Ten Lepers

I am always a little embarrassed that the nine lepers in this mornings story do not come back and say thank-you.

The one man who did come back was, of course, a Samaritan. Samaritans were real people who the main body of Jews say as second hand citizens - treated perhaps as the traveller community or sometimes even immigrant groups are in this country by at least some people. In Luke's stories, when we come across a Samaritan, we can be sure he is talking about an outsider - someone who has experienced their own sort of prejudice and rejection.

I wonder what the other nine did - and whether in the middle of the night any of them woke up and thought - I forgot to say thank-you. As strict Jews they would have gone to show themselves to the priests who would then have re-admitted them to society. Leprosy was highly contagious which is why they stood at a distance when they first approach Jesus.

I wonder whether they got to the priest and he said "Well so far count yourselves lucky, but if you go near that man Jesus again it will mean trouble for you." I wonder whether they thought of families and friends and ran home to resume their old lives as quickly as possible.

Luke is moving Jesus towards Jerusalem. His rejection by his own people is becoming ever more evident and the lack of both recognition and gratitude by these men amounts to evidence of that rejection taking place.

But what about us, what about our "attitude of gratitude" - how often do we say thank-you? It is hugely important to say thank-you to God - we do that with our liturgy and prayers in Church but it is very easy to throw in some thank-yous as we go about our daily life. Saying thank-you is a bit like eating your Daily Five - it keeps things working the way they should, it makes us healthier and happier.

It is also important to say thank-you to those around us. I have noticed that gratitude is one of those things which tends to keep growing the more we do it. And actually saying thank-you, really looking at what we have and focusing on being grateful for it seems to make the things we might not be so grateful for more bearable.

You will often hear me talking about God's abundance - and gratitude is a great place of abundance. If we try to remember to thank God every day, to look at our world, our families and our friends, take a deep breath and say thank-you - it does change us and how we act - and most of all it gives God, our creator and redeemer, at least a small part of what is due to Him.