February 24, 2022 – “Let’s Talk Turkey” (Luke 17:11-19)

“Now on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance, raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” When he saw them he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went along, they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He fell with his face to the ground at Jesusʼ feet and thanked him. (Now he was a Samaritan.) Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to the man, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has made you well.” Luke 17:11-19

“Let’s Talk Turkey”

The origin of “talk turkey” is, perhaps, as old as colonial times. Dictionary entries from the 1800s show that the term was used in a variety of ways – and that “talking turkey” meant both talking about something pleasant (possibly referring to the dinner conversations that occur during a Thanksgiving feast) and talking in a silly manner (like the weird way turkey’s walk and act). Historical accounts suggest the modern meaning of the phrase came about from the day-to-day bartering between colonists and Indians over — you guessed it, wild turkeys. An account of the tale comes from an 1837 article in the Niles’ Weekly Register where a local Indian man and a colonial man bargain over a turkey and crow, only to shut the bargain down fast when they began to disagree. The swift and quick message behind the term was used to cut the bartering short and to-the-point – which is how we now use it in modern day conversation.

We should live our lives in a constant state of “gratefulness”. But it isn’t always easy to remember to give thanks to G-d on a daily basis. Do you know someone who struggles with “gratefulness”? I think we all do. There are a lot of people who live their lives in a constant state of “entitlement” rather than “gratefulness” – there are even people like that in the church, believe it or not. R. Alan Culpepper is a Professor of New Testament at McAfee School of Theology – he writes:

“Are we self-made individuals beholden to no one, or are we blessed daily in ways we seldom perceive, cannot repay, and for which we often fail to be grateful? Here is a barometer of spiritual health: If gratitude is not synonymous with faith, neither response to God (can be separated) from the other.”

In other words, Gratitude and Faith must be co-existent in our lives – if we are to be living the Christ-like life. Yes, we will not always say thank you when we should, or appreciate the blessings we have – but taking time each day to appreciate our blessings will go a long way in increasing our gratitude, and our faith.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, we may not bargain over turkey anymore (except on Thanksgiving), but we should not revert to the need to bargain for your love and grace. Help us to trust in your grace, to bask in your love, and to share your mercy daily. Amen.

Pastor Dave