Thanking the Lord’s Goodness

 Psalm 66:1-12, Luke 17:11-19

The psalmist of Psalm 66 gives thanks and praise to the Lord for God’s goodness to Israel. This was a song the Israelites would sing to remember and praise God for God’s many blessings. Yet it seems to be forgotten by nine lepers out of ten who Christ healed with only the foreigner, a Samaritan at that, returning to thank Christ. What about the other nine? Did they forget this Jewish song of thanks or were they isolated from the temple due to their condition so they never learned it? They were so excited to go to the temple to show themselves to the priests who had been avoiding them all these years they forgot to thank Christ.

In the Psalm, the psalmist invites the audience to come and see what God has done. He begins to site examples of God’s power and deliverance of them. He tells of the sea turning into dry land so they could escape the Egyptians and how God keeps watch over the nations. They are told to let the sound of their praise be heard since God has kept them among the living and not let their feet slip.

The Psalmist also notes the hard times they have gone through, how burdens were laid on their backs. Could this be referring to their slave labor in Egypt? Many think their labor built the pyramids. He talks about going through the fire but he reframes this hardship by declaring it a testing and refining fire of being refined like silver. Through it God has brought them to a spacious place - the CEB translation says, “You have brought us to freedom.”

This brings us to the ten lepers in Luke who had for years a debilitating skin disease of which they were isolated from society. No one would literally touch them. Jesus healing of them brought freedom not only of the physical pain but of the pain of being isolated from society. A thankful Samaritan when he sees he’s been healed praises God with a loud voice – he shouts for joy and returns and prostates himself before Christ and thanks him.

Jesus asks, “Where are the other nine? Did none return to give glory to God and to thank the one who healed them?” Jesus tells the Samaritan to go on his way since his faith has made him well. Again, the gospels tell of a foreigner who had faith in Christ. I believe his faith not only made him well physically but spiritually also. It doesn’t say whether or not he goes to the temple or not but I don’t believe Samaritans were welcomed in the Jewish temple. Yet he was welcomed and made whole physically and spiritually by Christ.

When we feel like we are being tested by fire like the Israelites in Psalm 66 let us remember the times in the past when God has delivered us. When God took our spiritual woundedness and made us whole. Let us not forget to give praise and thanks to the Lord for all the goodness God has brought into our lives. Amen.

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