Passionate and Humble Gratitude

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.  Luke 17:15-16

This leper is one of ten that Jesus healed as He traveled through Samaria and Galilee.  He was a foreigner, not a Jew, and was the only one to return to Jesus to offer thanks for his healing.

Note that there are two things this Samaritan did once he was healed.  First, he “returned, glorifying God in a loud voice.”  This is a significant description of what happened.  He did not just return to say thank you, rather, his gratitude was expressed in a very passionate way.  Try to imagine this leper shouting and praising God out of a sincere and deep gratitude.

Second, this man “fell at the feet of Jesus and thanked Him.”  Again, this is no small act on the part of this Samaritan.  The act of falling at Jesus’ feet is another sign of his intense gratitude.  It’s not only that he was excited, he was also deeply humbled by this healing.  This is seen in the act of humbly falling down at the feet of Jesus.  It shows that this leper humbly recognized his unworthiness before God for this act of healing.  It’s a beautiful gesture which acknowledges that gratitude is not enough.  Instead, profound gratitude is necessary.  Profound and humble gratitude must always be our response to the goodness of God.

Reflect, today, upon your approach to the goodness of God.  Of the ten who were healed, only this one leper manifested the right attitude.  The others may have been grateful, but not to the extent that they should have been.  How about you?  How deep is your gratitude toward God?  Are you fully aware of all that God does for you every day?  If not, seek to imitate this leper and you will discover the same joy that he discovered.

Lord, I pray that I may daily turn to You in deep and total gratitude.  May I see all that You do for me every day and may I respond with wholehearted thanksgiving.  Jesus, I trust in You.