving. He knew the importance of thanking God for the great abundance that God had provided for this young nation. He probably knew the temptation for us all to become self-absorbed.
Anyone watch the Simpson’s cartoon? The Simpson’s addresses a lot of great philosophical and theological questions. There’s even a couple books on the Simpson’s and these subjects. One is called, “The Simpson’s and Philosophy: The D’Oh of Homer.” The other one is called, “The Gospel according to the Simpson’s.” I haven’t read the books, or seen the show in a while, so I’m not saying I turn to the Simpson’s for my theological studies. But I was reminded recently of an episode where Bart Simpson was asked to say grace before dinner. His prayer was, “Dear God, we bought all this stuff ourselves, so thanks for nothing.” Oh, Bart Simpson, such the theologian! Ungrateful yes, but it probably hits a little closer to home for more people than we think. He speaks well to the temptation that we all face. We work hard to provide food, clothing and shelter for ourselves or our families, so it’s easy to start believing that it’s all our doing. Deuteronomy reminds us that it is the Lord our God who gives us the power to get these things.
Our Gospel today is another interesting message about thankfulness and gratitude. Jesus heals ten lepers, but only one comes back to thank him. I was discussing this story with someone the other day who hadn’t heard the story, and she asked me, “What happened to the other nine?” I said they were healed, but they went their own way I guess. The story only says that one comes back to thank Jesus. She said, “Oh, well that story lacks some punch.” I asked her what she meant, and she said, “It would be better if the nine weren’t healed or died or something. Then it would illustrate better the importance of being thankful.” I hadn’t looked at it that way before. That’s why I enjoy hearing others responses and interpretations to different texts that I have read or heard a number of times.
She was right! If this story was simply meant to be a good moral example, and teaching point of Jesus then “Yes, it would have been better to have the other not be healed, or die.” That’s one of the rubs with this text though isn’t it? Ten are healed and only one comes back grateful. If the nine lepers weren’t healed, or if their leprosy came back when they weren’t grateful, it would certainly pack a different punch. It might scare the dickens out of people to try and make them more grateful. It would be a great scare tactic to encourage our own good actions, good works and good morals.
But that’s not what happens. Jesus’ actions reveal something different. It reveals something that packs the most punch. It reveals that God will provide for, and show love and mercy to whom God chooses to show love and mercy. God provides for those that are not worthy and ungrateful. That’s what’s so amazing about God’s love and grace. God provides for, loves and forgives freely. All are not worthy, and all are not grateful, but God loves and heals and forgives anyway.
God’s love and grace in providing us with so much is a wonderful gift. What better way to respond then to give thanks. So let’s continue to sing our songs of praise to God, who is the giver of all good things. And though tonight is one special night to say ‘Thanks’, let’s hope that this attitude of thanks can be something we remember daily. Amen.
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