The need for gratitude.

Ingratitude is often talked about today. Parents complain about the ingratitude of their children. More than one teacher and educator must sigh sadly that students lack gratitude. A person often becomes aware of appreciation only when lf feels a lack of gratitude from others. The proverb says that a wise person learns from the shortcomings of others.

The Gospel speaks of the lack of gratitude for the nine healed, whom the Lord Jesus restored to health,h and they did not find a way or a way to thank him. The Gospel also presents us with a positive attitude towards gratitude through the figure of the Samaritan. The Lord Jesus said to the Samaritan: “Get up and walk; your faith has made you well” (Lk 17:19). We know that the Lord Jesus healed ten seriously ill people who begged him for mercy. But only one of them thanked him. The Lord Jesus rewards his faith with many unique gifts. Ten people were healed, but we must point out that when numbers are spoken in the Holy Scriptures, this number is not always understood mathematically but figuratively. Thus, the number ten can be understood as many.

What does this group healing of lepers mean? Why does the Lord Jesus emphasize the difference between the Samaritan and the rest of the healed? Let’s try to understand one another and take a valuable lesson. If we focused on carefully examining all the miracles of the Lord Jesus in this way, we would find that every healing and resurrection performed by the Lord Jesus has its place in the context of his teachings. Although each deed speaks of the power of the Lord Jesus, it also brings special instruction. In each of his actions, we can see what God wants to make clear to us.

Today we are dealing with a more significant number of lepers who turn to the L, ord Jesus begging for mercy and are heard. As we know, leprosy is a severe and unpleasant disease that was widespread in the time of Christ. Leprosy patients were separated from the healthy, not only for hygienic reasons but also for religious reasons. Leprosy was a terrible physical disease but was also understood as a sign of God’s punishment. It was believed that leprosy patients deserved it for their sins. It was a punishment from God; therefore, the sick could not live in the community of righteous believers. This opinion arose under the influence of Scripture, where it is written: “But if you will not listen to the voice of the Lord your God, to keep and do all his commandments… You will be cursed… The Lord will wound you with the boils of Egypt and the plague tubercles, dust and scabies so that you will not be healed” (Deuteronomy 28,15-27).

The second Chronicles book describes King Uzziah: “Uzziah became angry.” He was holding a censer in his hand and wanted to burn thyme. As he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead in front of the priests in the Lord’s house at the altar of incense. When the priest Azariah and the other priests turned to him, he already had leprosy on his forehead. He was quickly driven out of there. But he also hurried to get out because the Lord was hurting him. King Uzziah remained a leper until the day he died. He lived in a secluded house, afflicted with leprosy, because he was excluded from the Lord’s house” (2 Chronicles 26:19-21).

Therefore, for Jews and Samaritans, leprosy was a sign of sin and punishment from God. Leprosy deprived a man of boasting of the sonship of God, and therefore he was excluded from public meetings. When the Lord Jesus saw this group of poor people who begged him for mercy, he answered them very sternly with words that must be understood correctly: “Go, show yourselves to the priests!” (LK 17:14). According to our way of understanding, the Lord Jesus proceeds quite differently. It was crucial for those healed that the priests provide proof of this, who confirms that leprosy has disappeared, which also means that God has forgiven them and they can be accepted into the community of believers.

Lord Jesus is always ready to heal and save us. We act irresponsibly when we do not want to return to God under the influence of some shame or unworthiness after some soothing fall. Lord Jesus knows about us. He always delivers us. He not only saves us all the time, but we have no other savior besides him. He is the only savior. Many today reject it and look for it somewhere else under the pretext that the faith has often been abused, and therefore they want to accept another instead.

Let’s return to the Gospel – to the meeting of Jesus with the Samaritan. All who prayed were healed. They received great mercy from God. No one in the whole world is excluded from this divine mercy. Do at least every tenth of us realize this? Will he thank the Lord for it today? The Lord heals generously. That is why only God should be given respect and obeisance. The Samaritan certainly understood that God works through the Lord Jesus, whom he recognized as his Lord, which he shows by falling on his face at the feet of Jesus, giving him thanks. Then the Lord Jesus says particular words: “Get up and walk; your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:19).

After healing, the Samaritan returns to the Lord Jesus, thanks him, and gives his praises. By this behavior, he deserved to be healed. We can say that the Samaritan receives from the Lord Jesus a living faith that he demonstrated. Lord Jesus did not speak to him then: I have healed you, but: Your faith has healed you. On the other hand, the others were not completely healed, although the Lord Jesus loved them as much as he loved the Samaritan. Yes, they also asked for the same thing; they received it from God for themselves, but only for themselves. Driven by egoism, they “grabbed” this gift for themselves – and nothing more.

Saint Francis of Assisi says: “You need nothing for yourself to be accepted gladly and willingly by the one who has given himself completely to you.”

Many complain of ingratitude, but they cause ingratitude. Therefore, let’s learn genuine gratitude today to share it with others. Our hearts should be filled with gratitude. That’s what God wants, what’s right, and what’s required of us.