The One Who Came Back: A Thanksgiving Lesson in Gratitude

This Thanksgiving, as 82 million Americans travel to celebrate with family, we can learn something profound from another holiday road trip.

In Luke 17:11-19, Jesus is traveling to Jerusalem from Galilee to celebrate Passover and finds himself along the border between Samaria and Galilee when ten lepers cry out to Him for healing. Understanding the context makes this story remarkable. Jews despised Samaritans so intensely that they would add two full days to their journey—23 extra miles—just to avoid passing through Samaritan territory. Yet, as this story unfolds and is clear in the Gospels, Jesus seems unaffected by the social outcasts that so many Jews avoided.

When the ten lepers call out for help, Jesus tells them to show themselves to the priests, as required by Old Testament law. Remarkably, they're healed as they obey—before they reach the priests. All ten receive the same miracle. All ten are completely cleansed.

But only one returns to thank Jesus. And here's the surprise: he's a Samaritan—the very person most Jews would have expected nothing from.

Jesus asks the piercing question: "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?" His disappointment is evident. Nine received healing and moved on with their lives. One understood that the miracle was an invitation to something deeper.

This grateful Samaritan teaches us three essential lessons about thanksgiving.

First, be humble. Notice how he approaches Jesus—throwing himself at Jesus' feet in complete humility. He recognizes he didn't deserve this healing. The other nine may have felt entitled, perhaps thinking their heritage or goodness earned them this blessing. But true thanksgiving flows from recognizing that everything we have comes from God's grace, not our merit.

Second, give thanks quickly. While the others went on their way, this man couldn't wait to express gratitude. How often do we promise to thank God later, only to get caught up in our blessings and forget? We're quick to ask God for help when we're desperate, but slow to thank Him when He delivers. Make it a habit to thank God immediately—before you rationalize away the blessing, before someone convinces you it was just luck, before you forget it was His hand at work.

Third, thank God loudly. This man didn't whisper his gratitude privately. He praised God in a loud voice for everyone to hear. Is your life marked by visible gratitude? Do people know how thankful you are to God? When God blesses you, does the world know it, or do you keep your thanksgiving hidden away?

Are you the one who comes back, or are you one of the nine who just go on with their lives? Do you humbly, quickly, and loudly thank God for all He has done? Do you recognize the real blessing is not healing but the Healer?

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving this week. I hope you enjoy time with your family and friends. I hope you eat too much turkey and watch football and laugh until your sides hurt. I hope you count your blessings and recognize how much you have to be grateful for.

But here's what I really want you to understand: The real gift isn't the blessing itself. It's the source of the blessing. The real treasure isn't what God gives us. It's God Himself.