Thanksgiving Day (USA) – November 26, 2026
15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
- Luke 17:15-19 -
Gratitude is an important aspect of Christian character. For the many ways that we are blessed, we give thanks to God, and we give thanks to one another. Showing gratitude for blessings received facilitates our relationships with God and others. This being so, I sometimes wonder if there is an eternal expression of gratitude, or else an analog of gratitude, within the Trinity itself.
The reason that gratitude facilitates our relationships with others has to do with self-giving. When God and others bless us, their act or gift is a way of giving themselves to us. And so, when we express our gratitude, we not only accept their gift or action, we are also accepting them! In other words, since the giver gives him- or herself along with the gift, giving thanks for the gift is a way of accepting and receiving the giver.
That’s why the failure to express proper gratitude is a personal affront. We notice it when others fail to show us proper courtesy. Manners facilitate our relationships with others in all aspects of life. As my grandfather used to say, even our business relationships are personal relationships because they are relationships with other people! Manners are therefore important, but manners are in short supply these days. Have you noticed that many cashiers fail to say “thank you” or even to acknowledge your presence? This makes us less willing to do business with them again.
In our gospel text, Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one of them returned to express his gratitude, and he was a despised Samaritan. The other nine used Jesus for what they could get and then moved on. However, for the Samaritan this was personal, not merely transactional. He turned back, praising God in a loud voice, and then fell at Jesus’ feet in gratitude. And through this act of gratitude, he received Jesus as a person along with Jesus’ gift of healing. In doing this, he exercised his faith, and then entered into a personal relationship with Jesus through this faith. That’s why Jesus told him that his faith had made him well.
This gives us an idea of how we should respond to God on Thanksgiving Day. In faith, we should thank Him for His goodness to us. And through the same faith, we should receive Him into our hearts and homes so that we might feast in His presence!
Thanksgiving Day (USA) – November 26, 2026
15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus' feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 
17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”
- Luke 17:15-19 -
Gratitude is an important aspect of Christian character. For the many ways that we are blessed, we give thanks to God, and we give thanks to one another. Showing gratitude for blessings received facilitates our relationships with God and others. This being so, I sometimes wonder if there is an eternal expression of gratitude, or else an analog of gratitude, within the Trinity itself.
The reason that gratitude facilitates our relationships with others has to do with self-giving. When God and others bless us, their act or gift is a way of giving themselves to us. And so, when we express our gratitude, we not only accept their gift or action, we are also accepting them! In other words, since the giver gives him- or herself along with the gift, giving thanks for the gift is a way of accepting and receiving the giver.
That’s why the failure to express proper gratitude is a personal affront. We notice it when others fail to show us proper courtesy. Manners facilitate our relationships with others in all aspects of life. As my grandfather used to say, even our business relationships are personal relationships because they are relationships with other people! Manners are therefore important, but manners are in short supply these days. Have you noticed that many cashiers fail to say “thank you” or even to acknowledge your presence? This makes us less willing to do business with them again.
In our gospel text, Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one of them returned to express his gratitude, and he was a despised Samaritan. The other nine used Jesus for what they could get and then moved on. However, for the Samaritan this was personal, not merely transactional. He turned back, praising God in a loud voice, and then fell at Jesus’ feet in gratitude. And through this act of gratitude, he received Jesus as a person along with Jesus’ gift of healing. In doing this, he exercised his faith, and then entered into a personal relationship with Jesus through this faith. That’s why Jesus told him that his faith had made him well.
This gives us an idea of how we should respond to God on Thanksgiving Day. In faith, we should thank Him for His goodness to us. And through the same faith, we should receive Him into our hearts and homes so that we might feast in His presence!