Thanksgiving Eve

Good Shepherd

2004 Pass Rd, Biloxi, MS 39531

Draft Deut 8:1–10; 1 Tim 2:1–4; Lk 17:11–19; Ps 67:1–7; antiph. v. 6   –     11/26/25

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father, and our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The leprous person who has the disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head hang loose, and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, ‘Unclean, unclean.’ He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease. He is unclean. He shall live alone. His dwelling shall be outside the camp. (Lev 13:45–46) Sin and leprosy are in common. They both mark a man for an unpleasant death: one by slow decay of the body, the other by the eternal burning of the body and soul in hell. They both exclude a man from community: the one from human society accompanied by the need to cry out when others appear, ‘Unclean, unclean’, the other condemns a man to live among the dogs and demons apart from God and God’s Kingdom. The one big difference is that the leper knows his state, but the sinner usually doesn’t. Further, when a leper receives some good, as we see quite a number do in the Bible, the response is gratitude; but the sinner receives much more every day and lacks all gratitude.

St. Paul says, For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Rom 1:21–23) God causes the sun to rise on the evil and on the good, on the well and on the leper; He provides food for the table of all, but only the one who knows his need, like the leper, responds with thanks. All others take and think nothing of the One Who provides, even though they know God is real and creates and sustains all things.

Tomorrow, though a secular holiday, ought not be a special day about a general feeling of thankfulness, nor a special day for telling your friends and family ‘thanks’. Rather, every day ought to be full of praise and thanksgiving to God who causes the rain and growth for the harvest, for The earth has yielded its increase, and Who also provides us the very family and friends we gather near us. How many days does no thought of honoring Jesus as God or giving Him thanks ever come into our heads? How many days are we no better than the nine lepers who received restoration of body from earthly death and restoration of status in earthly Jerusalem, yet did not return to give thanks. All too many days are we no better than the unbelievers who will tomorrow say how thankful they are to anyone or anything except God who gave them life, breath, and all good things. For the many days we lack thankfulness to God our provider, for all the days we treat His providence as the pagans treat it, we must repent, fall on our knees before Christ and say, Unclean, unclean.

But how many days does Jesus still sustain you and provide all your needs? How many days does He give you rain when you need it, or sunlight to brighten your path? All the days. God, our God, shall bless us. God shall bless us; let all the ends of the earth fear Him! And in the day of despair, when sin clings close to you breathing death into your nostrils, when you like lepers understand your grave sins unto hell, Jesus has mercy upon you and has cleansed you of your sins, even that of ingratitude. He looks upon you with love, takes the disease of your sins upon Himself, and makes you clean of all sin so that before God it is as if you had the soft, whole skin of a newborn baby. Jesus dies for you that you live. Jesus is hung outside Jerusalem that you would dwell in heavenly Jerusalem. Jesus faces the consequences of your sins so that you may be free from their burden and from their shame forever. Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.

Therefore the Psalmist sings, Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.  Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Amen!

Now the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen