Deuteronomy 8:7-18

We Americans are powerful. In a world where the communist block is falling apart and the Soviet union is more of a disunity. We may be the last superpower in existence. Despite droughts and the failure of farms we still produce more food than we as a country need.

It is surprising to think that less than 400 years before that the pilgrims landed at Plymouth. That first winter half of the people died. But that ragtag group of settlers were joined by others and have become the greatest country in the world.

In our text from Deuteronomy we find the children of Israel in a similar situation. Only 40 years before they were just a group of escaped slaves heading out toward the desert. They left Egypt fleeing from the Egyptian army. Now they were a group to be contended with. They had defeated mighty armies and were ready to go take the promised land.

Even though Israel was powerful it was in great danger. There was a danger of pride. They might forget that it was God who brought them to where they were. They might look around at their fine houses and great flocks and vineyards and say to themselves, "We have made ourselves a great nation." They might forget who it was who brought them out of slavery and through the desert. They might let pride come between them and their Lord.

So they were given a warning. They are told not to forget who brought them to the promised land that they were possessing. They are told that when they are living in fine houses with great flocks that they should remember who brought them there and they should not exalt themselves. It says, "Do not say to yourself, 'My power and the might of my own wealth have gotten me this wealth.' But remember that the Lord your God, for it is God who gives you power to get wealth."

As we gather round our thanksgiving turkeys, And think of how far this land has come since that first thanksgiving, let us realize that we did not get ourselves to this place. God chooses the powerless to shame the powerful. One person described the U.S. as a country made out of those who had been thrown out of every other descent country in the world. And they were probably right.

Lets not say to ourselves, "We made ourselves great." Because if there is anything great in America it is a gift from God. So on thanksgiving let us remember the Lord our God and give thanks.

Luke 17:11-19

Thanksgiving is a religious holiday. The first Thanksgiving was a religious event. The pilgrims who first had a harvest feast were very devout people. They considered themselves the people of God. They were called Puritans because they tried to purify the church of Christ of all worldly influences. When they sat down for that first thanksgiving meal, their thoughts were of God. Half of the colonists had died the first winter, but with the help of the Native Americans they had an abundance of food to keep them through the second winter.

I am sure they would be surprised at what has become of their feast of giving thanks. In many ways Thanksgiving is now celebrated as national holiday. It is seen as a day to celebrate the great wealth of our nation. But it is also an opportunity to look back at our national heritage and celebrate how far we have come. Our nation began as small groups of people who wished to be able to live their own lives freely. They were not rich or powerful. They were the ones that the other countries of the world didn't mind sending to the new world to die. And the truth is that many of them did die. But 380+ years after that look how far we have come. Those tattered groups of settlers who barely hung on from year to year have become the greatest county on earth; a country where people can speak their minds. We are not perfect but a person has more opportunity to breath free here than any other place.

But in all this national celebration we need to be careful that we don't lose sight of the original intent of Thanksgiving. It began as a way of celebrating what God had done. God had given the pilgrims an abundant harvest. So they established a feast for giving thanks to God.

Our Scripture reading from Luke today is an appropriate one for the occasion of Thanksgiving. In it Jesus and the Disciples are on their way to Jerusalem and they are passing between Samaria and Galilee. Peter, at this point, had already said that Jesus was the Messiah the Son of the living God. So the disciples knew that Jesus was the Messiah, but I doubt they fully understood what that meant. They also knew that they were going to Jerusalem, but they probably had no idea that Jesus was actually going to die there. O yes, Jesus had warned them that he would be killed and that he would rise on the third day. But even Peter, who was the first to acknowledge him as the Messiah, couldn't accept it. So they obediently followed their Master as he made his way to the cross.

At this point in their journey the disciples were probably more concerned about their present location than their final destination. They were probably concerned about which side of the border they were on between Samaria and Galilee. As they entered each village they wanted to know if it was a Samaritan or a Galilean village. You see Samaritans and Jews just didn't mix. The Jews considered the Samaritans to be the opposite of themselves. The Jews were the chosen people of God. The Samaritans were just another nation of unchosen people.

