Last Friday, 21 September, was World Gratitude Day. Fancy having to remind ourselves to be grateful! But sometimes we need to.

At our regular Sunday Connect, I gave the communion message and focused on the importance of gratitude for what Jesus did for us on the cross. I recalled the story of the ten lepers in Luke 17:11-19. The group of lepers had begged Jesus to heal them, which he did. Only one, a Samaritan came back to thank Jesus for the miracle of healing. The Passion translation records the response of Jesus: ‘So where are the other nine?. Weren’t there ten who were healed? They all refused to return to give thanks and give glory to God except you, a foreigner from Samaria?’ Then Jesus said to the healed man lying at his feet, “Arise and go. It was your faith that brought you salvation and healing’ (vv17-19).

The Greek word sozo is translated ‘salvation and healing’ in The Passion Translation. It is translated ‘whole’ in the King James Version. Most other versions use ‘healed’. Interestingly, sozo means both temporal and eternal salvation. Temporal salvation includes healing and prosperity, but eternal salvation is life forever with Jesus.

I shared this thought with my brothers and sisters:

Could it be that the nine ungrateful lepers received there healing (temporal salvation), but missed out on their eternal salvation? It’s worth thinking about, isn’t it?