Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Saying, “Thank you”, whether in person or by way of a written note or a card is a small and simple action, but it is also much appreciated by the one who receives the “thank you”. Saying, “Thank you” is simply the polite thing to do.
I remember a Calvin and Hobbes comic strip from several years ago. The boy, Calvin, was writing a letter a few days after Christmas day. The letter says, “Dear Grandma, Thank you for the box of crayons you sent me for Christmas”. As he continued to write, his friend, a stuffed tiger named Hobbes, looks at what he is writing. “Writing a thank you letter huh?” he comments. “Yup”, says Calvin. “I always make sure to write grandma a thank you, ever since that one Christmas when she sent me a box with only a note inside that read, “Just making sure the postal service still works!” The message is pretty clear, make sure to thank others when we receive something.
The act of thanking a person is not just about being polite or doing what is nice, however. To thank a person means that we have taken the time to consider what he or she has done for us and realized how much it means to us. Having realized this, we then take the time to thank the person: perhaps is person, by phone, through a note or a card, or maybe even by e-mail, text, or some other electronic message. The fact that we have taken the time to thank that person and shown that we are grateful for what was done: that, I think, is why people like being thanked.
Today’s readings give us two examples of thanking God. Now if there is anybody who does not have an ego that needs to be stroked with countless thank-yous and who would understand that we appreciate what He did without specifically saying “thank you”, it would be God. What I am trying to say is, God does not need our thanks. He will still continue to love and care for us and offer His graces to help us in this life, whether or not we take the time to thank Him. Yet we can clearly see in today's readings that God wants to hear us say, “Thank you”.
In the first reading, we come in to the end of a story about a great general named Naaman who travels from his home in what is now modern day Syria to Israel to ask the prophet Elisha to heal his leprosy. After a long trip and a discussion with his servants about what he truly believes, he submerges himself in the Jordan River seven times, following the directions of Elisha. The number seven, just like the seven days of creation in the Book of Genesis, is meant to symbolize completion and perfection. More specifically, Naaman's healing will be made perfect and complete through the power of God. That perfection is shown by how he emerges from the water with skin like that of a little child.
The general then goes to Elisha with a gift gold and silver and fine garments to offer as thanks. It is important to point out that he has the right idea, but he's kind of doing it in the wrong way. It was typical in the Ancient Near East to give something to a priest or prophet for offering a sacrifice or giving a prophesy from a particular god or goddess. This was seen as thanking the deity and the priest or prophet got to benefit from this gift as well. But Elisha is quite adamant that he will not take this gift. God is not looking for a gift of money or rich goods. What He wants is Naaman himself; He wants Naaman to start worshiping him; He wants Naaman to love Him. The general seems to finally understand that when he asks for the two mule-loads of dirt. This may sound like a very strange request, but it is actually an acknowledgment that God is the God of Israel. God is present in a special way with land of Israel and so Naaman wishes to have a little bit of Israel's land (the Holy Land) with him so that he may worship God more closely. Perhaps he plans to use the dirt as part of the construction of an altar to God. The point is, he is thanking the one true God by devoting his worship to Him.
The Gospel gives us another story of thanks with the story of the ten lepers. Again we see the healing from the terrible disease of leprosy. Notice as well that again we have a focus on a foreigner: the lone leper who comes back is a Samaritan. God seems to be pointing out to us that His blessings are for all people and all nations. He is also pointing out that all people need to give thanks as well.
The Samaritan leper returns and gives thanks, though he did not need to. Jesus doesn't mention that He is revoking the healing He gave to the other nine who didn't return, so it seems unlikely that He would have done anything different if none had returned. The Samaritan knew, however, that it was important to come back and give thanks. No doubt, it was through God's grace that he knew to do that. His “thanks” is not a passing, “Hey thanks for the healing thing from the leprosy and all that”. This man is actually worshiping Jesus at His feet! Jesus actually has to tell him to get up and go live his new life now. This man is intent of giving Jesus the proper thanks.
We too need to give God the proper thanks as well. I believe that, deep down, we all know that we must give thanks to God. I think we all try to do it the best we can. It is so much harder to remember to do that, however, when hardship is surrounding us; when things are not going all that well. There are so many hardships in the world that are affecting people right now: So much violence throughout the world; the poor economy affecting jobs for people; the current government shutdown that leaves many people without work and needed funds. You may have heard earlier this week about a priest of our diocese who has been credibly accused in the abuse of a minor about thirty years. These things hurt us. They sadden us, especially that last one I mentioned. It's hard to imagine how to give thanks for what God has given us when so many difficult hurts and sorrows and challenges are going on around us. But I believe that is the very challenge that God is offering us today. Let us thank God for what we do have. Thank Him for the courage and faith He gives; thank Him for the resources that we have to help those in need; thank Him for our family and friends that we have to support each other. We are called to continue giving thanks.
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