The Savior's parables on gratitude have always intrigued me, especially that of the ten lepers. (As you will recall, Jesus cured all the men, only to have one express his gratitude for the precious gift of health.)
A more recent incident of ingratitude occurred during the 2004 Olympics. The Iraqi soccer team had qualified for the Athens games. This was made particularly significant in that the former Olympic Committee head Odai Hussein, who had inflicted torture upon hundreds of athletes, had been killed after a coalition of American forces and others had invaded Iraq the previous year.
Competing, now without the fear of torture or death, the Iraqi team stunned the world with their ingratitiude. Not only were the team members not grateful for their freedom from the brutal regime, they also did not spare words in expressing their disapproval of their liberators.
One man said this about then president George W.. Bush: "How will he meet his God after having slaughtered so many men and women? He has committed so many crimes." This man compounded his lack of gratitude by going on to say that if he were not playing soccer, he would be fighting as an insurgent against the very forces which had freed him and his teammates.
Whatever one's feelings about the war in Iraq, this egregious example of ingratitude is hard to overlook or to stomach. Even more so is our ingratitude to the Savior when we fail to acknowledge His hand in our lives.
This I know for sure: the measure of a man ... or a woman ... may be found in his/her gratitude..
I have the idea that they had no idea of the gift that they had been given. Much like me when I start complaining about something. I usually find out that I have been blessed, not cursed as I had supposed.
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