Thanksgiving Day 2009
As we gather in worship to give thanks to our good, gracious, and our very
generous God for the countless blessings bestowed upon us thanks to His
infinite love, we do so usually with the mindset, and the heart set, and the
“soul set” if you will, in thanksgiving for what we’ve received. Of what we’ve
taken in over the months and years. Be it material possessions that make our
lives a bit more comfortable and free-flowing. Or the blessings of good
physical and mental health that the Lord extends to so many of us. We’re
almost always thankful for what we have received.
But how about if we were to thank God this day not only for the blessings that
we receive, but also for the blessings that we sometimes get rid of. The
blessings that also disappear from our lives. When we look at this familiar
story of thankfulness in the Gospel of the ten lepers, that’s exactly what the
former lepers do. Or at least one of them does so publicly. The leper who
returns and makes a public scene of thanksgiving in front of Jesus does so
because something was rid of; something was removed from his body.
There was a part of him, a condition that defined him, that was taken away by
Jesus’ mercy and compassion. There was a part of him that disappeared for
good.
He did receive good health in return, and all the benefits that accompanied
good health 2000 years ago; he more than likely received acceptance back
into the community; the possibility of actually hugging another person; or
holding another person’s hand; not to mention recapturing his self-respect
and dignity that was lost when leprosy set in; all actions in life that we may
take for granted, but the lepers couldn’t enjoy.
The ten lepers probably received all of this back and much more, but only
because Jesus got rid of something else first. Only because Jesus first wiped
something out of their lives. He abolished a form of their slavery.
I’m pretty certain of one thing; that Fr. Millott and Deacon Joe will probably be
thanking God profusely when they get rid of their scratchy voices. It’s painful
to listen to them speak right now!
It’s makes for a healthy spirituality; being thankful for things we get rid of in
order to place ourselves in a better position to receive. Being rid of some
clothes and thanking God for a lighter closet. Being rid of a little more money
if possible, thanking God for a lighter wallet or purse. I’ve read it somewhere
that heavy wallets and purses don’t make it through the Pearly Gates. For
some of us like myself, being rid of a few pounds and thanking God for lower
cholesterol. The list is endless.
So this Thanksgiving, and in the upcoming year, may we continue to be
mindful of the many blessings we receive. But thankful also for the blessings
we are blessed to be rid of. That’s one of the lessons of the returning leper. It
gave him and his nine acquaintances a new lease on life.