Tomorrow’s Gospel text is a text that is often used for Thanksgiving Day, but we have to recall that long before the national holiday in the United States, this godly theme was given to us by the Lord Jesus Christ 2000 years ago. Recall also that Pentecost elaborates on what it means to live as disciples and this one virtue (and action) — thanks — is generated by the Holy Spirit to show the life of Christ.

The benefits of a life lived with thanksgiving is easy to underestimate; it is the Lord’s prescription for squashing the complaints of our soul and it is a virtue which guards our minds in the peace of God (see Philippians 4).

However, there is much more to the text as this theme can never be reduced to the theme of a legalistic pep talk. This text depicts the incredible misery of the leper which reduces him to the cry, “Have Mercy!” To truly see Jesus’ response is to see the magnificent love and mercy of our Savior. It is amazing; it is overwhelming; and it is a picture of the grace that He has towards us spiritual “lepers.”

That is this Gospel shows how thanksgiving is formed. It is not the result of mental manipulation (though this is the popular construction), but it is the result of the Gospel…it is the result of the Lord forming your faith…it is the result of what will be given to you through His body and blood tomorrow morning!

Here is an excerpt from tomorrow’s sermon:

“At Jesus’ Feet, Giving Him Thanks”

(Luke 17:11-19)

Pastor Espinosa

 

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. One of the greatest joys and privileges I get to enjoy as your pastor is to make visitations. In my estimation while preparing and then delivering sermons in order to proclaim the life-giving Word of Christ is crucial in the holy ministry, there are certain other tasks which are indispensable for keeping pastors as pastors. If not for visitations, pastors become distant and detached from the people of God. If a pastor does not conduct visitations with his people he loses his identity as a shepherd. Visitations keep the spirit of pastoral ministry alive and I have discovered over the years that no matter how challenging those visitations may be, I am always blessed through them. God’s people bless me when I visit them. You bless me when you permit me to visit you.

 

It’s an interesting state of affairs, because it’s one of those things that tempts us to say, “Oh, but we’re all just so busy and I don’t want to be a burden!” But the fact of the matter is that when you permit me to visit you; permitting to at least try to answer your questions; and when you allow me to pray with you, to share God’s Word with you while applying it to your unique circumstances, or when you allow me to share God’s holy absolution with you, you bless me; and you help me to remain a pastor and not just someone who stands in front of you on Sunday mornings. I cannot begin to describe how there is really nothing better than spending time with God’s people, esp. from the standpoint that these visitations represent ongoing training to say nothing of living in the Spirit’s love. Think about it: the Holy Spirit who created the heavens and earth and who is the author of the gift of faith lives in His people, He lives in you. So when I see you and we share our faith, the Holy Spirit is molding and training us, refining our faith and making us stronger in Christ. He continues to train me through you.

 

In our Lutheran Confessions we teach that one of the means of grace – how God comes to us in His Word to feed and strengthen our faith – is through “the mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren (Tappert, ed., The Book of Concord, Smalcald Articles, IV, p 310).” That is, all that I’ve said about my visiting you, is also true when you visit another brother or sister in Christ. How good it is for us to live as God’s people when fellow church members become friends and meet each other in order to encourage and love one another!

 

This past week was no exception for me. I was seeing Gladys Geisler and once again I was extremely blessed. Without getting into personal details, let me just say that Gladys has not had an easy go of it as of late. She’s battling with some physical ailments and what confronts many people in their 90’s; she has spent a lot of time in bed. But with all of this going on and while having every reason to complain but refusing to do so, after some hymns and receiving the Holy Sacrament, I asked her for her prayer requests that I could take with me as I left the Geisler residence. She thought about it for a second with a smile on her face and then with sincerity and joy she said to me: “Pray that we would be thankful for all the Lord’s gifts to us.” I’m sure Gladys doesn’t realize what an impact her words had on me. What an example! What a shining light of faith! With all of her troubles and with all of her weaknesses, her concern, her prayer, her meditation was and is thanks to God; thanks for all of His gifts; thanks in-spite of all the hardships, thanks. I was blown away and suddenly felt ashamed that I should complain about anything. I was immediately inspired and trained by my mother in Christ, Gladys Geisler. Her prayer request is that we would be thankful!

 

This leads me to think more carefully about the spiritual battle we face every day, so I challenge you this week dear Christian that when your own sin and the evil one tempts you to complain: think about what you have to be thankful for. If it helps, take a piece of paper and write down ten things that you’re thankful for and rejoice! There is nothing like thanks to squash the complaints that fill our soul. Saint Paul writes in Philippians 4: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things (v 8).”

 

What is more, I learned from Luther that we can even be thankful when the devil himself assaults us. I continue to love this quotation from Luther:

 

“When the devil accuses us and says: ‘You are a sinner; therefore you are damned,’ then we can answer him and say: ‘Because you say that I am a sinner, therefore I shall be righteous and be saved.’ ‘No,’ says the devil, ‘you will be damned.’ ‘No,’ I say, ‘for I take refuge in Christ, who has given Himself for my sins. Therefore, Satan, you will not prevail against me as you try to frighten me by showing me the magnitude of my sins and to plunge me into anguish, loss of faith, despair, hatred, contempt of God, and blasphemy. In fact, when you say that I am a sinner, you provide me with armor and weapons against yourself, so that I may slit your throat with your own sword and trample you underfoot. You yourself are preaching the glory of God to me; for you are reminding me, a miserable and condemned sinner, of the fatherly love of God, who ‘so loved the world that He gave His only Son, etc.’ (John 3:16). You are reminding me of the blessing of Christ my Redeemer. On His shoulders, not on mine, lie all my sins. For ‘the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all,’ and ‘for the transgressions of His people He was stricken’ (Is. 53:6, 8). Therefore when you say that I am a sinner, you do not frighten me; but you bring me immense consolation’ (Luther, Luther’s Works, AE Volume 26, 36-37).” Luther practiced being thankful even when he was reminded of his own sins! That’s the way to live!

Come to be blessed with Jesus’ Word! Come to be strengthened by His body and blood!

Invite a friend, invite two friends! The Lord is blessing us!

In Jesus’ Love,

Pastor Espinosa