The Ungrateful Hearts

The Ungrateful Hearts

         Picture, if you will, a dusty road somewhere in Palestine. The exact location is not known; however, the Bible account tells us that we are somewhere between Samaria, to the north, and Galilee, to the south. The Jordan River lays just in front of us just a little ways up the road.

         Walking down this dusty road we find Jesus, the Son of God. Close behind him there is a little group of followers. Still further behind are two or three stragglers bringing up the rear. Up ahead of us is a small village. No one in the party really knows its name. It is simply a village on the road to Jerusalem.

         It has been a long day. Its been dusty. Its been one of those days that brings one to ask himself what he is doing out there in the first place. Everyone is tired. Everyone is thirsty. Everyone is hungry. The day has been uneventful and there is little promise that it will change. Yet, unknown to anyone, except Jesus, a miracle is about to be created. Unknown to anyone, God is going to move among them. And as a result, the lives of people will be changed forever.

         Suddenly, they are confronted with an apparition of misery. For out of nowhere, possibly because of the setting sun in their eyes, out of nowhere appears a gathering of several unfortunate souls. Ten to be exact. What a sad sight it is in front of them...This crowd of beggars without eyes, nose, and hair.

         The lepers lift up their handless arms; and unearthly sounds gurgle through their deformed throats as they cry out. “Tame.....Tame....Unclean!...Unclean!” And then suddenly the cry changes to, “Jesus! Master, have mercy on us!”

         Jesus hears them. He acts immediately. Understand that there was no big show. Jesus did not gather everyone around him and say, “Watch this.” Jesus simply did what he had to do and confirmed it with a directive to the lepers. He said “Go at once and show yourselves to the priest.” The priests would pronounce them as being once more clean. The priests could pronounce them as being cured. But please realize that that is all that the priests could do: pronounce that they were cured. It was the leper’s going in obedience which was their trial of faith. It was their obedience that opened the way for God’s healing grace.

         And so they go. Stumbling and dragging diseased bodies to the priests. And shortly a marvelous thing happens. Their limp arms begin to surge with strength. Their sightless eyes begin to receive sight. New sensations of health surge through their bodies; and this tells them that they are being cleansed. They are being cured with each step that they take. And upon this miracle being fully realized, upon their lives being changed forever, with the realization that God had personally intervened into nature and taken broken, twisted, rotten bodies and made them strong and straight; surely this would have been a moment of much thanksgiving. This would surely have been a moment of great rejoicing and praise to the master physician. But as we examine the situation, we find only one of the ten healed lepers has turned back to the Savior.

         Only one voice proclaims God’s glory. Only one cleansed man falls at the feet of Jesus and gives thanks. Were not all ten cleansed? Were not ten lives reclaimed? Where are the other nine? Can there not be found any to give glory to God, save this one stranger? My friends, with your prayers we will seek to answer these questions, as we deal with the old story of the thankless heart.

         The text that this story is taken from is found in Luke’s gospel, chapter 17, verses 11 through 19. it simply says,

         And it came about while He was on the way to Jerusalem, that He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. And as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten leprous men, who stood at a distance; and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”

         And when He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And it came about that as they were going, they were cleansed. Now one of them, when he saw that he had been healed, turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him. And he was a Samaritan.

         And Jesus answered and said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But the nine--where are they?” “Were none found who turned back to give glory to God, except this foreigner?”

         And he said to him, “Rise, and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

         It is so easy for us to concentrate our attention on the ungrateful hearts of this story, when it is the one grateful heart that should be our focus. There appears, in this story, to be faith enough for prayer; but not enough faith for praise. The truly grateful heart offers praise.

         Notice the state of these lepers as they encountered Jesus on that dusty road that day. In their deepest despair and personal crisis, when they were confronted with the Hope of man, Jesus, they reached out blindly and cried, “Jesus, Master, have mercy!” Consider this appeal to Jesus. Did they know who he was? I don’t know. Did they know what he could do? I don’t know. But in spite of their understanding of his divinity, they realized that somehow this was their only hope.

