GRATITUDE SHOULD BE THE 11^th Commandment

Luke 17: 11-19

Gratitude! We define gratitude as “the quality of being thankful; the readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.” Our context for gratitude for today of course is God, the Creator of the universe, and occurs in concert with the many blessings and gifts He has bestowed upon us.

There was a tailor named Mendel and he was worried about his business. Mendel was down to his last $50 and was torn between buying a sign and getting food for his family. Mendel decided to pray.

“Dear GOD,” he said, “I don’t know what to do. If I buy a sign it may bring in business, but I need to buy groceries for my family…and if the sign doesn’t bring in sales, we will starve.

GOD replied, “Mendel, buy the sign. Don’t worry, your family won’t starve.” So, Mendel bought the sign and business took off. The tailor fed his family and all was well. However, as time passed it became evident that Mendel couldn’t keep up with orders all by himself. He contemplated hiring on a helper, but wondered if he could afford it. So, he asked GOD if getting help would be a prudent move.

“Go ahead,” GOD tells Mendel, “hire some help, you’ll do okay.” And so Mendel did. And business took off beyond his wildest dreams. After a time, the tailor decided to move to a larger site that would accommodate the growing demands of his business. As he surveyed certain locations, he found a perfect storefront, but the rental price was really steep.

“GOD” Mendel again prayed, “I found the perfect place to relocate my business. But the cost of the lease worries me. I don’t want to get in over my head.”

“Go ahead and a get a lease on the store, Mendel,” said GOD. “Trust me, you’ll be okay–I haven’t steered you wrong yet, have I?”

So Mendel signed a lease on the 5th Avenue store and profits from his business went through the roof. Out of heartfelt gratitude, Mendel proposed to the Almighty that he dedicate the store to Him. “How do you like the name “Yaweh and Mendel,” the tailor asked. “Nah,” GOD said. “Let’s go with ‘Lord and Taylor.'”‘

The opposite of grateful is ungrateful. I came up with nine symptoms of a possible ungrateful heart so let’s see if we can  recognize them in ourselves and others:

(1) Every day seems like the last one—there is never anything new.

(2) God seems far away and unconcerned with you—recognizing you would be like recognizing one grain of sand on a beach front. 

(3) You are apathetic towards other people—after all they don’t care about you so why should you care about them.

(4) Your prayers are shallow and routine—you really don’t have much to pray about.

(5) Your environment is boring—you can’t see anything in it.

(6) Problems seem bigger than they really are—you don’t remember the last time anyone helped you.

(7) You feel alone and uncared for—love is something that only exists in a chic-flick or a biography.

(8) You never have enough—no matter how hard you work or try.

(9) You are constantly plagued by a feeling of impending doom—what else could the future hold?

How did you do? I have to work on a couple of those.

Listen to our Gospel Lesson for today from Luke 17: 11-17:

On the way to Jerusalem Jesus was going through the region between Samaria and Galilee. As he entered a village, ten lepers approached him. Keeping their distance, they called out, saying, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!" When he saw them, he said to them, "Go and show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were made clean.

Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan.

Then Jesus asked, "Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well."

In our scripture for today why did only one cleansed leper return to thank Jesus? 

Was it ingratitude or some other reason? The following are nine suggested reasons why the nine did not return:

1. One is CALLOUS. He did not feel his misery as much as some, nor is he much stirred now by his return to health. Sullen, torpid, stony men are thankless. Callousness is a common cause of ingratitude.

2. One is THOUGHTLESS. He is more like shifting sand than hard stone, but he never reflects, never introspects, never recollects. The unreflecting are ungrateful.

3. One is PROUD. He has not had more than his merit in being healed. Why should he be thankful for what his respectability, his station, deserved? Only the humble-hearted are truly grateful.

4. One is ENVIOUS. Though healed he has not all that some others have. They are younger, or stronger, or have more friends to welcome them. He is envious. Envy turns sour the milk of thankfulness.

5. One is COWARDLY. The Healer is scorned, persecuted, hated. The expression of gratitude may bring some of such hatred on himself. The craven is always a mean ingrate.

6. One is CALCULATING the result of acknowledging the benefit received. Perhaps some claim may arise of discipleship, or gift.

7. One is WORLDLY. Already he has purpose of business in Jerusalem, or plan of pleasures there, that fascinates him from returning to give thanks.

8. One is GREGARIOUS. He would have expressed gratitude if the other eight would, but he has no independence, no individuality.

9. One is PROCRASTINATING. By and by someday he’ll come.

Meanwhile Christ asks, "Where are the others?"

Additionally, we discover that salvation is individual. Each of us must respond, or not, for ourselves. Human nature is a strange and awful thing. What motivates or deceives us?

We’ve all heard the warning against looking a gift-horse in the mouth or biting the hand that feeds you.  Likewise, we’ve all been challenged to count our blessings and look for the silver lining.  For some of us, this is hard to do because our inability to be mindful of any kindness received is plagued by what I call the Three E’s – Envy, Entitlement, and Expectation.  These are three root causes of ingratitude.

1. Envy.  People who suffer from envy walk through life painfully obsessed by the advantages enjoyed by others.  Their strong desire to experience the same advantages causes significant resentments, which often lead to anger and unhappiness. 

You’ve heard of the green-eyed monster; jealousy can impede contentment and satisfaction in all areas of our lives.  In comparing what we don’t have to what others do, we reduce our ability to appreciate the blessings in our own lives.

2. Entitlement.  People who unfoundedly believe they deserve certain privileges, benefits, or advantages tend to experience life through a series of demands, and struggle to balance taking from others with giving. 

They value relationships based on what others can give them and are dissatisfied when they don’t get what they feel they deserve. 

Examples of this include teen-agers demanding to be compensated or rewarded for tasks they should be doing as a matter of course.

Then there are college students who feel they deserve an “A” because they are paying for their education but haven’t worked for their grade; and situational victims who use their misfortune as justification for why they should receive additional benefits or favor.  Entitlement often leads to disappointment and dissatisfaction.

3. Expectation.  Some expectation is normal.  For example, my boss can expect me to show up to work each day, and I can expect a paycheck every two weeks in return; if I don’t show up, I can expect I won’t get paid. 

Unfortunately, ingratitude is the result of unreasonable or inappropriate expectations, like expecting others to read my mind; expecting others to drop everything to accommodate my needs before theirs; and expecting others to give, give, give when I offer nothing in return. When expectations like these go unmet, resentment and anger surface and interfere with our ability to celebrate and not take for granted the good things in life.

Envy, entitlement, and expectation are dangerous attitudes and usually lead to unhealthy levels of anger, resentment, disappointment, unhappiness, and depression, an attitude of ingratitude.

Emotions like these make it extremely difficult to cope when things don’t go our way, and cause us to behave ineffectively when navigating change, overcoming setbacks, or meeting the needs of others. It makes us the “unprofitable” servants that Jesus talks about.

The good news is that these three root causes of ingratitude can be conquered. 

With an intentional daily effort to look for and celebrate the silver lining in all situations, ingratitude can be replaced by thankfulness and a spirit of genuine appreciation for all life has to offer.

When we realize the sacrifice that Jesus made on our behalf, and the loving actions of our Creator God, how can we not be grateful for it? Recognition of it must come as a daily exercise of faith, love, and respect. Amen.