Attitude of Gratitude

July 4, 2021 Background Scripture: Leviticus 13 – 14; Luke 5:12 – 16; 17:11 – 19 Lesson Passage: Leviticus 13:45, 46; Luke 17:11 – 19 Leviticus 13 and 14 give extensive instructions concerning the proper diagnosis, treatment, and trespass offerings as it relates to leprosy. Those two chapters provide 116 verses of scripture related to leprosy. Israel’s priest had a significant role to play in diagnosing and providing instructions to those suspected of having leprosy. However, none of those verses gives the priest instructions on how to cure leprosy. All the priest was required to do was diagnose whether leprosy was in the person’s skin and how the situation should be handled. No doubt one of the most welcomed reports a person could receive was to be pronounced clean by the priest. Indeed, the priest was the only person authorized by the Law of God to make such a pronouncement. This was not some arbitrary call on the part of the priest. The Law specified precisely how the priest was to arrive at such a conclusion. After reading those two chapters, I concluded that I could follow those steps and reach the same conclusion as the priest. However, I do not have the authority of the Law to do such a thing. That is why in both situations presented by Luke in the Background Scripture Jesus instructed those who had approached him for healing to go and show themselves to the priest. Jesus healed them but the priest had to pronounce them cleansed so they could be admitted back into society. As the ten men went to show themselves to the priest, they were cleansed. And they knew they were cleansed. However, one of them saw that he had been cleansed and returned to Jesus. He was praising God and thanking Jesus for his healing. Jesus noted that the one who returned to him to glorify God was not a Jew. Jesus questioned why the other nine men didn’t return to give God glory for their healing. I have always read this and thought that it implied that there is an expectation that one should glorify God out of gratitude for the blessings He bestows on us. But there appears to be more to it than that. The scripture does not say the other nine men did not give God glory for their healing. Jesus noted that the other nine men did not return to give God glory. The one who returned was not a Jew which implies that the other nine were. Perhaps the Jew’s religion got in the way of them returning to Jesus to glorify God. The Law concerning leprosy was given to the Jews. The Jews were following the Law by going to the priest to be pronounced clean and to present a trespass offering. It is possible that they were so caught up in following the religious steps given in the Law that personal gratitude was loss in the details—or delayed until after the official pronouncement of the priest. Put another way, sometimes the formality of religion trumps spontaneous praise. If getting to the church on a Sunday is done to avoid “forsaking the assembling of ourselves together”, then we might forget to sincerely praise God and thank Jesus before we get there. If you can only shout at church, then there may be something lacking in your gratitude to God. Meditating on the goodness of God and the sacrifice of Jesus in solitude at home should be more profoundly moving than listening to skillful praise singers and musicians or eloquent speakers. The Samaritan wasn’t constrained by organized religion; therefore, he didn’t have to follow the “Order of Service”. He turned around to praise God and thank Jesus before he saw a priest. He was grateful for what had happened to him even before the priest could see it. Sometimes people don’t always follow the right protocol in church. They just showed up to thank God for doing what doctors could not. Where are the other nine? They were probably on their way to have some good church. Robert C. Hudson June 7, 2021

Rescued from Doubt

June 27, 2021 Background Scripture: Matthew 14:22 – 33 Lesson Passage: Matthew 14:22 – 33 Some people are risk takers by nature and others, like me, tend to be more cautious—or calculating—by nature. Every time I read the historical account that is presented in today’s lesson, I am reminded of this fact. The disciples of Jesus were in a boat that was caught in a storm on the sea. They were in a similar situation before. In the previous situation, Jesus was in the boat with them—fast asleep in the stern. They only had to wake Jesus up to feel safer. However, Jesus is not in the boat with them this time. Jesus sent them ahead in the boat to the other side of the sea while he remained on the coast sending the multitude away. After sending the multitude away, Jesus ascended a mountain to pray. The disciples were in the boat sailing across the sea when a fierce storm arose. While the boat was caught in the middle of the sea in the storm, Jesus walked out to them on top of the waves. The sight of Jesus frightened his disciples because people don’t walk on water. They were sure they were looking at a ghost. Jesus greeted them and assured them that it was him indeed and not a ghost as they suspected. Peter, unlike me, requested Jesus prove that it was him by commanding him to join him on the water. Jesus beckoned Peter to get out of the boat and join him. The Bible records that Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water to go to Jesus. While that was going on, there were eleven disciples in the boat watching this. (Again, I acknowledge that I would be one of the “boat people”.) The distraction of the wind caused Peter to fear, and he began to sink. Peter called out to Jesus to rescue him, and Jesus caught him by the hand. Jesus did not commend Peter for taking steps on the water but rather he questioned why Peter had doubted after he was doing it. When they got in the boat, the storm ceased, and the disciples worshiped Jesus as the Son of God. It took a lot of faith for Peter to get out of the boat and stand on the water. Peter had unusual faith that allowed him to get out of the boat during a storm and walk on the water. Peter’s experience and Jesus’ reaction remind us that faith must be prepared to finish what it starts. So many times, we begin moving in a direction with the assurance that God is leading us. It might seem like it is going to be smooth sailing at the beginning. But sometimes storms do pop up out of nowhere as we travel through this life. If we have the assurance that God was with us in the beginning, then we can be sure that He still is. God promised to never leave us nor forsake us. Christians can be sure that God will not ask us to do anything we cannot do, or He is not willing to do with or for us. There is a difference between faith and willpower. Willpower is the self-assurance we can muster to attempt whatever we put our minds to accomplish. Faith is knowing what God has said and behaving in a manner that is consistent with what God has said. We will sometimes be overcome by doubt after we start on a journey. If we started our journey because of our willpower, we should be concerned when doubt comes. Our doubt reminds us to reevaluate what we are doing. On the other hand, if we started our journey because God led us to and doubt comes, then we need to ask God to help us finish what we started. When God is leading us, our text should give us the assurance that God will rescue us from doubt when we cry out to Him for help. Robert C. Hudson May 22, 2021