         When they called out to Jesus they were dead serious. The were not mockers, as we often find in church today. They did not call out to Jesus for the purpose of having people see them. They were not impressing the Jones. They were not proving their piety. Neither were they testing Jesus’ power, as the Pharisees wished to do. How easy it is to believe in a God who parts the Red Sea in your presence. How easy it would be to believe in God if you could have him turn water into wine whenever you had a little doubt about if he really exists. How easy it would be to believe in God if every morning he would write his devotion to us across the skies. How easy it would be to believe in a God who could make the rocks speak and the tempest stand still. But how weak is a faith that constantly requires proof of God’s existence and love for us. In fact it is no faith at all that requires proof as a prerequisite for belief. I do not ask you to blindly accept any teaching or religious scheme that comes along. On the contrary, I ask you to question what is being asked of you.

         But my friends, somewhere between blindly accepting any doctrine that is directed to you and requiring absolute proof of Gods claims, there must be room for reaching out in faith. There comes a point in the life of every person when you must say, “OK, I have thought this through. I can’t and don’t understand it all; but I believe.” These ten lepers did not understand how it had happened; they didn’t understand what had happened to them. They could never explain it; but they believed it. They had enough faith to believe that Jesus could do what he said he could do.

         But this brings us to a great truth that we must consider. In our hour of crisis there is no difficulty in crying out to the Master. In times of distress there is no need for a preacher to teach a heart to pray. In moments of great crises the desperate heart will cling to any plank that will save it from drowning in the depths of despair.

         I recently saw the old classic motion picture about the sinking of the Titanic. That great ship captured the confidence of the western world. It was heralded as a miracle of modern engineering. It was truly believed to be unsinkable. But within a matter of a few hours, after it stuck an iceberg in the North Atlantic, it sank, taking with it hundreds of people. Earlier in the evening, after the Titanic had received its fatal wound from the iceberg, the people refused to believe that anything could be wrong. Even while the crew tried to load the lifeboats people refused to cease their merriment. The band continued to play; and God was a remote and boring theological idea. But during the last moments of the great ocean liner’s existence, as its bow raised high above the surface of the frigid waters and exposed its behemoth propeller’s, that same band stood on an unleveled deck playing over and over again “Nearer My God to Thee”. Those who had been saved in the lifeboats said they could hear the band play; and the people prayed.

         As a young boy in Lindsay, Oklahoma, that was the state that I perceived myself to be in. I had come to a spiritual crisis. I had come to the realization that without Jesus in my life I was destined to an eternity of damnation. Now I did not have a clear idea about what damnation would be. But I clearly realized that I wanted no part of it. And so, like one of these lepers I cried out from a back pew, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on me, a sinner!”

         I dare say that many vows to God have been made when life was in danger or at least perceived to be. Many people, even some of you today, have attempted to right a wrong relationship with God when some crisis looms on the horizon. “Is that bad?” you ask. No. not really. I would prefer that every person who comes to Jesus does it because of His great love and compassion. I would prefer that people come to Jesus with grateful and humble hearts, brimming with newly realized love and joy of the abundant life that is promised to each of us. But if, my friend, you turn to the Master because of the terror of hell and the horror of the thought of an eternity of damnation, I praise God just the same. You will, eventually, understand His glory in terms of love, compassion, and joy. But if it is a plank of hope that you have been clinging to, that has brought you safely through, then God bless you just the same. Let me assure you that the angels rejoice over every soul that enters the kingdom, regardless of the original motivation of that soul.

         These lepers certainly had demonstrated that they had enough faith to pray, regardless of their motivation. But did they have enough faith for praise? Have you noticed that we often are much more inclined to ask for help than to thank God for the help that has been given. Turn your attention again to these ten lepers who were cleansed and more particularly to the nine who did not return to Jesus. Where are these nine lepers? I don’t know where they went. I do know that they did not return to Jesus. And I also know that, wherever they were, they were cleansed. They were cured. They were whole.

