“Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into the village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’ When he saw them, he said, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him–and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this one foreigner?’ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'” (Luke 17: 11-19).
When I was about 6 years old, my grandmother brought me to a carnival. She gave me a quarter and asked that I put it on a specific numbered space. The man spun the wheel and my grandmother won a prize.
Only, in my excitement, I thought I had won the prize. I jumped up and down, giddy from victory, acknowledging everyone’s applause, and chose a purple unicorn with a spiral pink horn.
As I reveled in the glorious luck that landed me the carnival equivalent of prize perfection, my grandmother pulled me aside.
“Remember I gave you that quarter, so it was your grandmother that won the prize, not you.”
Of course, she was right. I apologized for my behavior and was so embarrassed. She could have not said anything and let me continue in my delusion, but I am so glad she did.
Because it taught me the importance of acknowledging where good gifts come from and being thankful.
I don’t know why only one of the ten lepers returned to thank and acknowledge God. I do know that sometimes I get caught up in the moment, thinking I have done something to earn the gift out of my own efforts, my own merits.
I forget the true source of the gift.
And I forget that many times, I don’t even know what a good gift is. Sometimes my selfishness narrows my focus and I fail to see all the times He worked bad situations for my eventual good and the times my unanswered prayers we actually answers to a more important prayer I didn’t know I had.
Lord, today, on the cusp of Christmas Eve, I want to open my hands and make sure I am ready, not just to receive the gift of Jesus, but to acknowledge that He is the ultimate good gift, and acknowledge that YOU are the one who sent Him to us, to save us, to connect us to You. I acknowledge that I cannot do anything outside of the grace Jesus spread from the very moment of His birth and I cannot do anything to lose Your love. I did not earn these gifts, they are freely given to me. When I boast, remind me I can only boast in Jesus. Amen.