Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.”—Luke 17:19 (NIV)
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Years ago I studied the following passage with a small group of friends:

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into 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 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 foreigner?” Then he said to him, “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” (Luke 17:11-19 NIV)

The woman who facilitated our discussion began by asking this simple question: “Imagine you are one of the nine who failed to come back and thank Jesus. What reason would you give for not expressing gratitude?”

Here are a few examples of the reasons we gave:

• I shouldn’t have been struck with leprosy—I’ve done nothing wrong. God owes me this healing.
• After living in seclusion as a leper, I have the right to return to my life and family.
• Jesus knows everything—so He knows I’m thankful. He doesn’t need me to come back and thank Him. 

Looking back at our answers, I see a pattern. Every one of our reasons is tied to a sense of entitlement—these lepers felt they deserved—or were entitled to—their healing. 

I’m learning that entitlement and gratitude cannot exist simultaneously. Gratitude is born out of a sense of undeserved kindness. Grateful hearts naturally move us closer to God. But entitlement pushes us away from Him.

Jesus noted that the one leper who returned was a Samaritan. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people viewed Samaritans as a mixed race who practiced an impure religion. Because of this, they shunned Samaritans (John 4:9). 

In contrast to the low social status of the Samaritans, the Jewish people thought highly of themselves. As God’s chosen people, they counted on His special favor and provision. 

It’s easy for me to see how the Samaritan leper could see his healing as an undeserved kindness—while the Jewish lepers saw it as their right. The Samaritan’s heart was free of entitlement, so only he could express gratitude.

After receiving the Samaritan’s praise, Jesus told him his faith had made him well. The Greek word translated as “well”, sózó, can also be translated as “made whole”. All ten lepers were cleansed of their leprosy, but only the Samaritan received spiritual wholeness—harmony in his relationship with God. 

Jesus also noticed the nine who didn’t return to offer thanks. A friend recently shared that Jesus asked about the other nine—not as a judgment—but as a regret. Their lack of gratitude caused them to forfeit spiritual wholeness. 

It’s so easy to lose sight of God’s blessings as undeserved kindness. Just like the Jewish lepers, a sense of entitlement can easily creep in and change our perspective. When this happens, we distance ourselves from God and risk losing our spiritual wholeness.

During the Thanksgiving holiday we intentionally take time to remember our blessings as blessings—not as entitlements. Hearts free of entitlement are hearts full of gratitude. And gratitude draws us closer to God and spiritual wholeness.

So let’s cultivate gratitude in our hearts by celebrating undeserved kindness every day. 

Dear Jesus, thank You for reminding us of the importance of gratitude. As we celebrate Thanksgiving, we pray to cultivate a heart of gratitude. Help us recognize the presence of entitlements so we can free our hearts of them. As we return to a posture of thanksgiving, may we experience the blessings that You give. We pray in Your name, Amen.