Thankfulness is a word used both for the feeling and expression of being grateful for something. Our friend Janet Hardwick used to remind us how important it was to have an ‘attitude of gratitude’.
Thankfulness is deeply embedded in the Old Testament. In fact, there is a specific category of fellowship offering called a thank offering. Fellowship offerings were spontaneous sacrifices – given as acts of worship (not because it was a special occasion or because you had done something wrong).
Leviticus 7:12 – “‘If they offer it (fellowship offering) as an expression of thankfulness, then along with this thank offering they are to offer thick loaves made without yeast and with olive oil mixed in, thin loaves made without yeast and brushed with oil, and thick loaves of the finest flour well-kneaded and with oil mixed in.”
Giving thanks to God appears numerous times in the Psalms as praise, worship, proclamation, and just a general sense of gratitude to God.
Jesus himself was in continual communion with his father God and I think that sense of gratitude would have been part of who he was. But it is interesting to note where he specifically mentions thanks.*
[* For notable exception see John 11:41-42]
I’ve taken the examples from Luke’s writings:
Miracle of Feeding the Crowd: Luke 9:16 – Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he (Jesus) gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people.
Last supper with his disciples: Luke 22:19 – And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”
After rising from the dead – Meal at an inn on Emmaus Road: Luke 24:30-31 – When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.
And we think Luke also wrote the book of Acts. In chapter 27, Paul is on a boat that has been in a terrible storm for days, and everyone thinks they are going to die. He speaks to the crew: “Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.” After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves.
There is a bit of a theme here in that on each occasion speaking out thanks is associated with breaking bread.
So maybe there is a link to the bread of the thankfulness fellowship offering in Leviticus, maybe symbolism linked to sacrifice, or maybe it’s a reminder to say thank you at least as often as we eat, or…
This is (literally) food for thought.
Go Deeper
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