Have you ever noticed that many of Jesus’ stories had punchlines, but weren’t funny? As an example, did you hear the one about the deacon and the thief who walked into a church? You’ll find it in Luke 18:9-14. The deacon said, “Whoo boy, God! I’m thankful that I’m one of the good guys who keeps the rules, and not like this lousy, lying, thief.”
The thief said, “Forgive me, God. I’m a thief.”
The punch line is that both men got what they asked for. The thief was forgiven and the deacon got nada.
I’ve been contemplating that story, and I keep thinking that the deacon was right to be thankful. I’m thankful, too, that I’m not collecting taxes for my country’s enemy like the man in Jesus’ story. Who would want to deal with those issues? Where the deacon went wrong was in only being thankful for the things he wasn’t willing to share like forgiveness, kindness, and the mercy of God. What if the deacon had said, “I thank you, God, that I have the opportunity to tell the thief he’s been forgiven”?
My house, my job, my family, and my wonderful personality are all things for which to be thankful, but what if this Thanksgiving, I said thank you for the gifts that flow through me and not just the ones that fill me?
The deacon said, “Hey, let me tell you what God did for me.” Then he took the thief out for coffee. It’s still not funny, but it makes a good punchline.