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TITLE: Become a Cloud Lifter SCRIPTURE: Luke 17:11-19
Did anyone ever fail to say thanks to you.
It happened to Jesus, as recounted in our Gospel lesson today.
Jesus healed ten lepers, but only one returned to say thanks.
The ten lepers begged him to heal them, and he did.
He told them to show themselves to a priest, because a cleansed leper could not resume a normal life until a priest pronounced him clean.
So the ten went away to show themselves to the priest, but one turned back to say thanks.
I like the way that Luke describes that for us.
He says:
"Then one of them,
when he saw that he was healed, turned back,
praising God with a loud voice.
He prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him."
And then Luke adds this note: "And he was a Samaritan."
Jews despised Samaritans for not being religious enough -- pure enough -- good enough -- Godly enough.
But this not-so-good man was the one who praised God --who praised God with a loud voice -- who prostrated himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him.
I am sure that Jesus enjoyed that moment.
We all enjoy being thanked, and I believe that Jesus enjoyed being thanked.
Our text doesn't focus on that.
It focuses on the fact that the other nine did not come back.
But this man returned to give thanks -- and I believe that Jesus enjoyed that.
It was a nice moment.
Luke says that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
Jerusalem was where Jesus was going to die.
Jesus wasn't looking forward to his cross, but he knew it was coming.
It was an uncomfortable time for him, moving toward Jerusalem -- toward his cross.
But this healed leper did something nice for Jesus.
He came back to say thanks.
He came back praising God -- praising God with a loud voice -- prostrating himself at Jesus feet and thanking him.
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, but this Samaritan gave him a moment of joy along the way.
An Army chaplain told this story.
At one of the last places that I served, a very good chaplain had been passed over for promotion.
It didn't look good for him.
When it came time for promotions to be announced, I had to tell him that he didn't make it.
I had to do that two years running.
I hated it.
There was a long sidewalk in front of his office, and I hated walking down that long sidewalk.
I hated breaking the news to him.
But I went to bat for him.
I got our commander to help.
It took us two years, but we got that chaplain promoted.
I was surprised, because I didn't think that we could do it -- but we did do it.
I was surprised and very happy.
But I don't recall that chaplain saying thanks.
It bothered me a little, because I had tried hard to help him -- and it WORKED!!! If it hadn't worked, I wouldn't have expected any thanks -- but it WORKED!!!
And then nothing -- no thanks!
At least, that's the way I remember it.
Maybe I forgot.
But several years later, I ran across that man at a meeting.
We had lunch together, and he told me how much he appreciated what I had done for him.
It was a wonderful moment -- a healing moment.
It shouldn't have made that much difference, but it did!
I didn't help him so that he would say thanks -- but I was glad when he did.
It meant a lot to me.
That's one reason that I believe that the leper who returned to say thanks did something really nice for Jesus.
That's one reason I believe that Jesus, who was on his way to his cross, was able to put Jerusalem out of his mind for a few minutes.
The healing was Jesus' gift to that man.
The thanks was that man's gift to Jesus.
Did you ever have anything like that happen to you?
So few people take time to say thanks.
What about teachers!
Good teachers really put themselves out to help their students.
Good teachers really make a difference in kid's lives.
I wonder how many kids stop to say thanks.
Not many, I think.
I read a story about W.L. Stidger -- William Stidger -- Bill Stidger.
He was one of the first radio preachers.
By the mid-1930s, Stidger had a radio audience of half a million listeners.
Boston University's School of Theology invited him to teach a course on using radio for ministry.
Stidger became a national figure.
Stidger often thanked people, so he sat down one day to write a note to one of his former teachers.
He wasn't sure where she lived, but he addressed his note the best that he could and dropped it in the mailbox.
That note was forwarded from place to place, and it finally reached Stidger's teacher.
When she received it, she sat down and wrote this response.
She said:
"My Dear Willie:
I am an old lady in my eighties.
I am ill and I cannot leave my room.
Your letter came like a ray of bright sun,
illuminating my dark day and my even darker life.
You will be interested to know that, after fifty years of teaching,
yours was the first letter of thanks
I ever received from a former student.
You lifted the clouds for me."
"You lifted the clouds for me."
Have you lifted the clouds for anyone?
Are you a cloud lifter?
The leper who returned to say thanks was a cloud lifter for Jesus.
Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
The cloud of death hung in the air.
But one man returned to say thanks, and he gave Jesus a moment of joy.
That thankful leper was a cloud lifter.
The chaplain we heard about was a cloud lifter.
It took him awhile to say thanks, but he lifted a cloud when he did.
Do you have it in you to be a cloud lifter?
Some people find it difficult to be a cloud lifter.
Some men, in particular, are afraid that they will ruin their sons if they say anything nice or shoe any kind of affection.
The opposite is true, of course.
Too much criticism kills the soul.
Our children need our approval.
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