Most people are quick to say the Pilgrims thought of the first Thanksgiving. In the autumn of 1621 the 53 surviving Pilgrims at Plymouth, Massachusetts invited King Massasoit and 90 other members of the Wampanoag tribe to join them in giving thanks to God for a successful harvest. The celebration lasted 3 days.

That is all true, but that is only part of the story. The Pilgrims were indeed a grateful people. But when they looked for a way to express their thanks they turned to the Bible for help. In Leviticus 23 they read, “On the fifteenth day of the seventh month the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles begins . . . After you have gathered the crops of the land, celebrate the festival to the lord for seven days . . . Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year” (Lev. 23:33, 39, 41). In this way the Lord told the ancient Israelites to give thanks each year for their bountiful harvest. This sounded good to the Pilgrims so they thought they would follow suite.

So it was God’s idea to have an annual national thanksgiving. As New Testament Christians we are no longer bound by the Old Testament ceremonial rules and regulations (see Colossians 2:16-17). But it is still good be like the Pilgrims in this regard and follow the example of the ancient Israelites and give thanks to God on a regular basis.

Giving thanks keeps us humble because it reminds us that we are all indebted to God. We are not “self-made” people. God cares for us and continually provides for our every need. As Luther says in his explanation to the first article of the Apostle’s Creed,

God has given me and still preserves my body and soul; eyes, ears and all limbs and senses; reason and all mental faculties. In addition, God daily and abundantly provides shoes and clothing, food and drink, house and farm, spouse and children, fields, livestock, and all property—along with all the necessities and nourishment for this body and life. God protects me against all danger and shields and preserves me from all evil. And all this is done out of pure, fatherly, and divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness of mine at all. For all of this I owe it to God to thank and praise, serve and obey him. This is most certainly true.

God has provided for our greatest need by sending Jesus Christ into the world to die for our sins. St. Paul reminds us, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things” (Romans 8:32). Because of Christ we can trust in God for our every need.

As we remember our many blessings—and more importantly the giver of those blessings—let us also remember those who are “less blessed.” Let us recommit ourselves to use God’s blessings unselfishly for the benefit of others. With that thought I would like to conclude with this prayer by Samuel F. Pugh.

O God, when I have food, help me to remember the hungry;
When I have work, help me to remember the jobless;
When I have a home, help me to remember those who have no home at all;
When I am without pain, help me to remember those who suffer,
And remembering, help me to destroy my complacency;

Bestir my compassion, to be concerned enough to help;
By word and deed, those who cry out for what we take for granted. Amen.

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Updated: Wednesday June 02, 2010