Bloghardt's Reflector

Thank God for our enemies.  You know, the people who want to do us harm.  Thank God that they are there to remind us to trust solely in God to protect us and to give us someone else to pray for.  

Jobs. Thank God for our jobs! They may drive us nuts and annoy us - but through our jobs, the Lord gives us a paycheck to pay the mortgage and put food on the table. 

For our homes - thank God for our homes and the stuff in our homes - the television to watch our favorite team play.  Our computers, DVR’s, stoves, cars, trucks - what you have, thank God for today.  

Did you consider thanking God when your car started today?  Thank God for that - we’d have missed you today at church!  

AC and lights? Thank God for them too!  There’s nothing like a little bit of no power after a hurricane to remind us of the gift of AC and lights that come on when you flip the switch!

Health.  Thank God for our health and the health of our families.  Thank God for the parts of us that work, and the parts of us that don’t work so well any more.  Thank God for the breath that we just took and the breath we will take right now.

For your church. Thank God for this little place to hear God’s word.  For ears to hear.  For tongues to sing.  For eyes to read.  

Most of all, thank God for Jesus - who saves us not by what we have done, thanked God for, or haven’t done.

Thank God for Jesus’ holy life that counts for our lives.  Each law He kept, each time He gave thanks, each time He was obedient - even unto death on the Cross.  His life is our salvation from sins.  His life is our perfect life.  Thank God today for Jesus.

For His death is our death to sin.  The end of our adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness.  The end of our idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, drunkenness, revelries, and other sins that we work in our flesh.   

His sacrifice brings us forgiveness, life, salvation.  His death for our sins.  His resurrection, our justification before God.  The declaration that God will not punish us for our sins or harbor anger forever.  No more, no longer, not after He sacrificed His Son in our place.  Thank God, today, dear friends for the Gospel.

For the Father - yes, thank God for the Father who sent His Son.  He gave us all things - body, soul, eyes, ears, and all our members.  Our reason and our senses.  He still takes care of them.   Your stuff, the people around you, your home, your vehicle - all of it flows from the Father of lights in whom there is no change or variance forever.

And thank God for the Holy Spirit who has put this Word into your ears today.  The Spirit is always working through the Word and Sacraments to deliver Jesus to you.  Thank God for His work.

And if we haven’t today stopped and thanked God for these gifts, we know where the other nine went.  Don’t we?  We know where they went after they were cleansed.  

They went and did what we do - every day.  It’s not that we aren’t thankful that God does things for us.  We just get wrapped up in all the things that we got going on and well... We don’t thank Him.  We'll stop to thank Him in times of trouble, but normally it just doesn't cross our minds. 

And it’s shameful to be so given to and not be thankful.  Not to notice or care that the Father has lavished such gifts to us - even His Son.

And so turn around dear friends and repent.   Stop and turn and fall on your knees as the Samaritan Leper did today.  Repent of your unthankfulness.  Repent of living as if you are the one who controls the gifts around you.  Repent.

And thank God today at His Supper, His Eucharist.  Eucharist is one of the Greek words that refers to the Lord’s Supper in the Scriptures.  “Eucharist” simply means, “Thanksgiving.”  

The word “Eucharist” is from the Lord’s words, “Our Lord Jesus Christ on the night in which He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks....”

“Given thanks.” That’s Eucharist.  For of all the things you do to give thanks to God, to receive from Him, at His Supper.

Take eat, His Body given for you.  Take drink, His Blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of all your sins.  Receive from God His forgiveness at His Eucharist, His Thanksgiving Supper.

Ten lepers call to Jesus.  Ten are cleansed by a Word.  One turns and falls on his knees to thank God.  “Where are the other nine?” ask Jesus. 

We know.  We were just with them and Jesus has saved us once again, forgiven us, cleansed us, and given us His Supper.

“Rise and go, your faith has made you well,” says Jesus to you today and the Samaritan leper.  That “made you well” is the same Greek verb that means “saved.”  Your faith has saved you.  Rise and go.  You are saved by Jesus.

“It is good to give thanks to the Lord and to sing praises to Your Name, O Most High; to declare Your steadfast love in the morning and your faithfulness by night” (Ps. 91:1-2).  In the Name of Jesus. Amen.