Eve of National Thanksgiving
Jesu Juva
“Forgive Us, Lord, and Teach
Us Thankfulness”
Text: Deuteronomy 8:1-10;
Luke 17:11-19; 1 Timothy 2:1-4
[Note: This sermon uses the
hymn Lutheran Worship #401, Forgive Us,
Lord, for Shallow Thankfulness, as well as the assigned readings, to help
us reflect on our giving of thanks, our lack of thanks, and our need for God to
teach us “to receive our daily bread with thanksgiving.”]
LW #401 verses 1-2 sung.
Shallow. You probably know people you would consider
shallow, or superficial. People
concerned only with the here and now, with the present, with things that can be
seen and had. People we tend to look
down on. It’s not a flattering term, and
so not a word we usually apply to ourselves.
. . . But in the hymn you just
sang, you did. Forgive us, Lord – forgive ME,
Lord – for shallow thankfulness. And it’s true, isn’t it? We’re thankful for the
gifts but not the challenges; for the ease but not the struggle; for the feast
but not the fast. Count your blessings, is how we put it. The shibboleth of the
shallow. Forgive us, Lord.
Because the truth is our
blessings are too many to count. And
maybe our greatest blessings are the things in our lives that we do not even consider
blessings, or the things [as we sung] of which we’re unaware. That is why
This kind of thankfulness we
need to be taught. It does not come
naturally. It even goes against reason
and common sense. But in Christ, even
the wildernesses and struggles have purpose.
Even our enemies give us opportunities for doing good. And give our life meaning and purpose. That God not only gives good
to us, but uses us to give good to others.
Shallow thankfulness seeks to avoid that, and chase after only what
feels good, what can be seen as good, or what seems good to me. No, that will not do. Forgive
us, Lord, for shallow thankfulness. And teach us true thankfulness, for all
your works, for all your ways, for all your work in my life.
LW #401 verses 3-4 sung.
Selfish. There’s
another word we usually don’t apply to ourselves! But we did it again, and yes, it’s true. It’s true, first and foremost, because we are
sinners, and every sin is an act of
selfishness. Doing what I want, not what
God wants. For me, not for others.
Not for service, but for gain. And then, what of others?
As we sang: a broken brother’s
needs? Can a truly thankful person
be selfish? Or if we see all that we
have as gifts from our Father, can we not also want to give as well? And then that powerful line that we sang: assured that only what’s withheld is lost. Or in other words, the tighter we hang onto
the things of this world, the less we
possess them, and the more they possess us. Or as Christ said: Whoever
would save his life will lose it. (Mt
16:25)
Yet
in all this we see not only many reasons to repent, we also here see Christ. For He is the One who withheld nothing. Who came to us who were
leprous with sin (Lk 17); we, His broken brothers. Who did not just stumble upon us, accidentally,
but who came to us purposefully. Who
came to give to us.
To give His life for us. To take our sin and give us
forgiveness. To
wash us in baptism, and to feed us with His body and blood. To give the dying life, the
diseased cleansing, and the condemned salvation. The cost was enormous. But the cost of withholding
even greater.
Can
our right hand take such blessings, and our left hand fail
to give the same?
Teach us, O Lord, true thankfulness –
divine thankfulness. Yes, but He does more than teach it – He
gives it. Giving us His Holy Spirit, so
that by His grace, transformed by His forgiveness, we are re-created into His
image (Rom
Forgive
us, Lord, and work in us this thankfulness.
Giving to us in grace, that we receive by
faith, and then give to our neighbor in love.
And so receiving our daily bread with divine
thanksgiving.
LW #401 verses 5-6 sung.
Walls and
wars that hide your mercy vast. Hide,
yes. Stop, no! And perhaps this is the
greatest blessing of all – that the things of this
world do not, and cannot stop, the work of our Saviour for us. Which is good, for how good
we are at walls and wars! Dividing and separating ourselves from each
other. Fighting and
quarrels, disagreements and anger.
And not just between countries, but between neighbors, families, and
friends. And so
Yes,
we need them. It is not good for man to
be alone. (Gen 2:18) For through governments,
friends, neighbors, family, God is blessing us; using these people as His
means, His masks, to do us good. To
provide for us, protect us, and care for us.
And most of all, to work in us and strengthen us in
faith. Through
troubles and pain, driving us to Him for help. In joys, turning us to Him
in thanks. In
confusion and fear, forcing us to Him for wisdom and guidance. In want, pushing us to rely
on His provision. But through it
all, drawing us to Him and His Word. To trust in Him. To believe Him, and in
Him.
And
to open our eyes, that His goodness and love not remain hidden, but be
known. For as we learn from the Small
Catechism: God gives daily bread to
everyone without our prayer, even to all evil people; but we pray in this
petition that He would lead us to realize this – that He would open our
eyes! – that we may receive our daily bread with thanksgiving. (Explanation to Fourth Petition) For
God wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. The truth that we have a
loving, heavenly Father. The truth of the Son who came to die for us. The truth of the Spirit,
who comes to us now with faith and forgiveness, making us children of God. The truth of a Triune God
who gives such gifts to men.
And
so truly, we have much to be thankful for.
Not only this day, but everyday.
In our lives, in our church, in our world. And in our God and Saviour, who gives to us
so abundantly, so consistently, so perfectly.
All things. Forgive us, Lord, and
teach us true thankfulness.
In
the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Rise and sing the Creedal Hymn LW #212