Jesus' model: he expressed gratitude (2024)

Luke 22
14 When the time came, Jesus took his place at the table, and the apostles joined him. 15 He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 16 I tell you, I won’t eat it until it is fulfilled in God’s kingdom.” 17 After taking a cup and giving thanks, he said, “Take this and share it among yourselves. 18 I tell you that from now on I won’t drink from the fruit of the vine until God’s kingdom has come.” 19 After taking the bread and giving thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”

John 11
35 Jesus began to cry. 36 The Jews said, “See how much he loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “He healed the eyes of the man born blind. Couldn’t he have kept Lazarus from dying?”
38 Jesus was deeply disturbed again when he came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone covered the entrance. 39 Jesus said, “Remove the stone.”
Martha, the sister of the dead man, said, “Lord, the smell will be awful! He’s been dead four days.”
40 Jesus replied, “Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you will see God’s glory?” 41 So they removed the stone. Jesus looked up and said, “Father, thank you for hearing me. 42 I know you always hear me. I say this for the benefit of the crowd standing here so that they will believe that you sent me.”

The world’s creator, the ruler of the universe, chose to “become flesh” and live on earth as a human being (cf. John 1:14). Would you expect such a being to have the ultimate attitude of “entitlement,” to demand everything that was his by right? Well, Jesus didn’t do that. The gospels showed that even amid misunderstandings and opposition, his healthy human life led him to give thanks in many settings, corporate and personal, as he lived out a model of what it means to be fully human.

• The Greek root of the word “Eucharist” meant “to give thanks.” As you read Luke 22:14-19, picture Jesus eating with his disciples, with the cross just ahead. On what realities do you think he focused to be able to “give thanks” at that moment? In what ways can you include the healing, strengthening power of gratitude in your prayers, even in hard times?
• Why do you believe Jesus prayed at all, and didn’t just say, “I’m the son of God—I can handle this on my own”? If you had been one of the first disciples, what difference, if any, do you imagine you would have noticed in Jesus after he had been praying? Pastor Hamilton wrote, “Worshiping with others in community and individually in our daily lives is important. Walking with God involves both.” * How did Jesus’ life underscore the importance of both those dimensions?

My husband recently got a new car, one that has significantly more power than the one he previously owned. After we signed the papers and were handed the keys, we pulled out of the dealership in his new ride. Taking our first turn onto the street, he slammed on the accelerator like we were on a NASCAR track. Holding on for my life, I yelled, “Woah! Just because your car has that much power, doesn’t mean we have to use it all!” His foot let up on the pedal, my blood pressure dropped, and we safely made our way home.

It reminds me of how many Christians view the power of God. To some, there’s this underlying understanding that God is all powerful (I’d agree) and therefore they have complete authority to use God’s power as they’d like (this is where I’d disagree). There’s a sense of entitlement and superiority that comes with being God’s child. Some want to whip out God’s power like they were harnessing Wonder Woman’s Lasso of Truth! But just because God is all powerful doesn’t mean that it’s always best that we use that power. Can you imagine if all of us were summoning God’s power for our own desires and God just handing it out freely? We’d be in constant chaos. Of course wewould want to use it for good (right?), but I bet we can all sit here and think about someone we wouldn’t want to have that kind of power.

There are times when God shows his power in unexpected and supernatural ways, but just because God has abounding power, doesn’t mean that he chooses to use it at all times. It’s not always necessary. And just like a car going full speed, the unleashing of God’s full power could be dangerous. Being in a relationship with God isn’t about having access to more power anyway. It’s not about being superior or privileged. If anything, it’s about humbling ourselves at the feet of an all-powerful God and finding our joy and contentment in knowing we are his.