Nov.2025 – The Dwelling Place – Thanksgiving Message
A THANKSGIVING TRIBUTE!
Motivated BY Gratitude
By Michael W. Dewar, Author
Nov.24th, 2025
Saint Luke (17:11-19) gives us the text of the following story:
“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going to a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’ When Jesus saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ ”
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself down at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus said, ‘Were not all ten men cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go, your faith has made you well” (Luke 17:11-19 NIV).
Introduction:
This story is a fascinating display of gratitude that is instructive to all of us not only for this season of thanksgiving, but always. This attitude of gratitude we can all purchase and circulate in wide currency.
The text tells us that Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem. But he is not just on His way; He is working His way; He is on a mission. There is a shorter route to Jerusalem that runs through Samaria. Jesus took that shorter route in John 4 because He had an appointment to minister to a Samaritan woman. Jews and Samaritans avoided each other; they were enemies. Jews also avoided Samaritans because they fear defilement.
On this day, Jesus took the long route, walking between the border of Samarian and Galilee, down the Eastern bank of the Jordan River to the crossing point. He was not trying to avoid Samaritans as other Jews do. He was ministering to others. As he entered a village, a problem presented itself to Him. Ten men with leprosy crying out for help.
The Presenting Problem (A Health Crisis)
Leprosy was the most dreaded disease at the time. It destroys a person’s physical health by gradually eating their limbs a little at a time, then one becomes disfigured, a horror to look at. It has its way with you until it kills you. It was considered a curse from God.
You were cut off from community and all social interaction, except those suffering from the same disease. That’s why these ten men bonded for social support. At the end of the story, we learn that one of the ten men was a Samaritan. That suggest that the other nine were Jews, but their common misery allowed them to forget their ethnic prejudice.
The leper was not only isolated from society physically, and socially, but spiritually as well. He could not go to the place of worship to be ministered to, and nobody went out to minister to him, except this preacher/healer from Nazareth named, Jesus.
Jesus ministered to lepers before, even touched them, an act that no one else would do (Luke:512-14; Matt.8: 1-5). Lepers had to cry out unclean! unclean! To alert anyone coming to turn aside for lepers were in the vicinity. Lepers were the “untouchables” of their day. Religion people avoided them, but not Jesus. For Jesus, every human being is a bearer of the divine image and is of worth to God. Jesus knew that and did not turn away from their cry for help. He was always compassionate and caring. He had to do something.
Intervention to the Problem
Jesus cared enough to see them, hear them, and to help them. He did not turn away, and He did not look the other away, refusing to help. Neither does He want you and me to do that when we come upon someone in need. This was the habit of religious people, they turned away from people in need of help. For this very reason, a lawyer asked Jesus the question, “Who is my neighbor? “
Jesus answered his question by telling him a story of a man being robbed, beaten, and left half-dead by side of the road. A priest came by, then a Levite, but they did not help him. They were either going to church or coming from church, but nothing moved them to render assistance. But a stranger came by who was not ethnically related to the wounded as the other two that left him did. The stranger saved his life! He rendered assistance and moved him from the side of the road to a motel and paid for him until he got well again.
Jesus then turned to the lawyer that asked the question and said, “Which of the three men would you say was neighbor to the wounded man? The lawyer said, “The one that should him mercy.” Jesus said, “You go and do likewise?” We know this story as the Good Samaritan. Frankly, Samaritans were not particularly bad.
Whether it is the people of Gaza, Ukraine, the Sudan, Haiti or the person next door God wants us to see them as our neighbor and render assistance. Because that is the humanly correct thing to do. He will hold us accountable for our compassion or lack of it ( Matthew 25:31-46). Inasmuch as you have done it unto the least of these. you have done it unto me.
The Response and Outcome
So, Jesus did not run from the problem or acted indifferent toward the problem. He told them, God show yourself to the priests. According to the Torah (the Law), the priests were the health inspectors. They isolated people with leprosy from the community and when they were healed, the priests certified them clean for reinstatement to society (Leviticus 14:1-32). Jesus was doing exactly what the Hebrew Bible required of Him.
The interest thing is that all ten lepers took Jesus at His word and went their way to show themselves to the priests; when they observed that their leprosy was gone, the one that was a Samaritan suddenly realized that he won’t be welcome at the Jewish Temple. But being overjoyed and thankful, he went back to Jesus to express his gratitude for changing his life. Note how he was moved or motivated by gratitude:
- He returned to the Jesus, the source of his blessing.
- He worshiped with a loud voice.
- He threw himself down at Jesus feet.
- He said, thank you. What motivated him to do all that? I say, “Gratitude!”
This thanksgiving and the days and months that follow, I hope you will look upon the blessing of your life and come to that realization that God has been very generous to you. Go back to the source of your blessing to express your thanks and do a tangible deed of giving to those in need. Jesus said, In as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me. You think God is not expecting anything from you? Look again at the last question in the taxt about the missing nine.
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Meaningful Gifts for the holiday season:
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