As the disciples were concerned about limiting their contact with any Samaritans they missed the significance of where they were. They knew that the Messiah had come to save the children of Israel. But what they didn't know was that the Christ had come to save the Gentiles too. Christ came first to that Chosen nation of Israel but only as a way to get to the rest of the world. So there they were. Headed for Jerusalem and the cross of Christ. On the one side were the children of Israel, the people of God, who would reject their king. And on the other side were the lost nations of the world who would be offered salvation from God through what a Son of David was about to do.

As Jesus and the disciples traveled this road to the cross, they came to a village. As they approached this town, a group of ten people called to Jesus from a distance because they were lepers. We have all heard from Bible studies and sermons how lepers in the ancient world were required to stay away from towns. They were forbidden to enter lest people come into contact with their uncleanness. They were isolated from society and were required to beg for their food because they could not carry on a trade of their own. As if the ravages of their awful disease were not bad enough they were also isolated from their family and friends and way of life. They couldn't carry on a trade. They couldn't even go home for thanksgiving.

But there is something interesting about this group other than the fact that they are lepers. This group of lepers included both Jews and Samaritans. It must certainly be true that misery loves company. Samaritans and Jews as a rule had nothing to do with one another. This group was excluded from both sides of the border, so they roamed around together keeping one another company.

Somehow this group of lepers knew that Jesus was in the area. And they knew that he was a healer. Maybe they had heard how he had healed lepers in the past. They hoped that Jesus could heal them too. Then they could return to their families. And start their lives over again. So they went to see him and they raised their voices together and cried, "Jesus, Teacher, have mercy on us."

In other instances when Jesus healed lepers, he actually touched them and healed them on the spot. This group obviously didn't want to impose of the good teacher by coming too close, but they probably did expect him to heal them right then and there. Instead Jesus told them to go to the temple to be examined by the priests.

They probably wondered what in the world Jesus was doing. I imagine they even wondered if Jesus was playing a dirty trick on them. What if they went all the way to the temple just to be told once again that they were unclean? That would he awful. But they left for Jerusalem anyway.

I imagine that it was a surprise to them when it happened. There they were on their way to Jerusalem and all of a sudden they were healed. Some of the group probably pinched themselves to see if it was a dream. Eventually most of them probably started running to Jerusalem so that they could be declared clean by the priests and could return to their families and their lives. But one turned around and ran back to Jesus.

The one who turned back was a Samaritan. When Jesus saw this he said, "Weren't there ten of you who were cleansed? But only one has returned. Where are the other nine. How come none of God's people wanted to return and give thanks?"

We have good reason to give thanks. If we were to count all our blessings we might surprise ourselves. As Americans we enjoy freedoms that people in other parts of the world can only dream of. As Christians we are recipients of forgiveness of our sins. And of course there is the abundance of the harvest. We live in a world where enough food is grown that none need go hungry. And after all isn't that the very thing that the Pilgrims gave thanks for at the first Thanksgiving.

But we have something else to be thankful for. Like the Samaritans, we were once separated from God's people by our sin. And like the lepers we were unclean. But one day, as Jesus was on the way to die on the cross, he stopped at a village on the border between God's people and those outside, and he healed some lepers. And one day Jesus stood on the border, which separates us from his glory, and when we asked for mercy he showed it. Jesus healed us of our uncleanness and made us part of Christ's holy church. But amazingly enough only one out of ten who were cleansed came back to give thanks. And that one was an outsider, not one of those who had been brought up worshipping God.

I believe the picture this story paints is true. Too often we humans fail to give credit were credit is due. We are not the authors of our salvation. We are not the creators of our wealth. Yet only one out of ten of us remembers to give thanks to God who gave us all these things. And often times it is not a Worshipper of God but someone from outside the church. And Jesus says, "Was no one found to give praise to God except this foreigner?"

As we gather around the dinning room tables this week, and look at the fine China and silver. As we begin to cut into that large bird in the middle of the table as we smell the aromas of all the casseroles and side dishes that cover the Thanksgiving board. Let us, the Church, the believers in God, be the first to give praise to God, instead of the last.

