'Faith without Gratitude'!

It must have been the time of day when not many people were walking around. Therefore these ten came out and stood outside to get some fresh air. They were the outcasts of the society. Actually they were considered the scum of the earth, the untouchables. They were lepers. That's why they stole themselves out when not many were around.

Isolated from family and friends, they were lonely, with only fellow lepers to share their woes with and talk to. They had given up all hope of recovering or being united with their loved ones again. They were left there in the lepers colony to die a slow and painful death. They could never go back to their camps.(Leviticus 13:45-46)

As they stood there to take in a quick breather before anyone came around, they spotted a group of men walking along  the border between Galilee and Samaria. This group entered their village. The ten, hurriedly prepared to turn back to their colony before they were shooed off.

Then they spotted Him leading the group. Their hearts missed a beat. Isn't He the One everyone was talking about? Isn't He the One Who healed the sick, made the cripple walk,  raised the dead, made the blind see and the deaf hear? Isn't He the same Jesus, the son of the carpenter Joseph, from Nazareth? They looked at each other with renewed hope. (Luke 17:11-19 NLT)

They had heard so much about Him and His amazing miracles. They had longed to meet Him, but in their condition they could not travel out. They were confined to their miserable dingy colonies. Now there was a golden opportunity knocking at their door. They were not going to miss it for anything.

Their hearts soared with hope. They could picture themselves healed completely, returning back to their families and loved ones. They could picture themselves being welcomed back by their parents, wives and children in a jubilant procession. At that moment, they did not care who saw them or who heard them. All that mattered to them was, their ultimate healing.
Not wanting to miss another moment, they mustered all their strength and shouted aloud in unison, "Jesus!... Master!... Have pity on us!..."

The ten lepers recognized Him as the Master. Master over all sickness and diseases, Master over everyone and all situations! They had complete faith in Him. They believed; they just knew in their innermost beings that when they call out to Him, He will answer. They knew without a slightest doubt that they will be healed totally. They knew that they will be reunited with their families soon. They will be free from social stigma forevermore!

Their pitiful, anguished but determined cries pierced the Master's ears. He stopped and looked at them. How could He refuse such bold and unwavering, faith filled cries for healing? He answered them.

Yes, He answered their cries. He told them to, "Go show yourselves to the priests". It was a requirement according to Leviticus 14:1-32. Those who had been healed from severe skin diseases must show themselves to the priests and get themselves ceremoniously cleansed before they can be reunited with their families. It would take about eight days; a long and tedious process.

The ten lepers knew that when Jesus, the Master says a word, it will happen. So they went in faith, pure unadulterated faith, although they were not healed visibly yet. If it was you or I, we would have stood there and refused to budge without being totally healed. We would have argued, "But I am not healed yet! How could I possibly show myself to the priests in this state. They will think I am crazy. They won't even let me go near the camp, what more near them! Heal me first!" But these simple folks just obeyed the Master with such unshakable faith. Faith embedded on that Rock of all Ages, Jesus!

The Bible says, 'and as they went, they were healed!' Their faith in Jesus prompted them to obey, without questioning, even when there was no evidence. Faith is believing for the things hoped for even before seeing the evidence. But it must be placed on Jesus, which they certaintly did.

Now while they were hurrying to show themselves to the priests, they noticed that they were healed completely. They began leaping for joy, looking with awe at their once deformed hands and feet, running even faster to show themselves to the priests and to share about the miracle that just happened. All ran, except one.

This one was a Samaritan and not a Jew. He turned back to thank the Master who healed him. He could not contain the joy which overflowed from his heart. He ran praising God loudly and threw himself at the feet of Jesus, thanking Him profusely.

Jesus looked at him and asked, "I healed ten and where are the other nine? Only this foreigner came back to give praise to God?" Then He told him, "Now rise and go; Your faith has healed you!"

All ten had unshakable faith in Jesus, they were healed because they had faith in Him, but only one came back to thank Him. Why didn't the others come? They could not wait to get back to their families to share the good news. How many years had they anguished in pain and isolation! Now it would take at least eight days before they could go back into their camps, after the rituals. The cleansing rituals were eight days long, moreover offerings had to be made. They could not afford to lose a single moment. That's why they hurried along without turning back. Can we fault them? No! What they did was right in their eyes and the eyes of the world. They obeyed Jesus. He told them to go and they went. They did not disbelieve Him. They did not argue with Him.They had firm faith in Him, coupled with obedience. Yet, what was missing in them was a heart of gratitude.

Like the Samaritan, who came back to thank Jesus, many a times it is the unbelievers who turn back to thank Him bringing with them offerings and gifts. How many times have we believers failed to thank the Lord for all the graces He has poured into our lives?

We pray in faith. We obey His precepts. We think that when we obey all that God has commanded, we have become righteous. Then we expect our prayers to be answered immediately.  When we are healed, we become puffed up with pride and go around telling everyone that because of our faith we were healed. We even testify that God healed us publicly yet forget to thank Him intimately in our hearts. We take all that He has given us for granted, as if we are truly entitled to all of them. When we are not healed or when our prayers are not answered we grumble and ask, "Why?"

Some of us are like the nine who ran to show themselves to the priests. When we are healed we joyously go about our duties, our unfinished work, which we could not do formerly because of our illness or our situations. We feel we can't waste anymore time now that we are able. We know we are accountable to God for the time given. All that is good, but we sadly forget to thank our Master from whom we receive all good gifts.

Jesus is neither looking for gifts nor offerings. He is obviously not looking for someone who treats Him as an ATM or someone who turns to Him only when they need Him like a blanket in winter. He is not pleased with people who go about thinking they are more righteous than others. He hates the proud and those with religious spirits. (James 4:6 & 1 Peter 5:5) He is looking for humble and grateful hearts. (Psalm 50:23-But giving thanks is a sacrifice that truly honors me)

So let us answer my question in the title of this article. Does 'Faith without Gratitude' work? From the above incident in the bible we learn that it surely does. James 2:19 says that even the demons also believe that there is one God. In Matthew 5:29, the demons shouted, "What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torture us before the appointed time?" Anyone can have faith, but you can't please God without gratitude. What is the use of gaining the whole world in faith when you don't honour God with your praise and thanksgiving?

Therefore,  let us today, repent and build our relationship with Jesus. Let us develop an attitude of gratitude and thank Him daily, for everything in our lives, great or small. Let us praise and thank Him ceaselessly because that is what pleases and honours Him.

Mary Augustine
3/4/18