         As they went on their way and the miracle was made manifest in their bodies, joy and wonder must have sprang into their heart. I doubt if they did as Jesus told them. I doubt if they showed the priests their healed bodies. I would rather think that thoughts of home and family and loved ones began to enter their minds. “Grateful to him? Grateful? Certainly, we are grateful! But he will never miss us. He will understand that I must go see my wife, my children. He will understand that I can touch and be touched again by those who I love and love me. I can’t waste a moment. I don’t have time to see the priests now. I will do it latter.”

         It isn’t difficult for us to understand their feelings. The old familiar things of the world now overshadowed their need for thanksgiving. Topics, events, and situations that had been considered lost were now again part of their lives. Their nightmare was over. They could now return to a normal life. But I have to believe that after the celebration was finished; after the news of their miracle had grown old; after they were no longer charged with the excitement of the healing act itself; when they had time to ponder the wonder of it all; at least then I believe their hearts were filled with praise and thanksgiving to the Great Physician who had healed them.

         Turn your attention now to those private moments in your life. You know what I’m talking about. Those moments that you spend with yourself; when you think about things that you share with no one else; when you consider your own mortality; and your deepest inner feelings. I believe that it is at those moments when we are the most truthful with ourselves. It is in those moments, that are not prejudiced by the world around us, where we thoroughly examine ourselves in relation to our success, accomplishments, values, and happiness. Does God ever enter into your thoughts. Do you wonder about His existence; His purpose; His effectiveness in your life. I believe that without a doubt, Jesus shared these moments with each of these ten lepers. He was there. They remembered how they were and they remembered what He had done for them.

         Oh, I’m sure that in their public life, the one in which we are not always so honest with ourselves, each of these ten lepers demonstrated their gratefulness in a different way. It is likely that some of them never talked about the miracle that had been wrought in their lives. I don’t know why. Maybe they were still ashamed of what they once had been. Maybe the psychological impact of what they once had been was too painful to recall. Perhaps they were just private people, not given to sharing of themselves or directing attention to themselves. It is possible that some of the lepers were quite the opposite. Their excitement never failed. They told everyone they met. It was the first and seemingly only topic in their lives. People would grow bored and tiresome of hearing the story again, and again, and again. And I suppose that it is reasonable to assume that some of the lepers shared their experience judiciously at appropriate moments. These were the ones who we would probably consider as the most comfortable with the experience.

         Do you suppose that any of the former lepers were any more or less grateful to Jesus for what He had done? I seriously doubt it. It is likely that each one demonstrated that gratefulness in different ways. That is why, my friends, you must never judge a person’s relationship with Jesus by their outer appearance. The outer appearance is our shell that represents what we think people should see. It very seldom reflects the inner person; the person who we are most truthful with. And so it is to that inner person that is sitting in these pews right now that I wish to speak with. I can do that because you don’t have to respond in any visible way. I can talk to that person right now if you will let me. My message is short and simple. You can return to the outer shell as soon as I finish and no one will ever know that we communicated.

         My message is simply this. You know that God has touched your life. In some way, at some time, God has touched your life. You may not understand why. You may be overjoyed about it. You may be confused about it. You may be downright angry about it. But, my friend, God has touched you. He and He alone has the power to provide eternal life. You know that.... can’t explain it... may even want to deny it... but you know it.

         And, as we spend this moment with your inner self, I want you to send a mental prayer to Jesus. Say that thing that is on your mind, that private thing. Maybe its, “Jesus, thank you for healing my body.” Maybe its, “Jesus, thank you for healing my soul.” Maybe its, “Jesus, my body hurts. Where are you? Please heal me.” Maybe its, “Jesus, I miss you.” I don’t know what it is. But you do it; and do it now.

         I heard a sermon once that was titled “You can never go back home.” Basically it said that you may go back to a place you once were, but you can never return to that former moment. The experiences in our lives change us into the person that we are today. And that person is not the person that we were yesterday. So we may go back to a yesterday place, but it will never be what we left. What we must do is to realized that we live in the present and we must make the best of this present that we have. You can never go back home. But you can always go home. “Back home” is in our yesterday. “Home” is in our today. Each of he ten lepers had to deal with Jesus in their today. They could not dwell on their yesterdays. It is my hope that they remembered the yesterdays; and gave thanks to God in their todays.