Deuteronomy 8:7-19

The nation of Israel had come a long way to get to the Promised Land. If you remember the story of the Exodus from Sunday School you know that is true. Their journey to the Promised Land began in slavery. God heard their cries and called Moses to tell old Pharaoh, "Let my people go!" But Pharaoh just made their work harder.

Ten plagues later Pharaoh let them go. Then he decided to kill them all instead. But God made a way for Israel through the sea. God parted the sea and destroyed their enemies.

That was only the beginning. The rest of the journey took 40 years. For 40 years God fed the people bread from heaven. For 40 years God gave them water in the desert. For 40 years God taught Israel what it means to be God's people.

When they finally reached the Promised Land, God reminded them to give credit where credit was due. They would soon enter and posses the land. And it was a good land. A land flowing with milk and honey. A land with abundant water and crops. And the people would prosper in that land.

They would build big cities. They would construct houses and communities. They would built presses for wine and olives, and produce products. They would trade their goods with far away empires and become rich. They would change from a wandering band of escaped slaves into a major power in the world as they knew it.

So God said, "When this happens don't forget who made it all possible." "When you live in fine houses instead of tents, when your herds cover the land and you make profits from pelts and meat, when you eat off the land and have plenty left over, when your standard of living gets steadily better, don't say to yourself, 'Look what good I have done.' Don't give thanks to your own ability or hard work or intelligence. Remember that it was God who brought you here and made all of these good things possible. Honor God, keep the commandments, and be faithful to the covenant."

That's what Thanksgiving is all about: giving credit to God for the blessings we have. The pilgrims who founded this thanksgiving feast came a long way to get to America. They started in religious oppression. In the Europe of state run churches dissention was paramount to rebellion. People who worshipped or believed differently were in constant danger.

So the pilgrims set out across the sea. And God made a way for them through the sea. Despite getting lost and even landing in the wrong place, they made it.

But the place they landed was a wilderness. This was not a promised land by Biblical standards. It was rich, but it was also rugged. But they were blessed with freedom. And with the help of their Native American neighbors they learned to cultivate the land.

But on the threshold of that new nation, they stopped and said thanks. They acknowledged from the beginning that it was God who had made their freedom possible. And it was God who had blessed them with food to see them through the winter. And by doing so they set an example for all who came after them to follow.

The nation of the United States of America has come a long way since then. After the pilgrims, many others came seeking religious freedom. Many came seeking economic opportunity. Some fled famine. Some fled war. Some fled persecution. Some were brought over against their will.

The nation we have become is much different from those humble pilgrim/colonist/slave beginnings. When America started we just had enough food to see us from one season to the next. Now our surplus grain feeds the hungry of the world. America started as a bunch of poor colonies. Now we are the richest and most powerful nation in the world.

We've come a long way. From oppressed people to a moral influence in the world. From colony to superpower. From wilderness to industrial giant. We have built cities and factories and fine houses. We have come to expect our standard of living to rise.

And many years after our forebears set foot on this continent, we hear God's word. And it tells us not to forget who made all these blessings possible. "When you have built fine houses and lived in them, when you have comfort and wealth, when you enjoy freedom and safety, don't give yourself credit. Give God the credit."

So we have a feast day of giving thanks. But Thanksgiving Day should be just the beginning. God's says, "Therefore, keep the commandments of the Lord your God, by walking in his ways and fearing him."(Deut. 8:6) Praying and feasting are fine, but righteousness and mercy are more important. God had commanded that we believers be a holy people. If we are really thankful, we should do justice, love kindness, and seek mercy. We should care for the widow, the orphan, the homeless, the unborn. We should show hospitality to the stranger. We should love our neighbors.

Are you thankful for what God had given you? If you are then give thanks to God. Bow your head and pray and enjoy on the blessings God has covered your table with. But then serve God in the way you live. God has blessed you immeasurably, but there are those who don't know the blessings you do. There are people in this community who don't know the freedoms you do. There are people who don't have the love and support of the community that you do. Do justice. Love kindness. Seek mercy. That is what giving thanks is all about.

