Taken for Granted

Luke 17:18
¹⁸ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?”

Do you take for granted what the Lord does for you? Jesus was between Samaria and Galilee when he came across ten people with leprosy. Nine of them were Jews and one was Samaritan. What is leprosy? According to Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, leprosy is defined as

a chronic bacterial disease marked esp. if not treated by slow growing swellings with deformity and loss of sensation of affected parts.

So basically one loses the ability of limbs and they can fall off. At that time there was no treatment for leprosy and anyone with it would be considered ceremonially unclean. In mosaic law, one unclean could not be amongst others. Hence the ten were outside of the city limits. Again, leprosy could not be treated at that time. So for Jesus to come along and heal all ten of the lepers was an extreme miracle. Jesus told the ten to show themselves to the priests because everyone knew the ten had leprosy. If the miracle was so extreme and such a blessing, why then did only the Samaritan return to thank Jesus? Even Jesus had to ask the question. What was so amazing about the dilemma was that if anyone was going to thank Jesus, it should've been the Jews. Why? Because they already knew who God was and then they had already learned through the prophets in scripture about what Jesus would do. He would be called a healer, counselor, etc. But the one who showed the most gratitude was one who was unlearned of the ways of God.

Does the Lord receive the same response from us that he did from the Jews? Or are we like that of the Samaritan? Do you know that anything the Lord does for you he doesn't have to do? He could decide right now, that your time is up and snatch the breath of life from your body? Whatever you have right now, he could decide that you will have it no more. What miracle has the Lord performed in your life that you have failed to give him praise for? Was it for waking up? Was it for having a cool air-conditioned home? Was it for the money you found on the ground as you were walking? Was it for making you late so you would miss that man or woman that ran the red light? Whatever it may be, let us not forget to give the Lord praise. We ought to praise the Lord for everything. We were put here to do praise the Lord and give glory to Him in everything we do.

So again, do you take for granted what the Lord does for you?