The gospel for Thanksgiving Day is taken from Luke 17. As Jesus continued his journey to Jerusalem, he traveled through Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, 10 persons with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance from him and raised their voices, saying, jesus, master, have pity on me. And when he saw them, he said, go, show yourselves to the priests. As they were going, they were cleansed.

And one of them, realizing he had been healed, returned glorifying God in a loud voice. And he fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked him. He was a Samaritan. Jesus said in reply. 10 were cleansed, were they not? Where are the other 9?

Has none? But this foreigner returned to give thanks to God. And he said to him, stand up and go. Your faith has saved you. Many people turn to God, most especially when they have something they can’t deal with. And so they go to him and pray and ask him to do something for them.

God is doing something for us all the time. God is granting us all kinds of favors over and over again. And what he longs for us to do is simply to pause long enough to give him thanks, gratitude, appreciation for the life that we’re leading. Life is a gift understood that way. We are always filled with gratitude. After the music, I will close with a prayer.

Sam sat sa. Foreign. Father, as we gather around a table today with friends and family, let us give thanks for them, the gift they are, the struggle that we have with them. If they’re difficult to get along with the growth they bring to us, bless us with a recognition of the gift of everyone in our life. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.