1621: First Thanksgiving, William Bradford, institution of Thanksgiving Holiday for thanking God
1863: Lincoln makes Thanksgiving an official holiday, ratified by congress in 1943
Thanksgiving mindset, remember God this holiday
Luke 17:11
Ten lepers healed by Jesus, only one returns to give thanks to God/Christ, a Samaritan. Jesus asks where the other nine are.
Not only did leprosy cause extreme pain, lose of extremities and disfigurement, there was humiliation, as they were forced to leave others to live in a separate leper colony. They were thought to be unclean and not liked by God, hence why they say “Have mercy on us” to Christ.
We are to:
1) Recognize what God has done in our lives, as all the lepers did
2) But also, express gratitude to God, as the one leper did
The leper yelled out in glory to God. Do others know why we, as Christians, give glory to God?