1 Ten lepers approached Jesus. Lepers were outcasts who could not live with their families. They could not buy coffee at the Flying M. They had a universal restraining order on them laws required them to stay twenty five feet away from everyone except other lepers. So the ten lepers came twenty-five feet from Jesus, and shouted over. Can you help us? Please, can you help us? On other similar occasions, Jesus invited lepers to approach him so he could heal them through touch. Jesus did not follow that plan with this group. He simply spoke. Go show yourselves to the religious authorities, those who enforce the twenty-five feet rule, and everything will be fine. Note that all ten of them believed. Not one asked Jesus for any more evidence, not even a note for his mother. They took off as one unit, trusting Jesus, trusting what Jesus had said. While they were walking, each man within in his body felt
2 God s power. Hey, your skin looks as smooth as a baby s skin. Wow, yours does too. And no longer were they walking to town; they were skipping and jumping down the road, eager to receive their health certificates, and to reunite with their families. Off they scurried, except one man we will call Pete. Pete stopped where he was, looked at his hands and feet, felt his nose and his ears. Pure amazement! Pete wanted to see his family every bit as much as the other nine. Pete s daughter would be seven now, and he had not hugged her since she was in diapers. He wept with joy at all that awaited him, but said, As much as I would like to head home, there is one person with whom I need to speak first. With a huge grin on his face, Pete turned around, and headed back to Jesus. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. This would be a great opportunity to lay a guilt trip on all of us. I fear we are more like the nine than like Peter. I could
3 slather guilt on pretty thick. I won t. But instead let s continue with a psychological truism. In order to help your children or grandchildren grow up gaining the knowledge and skills they need, you often correct their misbehavior. Right? But in order for those younger people to feel valued, you need, relatively speaking, to praise them how often? At least ten times as often as you correct them. No. I am not saying that God won t feel valued unless we thank him ten times as often as we complain. But for our own emotional and spiritual well-being, we would do well to smile ten times for every time we frown, to thank God ten times as often as we grouse. So try it this week, or better yet, some week in deep dark February. Get out a marker and a large sheet of posterboard. Draw a line straight down on the left side. You all remember numbering by hash marks. You will look funny carrying this
4 large placard through Wal-mart, but forget your feelings and carry it with you everywhere you go. Add a hash mark over here every time you say or even think a complaint. Then stop. With gratitude in your heart, immediately name ten things you are celebrating, for which you want to thank other people and God. OK. I am kidding about the cardboard at Wal-Mart. But seriously, think about how your world might look brighter, how other people around would feel happier, and how your own health might improve if you said thank you ten times as often as you complain. All ten lepers, when they got home, threw great parties for their villages. I bet all ten had many moments when they felt grateful. But only Pete took time to go back to Jesus. Although the brief Bible report says nothing about this, I would like to think that that Pete experienced a deeper cleansing, a deeper
5 healing, that enabled him to live with a deeper joy. For joy does not make us grateful so much as gratitude makes us joyful. At least try the experiment. Try appreciating what you do have ten times as often as you wish you had something better. Let me know how the experiment goes. OK?