Everyday life often includes moments when a kind gesture receives no response. A person may give time, rearrange a schedule, spend money, or make a personal sacrifice for someone in need, yet never hear the words “thank you.” The natural reaction is disappointment. The danger is allowing that disappointment to become a reason to stop doing good. The account of Jesus and the ten lepers in Luke 17 offers a clear pattern for continuing in kindness when appreciation is missing.
Do Good Because It Is Right, Not Because It Is Appreciated
“And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off: And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed” (Luke 17:11-14, KJV).
These ten men lived under severe restrictions. Leprosy isolated them from family, community, and ordinary life. They stood at a distance and called for mercy. Jesus did not first ask whether they would return with thanks. He simply directed them to show themselves to the priests, as the law required. As they walked in obedience, they were cleansed. Jesus already knew the character of each man. He extended mercy to all ten without requiring a guarantee of gratitude.
This matches the broader pattern of His ministry. Acts 10:38 describes Him as one “who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” He helped people because He is good, not because every person would prove thankful. The same principle appears in ordinary service today. If kindness is limited only to those who will express appreciation, opportunities to do good will steadily disappear. There will always be someone who forgets, is distracted, or takes help for granted.
Galatians 6:9 offers the needed reminder: “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” The harvest comes from the Lord, not from the immediate response of people. Wisdom may sometimes require boundaries or a change in the way help is given, yet another person’s lack of gratitude never cancels the responsibility to do what is right.
Don’t Allow Ingratitude to Turn into Resentment
“And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God, And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine? There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger” (Luke 17:15-18, KJV).
Only one returned. He was a Samaritan, a person many in the Jewish community would have viewed as an outsider. Jesus noticed the absence of the other nine. He did not pretend the ingratitude did not exist. At the same time, He did not withdraw the cleansing from those who failed to return, nor did He assign the grateful man a task of confronting the others. He recognised the wrong without allowing it to govern His actions.
The same risk exists among believers. It is easy to notice when kindness is taken for granted and then to let that observation grow into a settled resentment. Hebrews 12:15 warns against “any root of bitterness springing up” that troubles the heart and defiles others. Bitterness often begins with a small disappointment that is rehearsed until it colours every later interaction. Ephesians 4:32 supplies the alternative: “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Jesus did not let the nine control His spirit. Believers are called to the same freedom. Recognising that someone has failed to show gratitude is not the same as allowing that failure to shrink one’s willingness to continue in kindness.
Keep Serving for God’s Approval Rather Than Man’s Appreciation
“And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole” (Luke 17:19, KJV).
All ten received physical cleansing. The one who returned received a further word about faith. The value of the work Jesus had done did not depend on how many came back. Whether ten, one, or none returned, the act of mercy remained good. The same is true of Christian service. Its worth is not measured by the volume of thanks that follows.
Colossians 3:23-24 directs every action “heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.” Doing good for the response of people carries a high risk of disappointment. Doing the same good for the Lord’s approval removes that risk. Hebrews 6:10 adds the assurance that “God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” People may overlook the cost. God does not.
Appreciation, when it comes, is a genuine encouragement. It is not, however, the foundation of service. When the foundation is the Lord’s approval, a person can continue teaching, visiting, giving, or serving quietly even if no one comments. The freedom that follows is real: the score is kept by the One who sees what is done and why it is done.
Conclusion
Jesus healed all ten lepers. He noticed that only one returned. He did not allow the absence of the nine to stop His ministry of doing good. The same pattern protects ordinary kindness today. When gratitude is missing, the call is still to do what is right, to refuse the root of resentment, and to serve for God’s approval rather than for the recognition of people. God is not unrighteous to forget any labour of love shown toward His name.
