10/6/10

The gift or the giver?

Image Source
The 9 lepers in the background are rejoicing, jumping for joy and most likely heading home to share their good news with family, friends and neighbors - all perfectly understandable when you consider the gift that was the curing of their leprosy.  The one Samaritan leper, a foreigner despised in the local culture, comes back to thank Jesus for the gift.

All suffered the same malady.  All received the same cure.  All were equally happy.

The difference?

Nine rejoiced in the gift, one rejoiced in the giver.

Rejoicing in our gifts is, of course, a very good thing.

Rejoicing in the Giver of gifts is an even greater grace.

How often do we trace back the source of every good gift that is ours?

How often do we return to the Giver to offer thanks and to rejoice in his love for us?

(For help in pondering and praying over these thoughts, see this coming weekend's scriptures and commentary on them...)


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Posted by Concord Pastor at 7:00 PM

6 comments:

  1. ElizabethOctober 6, 2010 at 8:21 PM

    so, just to clarify (because I am a little confused)- there must be 9 lepers besides the one who came back to thank Jesus for the gift-

    in the background, one must be unseen, behind Jesus, correct?

    and that would make 10. (I clicked on the image source to read a little about it and it mentioned 10 lepers)


    thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. EdOctober 6, 2010 at 9:26 PM

    Could it be that in a real sense the giver is the real gift?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Concord PastorOctober 6, 2010 at 10:31 PM

    Even in a painting, I doubt that the 9 lepers would have made a point of showing up in the frame so I think it's safe to assume there's one dancing and jumping behind Jesus.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Concord PastorOctober 6, 2010 at 10:35 PM

    Ed: you are definitely on the right track!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousOctober 7, 2010 at 1:55 PM

    'Nine rejoiced in the gift....one rejoiced in the Giver' - simply beautiful! And, if you think about it...the gifts fade away and eventually die, the Giver continues to Give for all of eternity. Now the next question is...are we ready to receive all the gifts so joyfully given?
    Andie

    ReplyDelete
  6. tphOctober 7, 2010 at 8:25 PM

    This served quite nicely today as a prayer, visual and reflection for my high school religion classes...thanks.

    ReplyDelete

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