Luke 17:11-19

Giving thanks is learned behavior. It is not something that comes naturally. I have two small children: girls ages 3 and 6. We have tried hard to tech them to say thank you. Like most parents we have striven to give them everything they need and many of the things they want. And Children become used to that and take to for granted.

I guess because we have been so good to them they have grown to expect the many good gifts we give them. As a result it would never occur to them to say "Thank you." So we remind them. If someone gives one of our girls something, no matter how small or how large we say, "Now, say thank you." If we pass them the butter at the table we say, "Now say thank you." Our hopes are that they will grow used to hearing that reminder and will begin reminding themselves.

Sometimes all this training and hard work pays off. And suddenly without any prompting one of our little girls says "thank you." Those unsolicited thank yous more than make up for all the unspoken thank yous we never received.

Somewhere in history there was Samaritan mother or father that did their job well - at least where saying thank you is concerned. The Bible tells us that after being healed of leprosy a Samaritan returned to say thanks to Jesus. At first he had run along rejoicing. But I imagine that he heard is parents' voices in his head saying, "Now say thank you - say thank you." So he returned and gave thanks to Jesus.

But wait a minuet. Weren't there ten lepers who were healed not one. What happened to the other nine. I guess they just took Jesus' gift for granted.

But without being asked one did give thanks.

That is why we need a national day of thanksgiving. To be a parental voice saying to all America, "Now say thank you." As Christians we know that in our minds that all blessings are gifts from God. And God gave us so much! Like a good parent God is always giving us all we need and much of what we want.

But we usually forget to say thank you. Nine times out of ten we just go on our way. We need at least one day to remind ourselves to give thanks. Not that we shouldn't give thanks always. But at least one a year we are reminded to say thank you to God.

So on Thursday you can gather around the table with your turkey and remember to say thank you. But the day after that as you try to decided how to fix the leftovers and the day after that remember that voice saying, "Now say thank you." And remember to give thanks.

Deuteronomy 8:7-18

I�m ready for Thanksgiving! How about you? I have the Turkey in the ice box. The cranberry sauce is chilling. The corn bread is ready to make the dressing. I have some family coming up from the lowcountry. I have placed an extra leaf in the dining room table. And I have new batteries in the remote so I can switch between parades and games.

But is that all there is to Thanksgiving? Is it just about food and fun? For most people that is exactly what Thanksgiving day is all about. It means gathering with family to eat too much and then fall asleep while watching a football game.

Many people have forgotten who they should be thankful to.

This is nothing new. Let me share with you a passage from Deuteronomy 8:7-18.

�For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and springs, flowing forth in valleys and hills, a land of wheat and barley, of vines and fig trees and pomegranates, a land of olive trees and honey, a land in which you will eat bread without scarcity, in which you will lack nothing, a land whose stones are iron, and out of whose hills you can dig copper. And you shall eat and be full, and you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. Take heed lest you forget the LORD your God, by not keeping his commandments and his ordinances and his statutes, which I command you this day: lest, when you have eaten and are full, and have built goodly houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply, and your silver and gold is multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, who led you through the great and terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty ground where there was no water, who brought you water out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and test you, to do you good in the end. Beware lest you say in your heart, 'My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.' You shall remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth; that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers, as at this day.�

Here Moses is warning the people not to forget that all they have was given to them by God. He was warning them not to get so comfortable with the prosperity that God was sending them that they forgot it�s source. God knew that it is human nature to take credit for the good and blame someone else for the bad. So God as telling them ahead of time not to take their blessings for granted and forget who gave them.

We are comfortable here in the Untied States. Most of us have enough to eat and a warm place to sleep. Consumer confidence is up and the stock market is rising. We are as secure from outside threats as we have ever been. We are the last remaining superpower!

But sometimes we have become too comfortable. We have said, �Look what American ingenuity has done.� Look what we have created. And we have forgotten God.

Don�t forget God in your Thanksgiving preparations. The name of the day is Thanksgiving. But it is not a day to thank turkey farmers or football players. It is a day to thank God.

You cannot be truly ready for Thanksgiving unless you have remembered who we should be thankful to. I am ready for Thanksgiving because that God has given me all that I am thankful for. I�m ready for thanksgiving! How about you?

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