Extreme Makeover
By Grant Gaines
ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition first aired in late 2003 and has captivated the hearts of its viewers ever since. The idea behind the show is to find a family who is in great financial need and to rebuild their rundown home beyond their wildest imaginations. The creativity of the builders, architects, and interior designers is captivating in itself but nothing quite holds the audiences’ attention like the revealing of the tuned up home to its thankful owners.
Regardless of race, nationality, age, or gender, the reaction of the audience member is always the same when they see how deeply moved and touched the family is as a result of the generous acts of kindness done to their homes by the construction workers on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. With so much joy and celebration, it’s hard not to rejoice along with that family as you sit on your couch watching the television show.
But what happens when Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is no longer a TV show but a real life event? What happens when the object that is remodeled is no longer a house but a human body? And what happens when the builders on this extreme makeover are no longer paid actors and actresses but Jesus Christ, the ultimate Rebuilder? Fortunately we don’t have to speculate on this proposition for too long because Luke 17 tells us this true story.
Jesus was on His way up to Jerusalem (Luke 17:11) as His time on earth was quickly winding down. While He was making His way through the foreign country of Samaria which was sandwiched right in the middle of Israel, 10 leprous men began to make their way towards Jesus. As the Old Testament Law demanded, the leprous men, “…stood at a distance…” (Luke 17:13, NIV), away from Jesus and all those who were ceremoniously clean. But the physical distance that separated these men from their only source of salvation did not hinder their faith that Christ would be willing and able to help them if they only had the courage to ask. And that’s exactly what they did—they, “…called out in a loud voice, ‘Jesus, Master, have pity on us!’” (Luke 17:13, NIV). In that instant they not only begged Jesus for help but also acknowledged that He was capable of this massive rebuilding process by calling Him “Master”.
And much to their delight, Jesus didn’t let the men down—“When [Jesus] saw them, He said, ‘Go show yourselves to the priests.’ And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy” (Luke 17:14, NLT). Jesus took 10 diseased, beat up, and rundown bodies and did an extreme makeover right before their very eyes. The crowd was astonished, the men were cleansed, but the story doesn’t stop there.
Just as with the TV show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, the greatest part of the drama is to see the reaction on the faces of those who had just been blessed. So like a good television director, Luke zooms in on the 10 men to capture their response to just being “rebuilt” from their leprous bodies.
“One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him—and he was a Samaritan” (Luke 17:15-16, NIV).
The crowd must have been tearing up with compassion and joy in this man’s triumph when a thick cloud of tension began to build as the absence of the other nine restored men became painfully obvious. It didn’t take Jesus too long to notice their absence either as can be seen through His response to the sole thankful man—“Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’” (Luke 17:17-18, NIV).
This is where Scripture leaves so much room for our imaginations to play. I mean, we can see what Jesus said, but how did He say this? What tone did He use in His line of questioning? Was He angry when He asked, “Where are the other nine”? Was He genuinely asking with a sense of hopefulness that the other nine would come back and give thanks as well when He asked of their whereabouts? Was He disappointed?
We don’t know the exact tone of the Rebuilder, but if we assume that Jesus—being fully God and fully man—experienced the same range of emotions that we do, maybe we could project our feelings on Him in this situation. So let me ask you, how would you feel if the gift you just gave was met with silence rather than thanksgiving? Probably a little disappointed, upset, or maybe even outright mad, right?
That must have been how Jesus felt. He must have been so grieved that the nine dearly loved and deeply blessed men didn’t come back to show their gratitude or even give Jesus a token, “Thanks for Your help!”.
Reflect on that truth for one moment: God is grieved when we accept His gifts without showing gratitude. It breaks His heart when we go about our lives with a sense of entitlement rather than a sense of thankfulness.
How are you doing in this area of life? Are you counting your blessings and relaying your gratitude to the Giver of every good and perfect gift (James 1:17) or are you overlooking His kindness to you? It’s worth noting that of the ten men who were blessed, only one came back to show gratitude. I would bet that the same holds true for our generation today—the majority of people walk around with their hands held out looking for more blessings rather than holding their hands up in praise to the One who has already given them, “…exceedingly more than we can ask or imagine…” (Ephesians 3:20, NIV).
If you can’t seem to pinpoint which of the two groups you identify with (the thankful and the unthankful), this Christmas is going to be a great test to reveal your true colors. You are about to literally see the manifestation of God’s blessings in your life through presents, family, food, and most importantly, the greatest gift of all—Jesus Christ. Carefully note your attitude during this Christmas season because, as the audience so intently does in Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, God is watching your reaction to His gifts.
Comments? Questions? Suggestions?
©Grant Gaines 2013
