Mark Sorensen A couple years ago, I was in a drive-through at a local coffee shop and paid for the coffee that was ordered by the person in the car behind me. Ah yes, an intentional random act of kindness. Harmless, right? As I paid for the coffee and drove away, something unexpected happened… The guy whose coffee I paid for? He started following me. It was almost like a scene out of a movie. I turned right, he turned right. I went left, he went left. My mind was racing. “Is this guy gonna beat me up over a $3 latte?” It’s funny the deals you start making with God in moments like this. “Lord, I promise if You get me out of this unscathed, I will never bless anyone ever again!” So I pull up to my destination and he’s right behind me. I get out of the car, walk around and he pulls up next to me, rolls the window down, looks me dead in the eye and says, “You pay for my coffee?” I pause. “Yes.” He responds? “Thank you!” He drives away.
Five miles. He had to follow me AT LEAST five miles just to say thank you. Amazing.
I’ve never forgotten this moment. Oftentimes I am so quick to “take,” yet not always so quick to stop and give thanks.
In Luke 17:11– 19, we read a story of 10 lepers who are healed by Jesus. It’s an amazing story on many levels. Imagine it. These 10 lepers were outcasts in society. Culture, family members, priests — all had written them off as their leprosy was a death sentence. So, day in and day out, as this group of 10 would wander, not a living soul would look at them or acknowledge them. No one, that is, until they encountered Jesus. They cried out to Him acknowledging Him as Savior and Master, and He not only heard them, He saw them. The response? Jesus healed them and told them to show themselves to the priests. Luke says that as they turned to go to the priest, they were cleansed.
Now. For nine people that day, the story was finished. I imagine the nine obeyed Christ, showed themselves to the priest, and returned to their families rejoicing. But for one, the story was FAR from finished. He stopped, turned around, and returned to Jesus. He fell at the feet of the One who spoke the healing into his life and gave thanks. Now, Jesus’ response is pretty telling. “Where are the other nine? Were not all ten cleansed? Has no one returned to give praise except this foreigner?” The irony here is that, among the Jewish community, it was the Samaritans who were despised and, on this day, it was the Samaritan who fell at the feet of Jesus to give thanks.
Don’t miss Jesus’ response to this one who returned to Thanksgiving: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” The nine were made whole by the power of Christ and His words. This Samaritan? He was made whole by his faith, which was met at the intersection of Christ’s healing and falling at the feet of the one worthy of his praise and thanksgiving.
Should our response be any different? I don’t think so. No matter where we stand, whether the mountain top or the valley, God is still God and He’s worthy of our praise. Two things. One? We give thanks because we are never alone. Take a moment and read Psalm 121. What do you see? Over and over David notes that, “The Lord watches over us.” Praise God we’re never outside of His vision and protection. Two? We give thanks because of His relentless pursuit to capture the hearts of His creation. God never gave up on us. “For God so loved the world that He gave us His one and only son…” (John 3:16). What a beautiful reminder of the sacrifice and love extended to each of us on behalf of our Heavenly Father.
Let’s not rush ahead of God today. Like the Samaritan, may we all stop, take a deep breath, and return to the One who relentlessly pursues each of us to simply say, “Thank You.”
He is worthy.