         The grateful heart gives thanks to God.....but when is that done? When do we give thanks? Is there some rule or plan for praise that we should be aware of. In the story of the ten lepers, thanks was given after the miracle. Are there any miracles in your life today?

         Everyday that you are able to wake up in the morning and take a breath is a miracle. When I watch a bird fly, that’s a miracle. When I see my granddaughter take her first steps, that’s a miracle. When I consider my wife and my children, that’s a miracle. To see, to hear, to touch, to walk, to talk is a miracle. To be able to love and to receive love is a miracle. To care, to laugh, and even to hurt is a miracle.

         That day that God heard my cry for forgiveness and saved my soul was a miracle. Miracles are all around you. You may say, “Why preacher, to hear the way you put it, I’d be praising he Lord all the time.” Well, I guess we should. I guess what I’m really saying is that there isn’t any designated time to give thanks to God. It can and should be done all the time. Its easy to do. If you become aware of a miracle happening around you, simply say quietly, “Thank you, Lord.” That’s enough. Don’t get me wrong, you can certainly spend hours on your knees if you feel led to do so, but “Thank you, Lord” is just as powerful.

         Now I don’t know, but it is possible that someone here today may be feeling that God has done nothing recently for them to be thankful for. As those ten lepers walked down the road in their distressed state, I am sure that thanking God was not the first thing in their hearts. My friends, we must come to the point in our spiritual journey where we can be as Paul and be happy in any state that we are in. Consider the lepers. What in the world could they be thankful about. Well God had given each of them a childhood. They had loving parents. They had years of happiness before their disease had made them outcasts. God had given them hope that they may be able to make a life that was better than where they had been. But then it appears that God had taken it all away.

         My friends, hear me now. God never promised any of us a full and healthy life. He never promised that our hearts would never be broken. But rather, He has given freely to us all. Everything that we have is a gift from God. How can I possibly fault God for not giving me more of something that I never deserved to have in the first place. Everything that I have is a gift of His.

         I attended a revival service one time in the little town of Prue, Oklahoma. It was a good service. My brother-in-law was the preacher; and he preached well. The singing was good. People were making decisions and committing their lives to Jesus. During the service a young girl was wheeled into the congregation in a wheel-chair. They located her near the back of the church. She was a pitiful thing. She could not sit up straight, but rather had to be tied into the chair. Her body was strangely shaped. Her hands were crooked and twisted. It was apparent she had been in that condition for a very long time. As I watched her, my heart ached for her. I felt a tremendous surge of pity. I thought, “Poor thing. Some dear saint probably took her out of the rest home for a little break. She probably doesn’t even understand the words.”

         And then the preacher announced that someone had a testimony for us; and called her to the front. I watched interestingly as they wheeled her to the front. And then she faced us and haltingly sang this old gospel song:

I’m satisfied with just a cottage below... a little silver, and a little gold.
But in that city, where the ransomed will shine... I want a gold one that’s silver lined.
Tho’ often tempted, tormented and tested; and like the prophet, my pillow a stone,
And tho I find here, no permanent dwelling, I know He’ll give me a mansion my own.
Don’t think me poor or, deserted, or lonely... I’m not discouraged, I’m heaven bound.
I’m just a pilgrim in search of that city. I want a mansion, a harp and a crown.
I’ve got a mansion just over the hilltop. In that bright land where we’ll never grow old. And some day yonder,
we will never more wander, but walk on streets that are purest gold.

         Her face glowed; her love of Jesus permeated the room. And I learned a great lesson. If we only endure one moment of joy in life, then we should be thankful for that moment. God doesn’t owe us that moment. It is a gift. God is a loving God who gives generously. We would know that, if we knew how to recognize His workings in our lives. That girl in Prue, Oklahoma, knew that. She was happy. She probably had more joy than anyone in that room. We need to look around us and realize that His hand is in our lives. And as we do this, we need to give Him the praise and the glory. It is so easy for us to harbor an ungrateful heart. We many times have enough faith for prayer, but not enough for praise. I ask you to examine your position with Jesus today. Look at the miracles in your life. And once you have done that, I ask that you give Him praise...and do it now. May God bless you and keep you.