74. Thankful Leper

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[hanks]

1. What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing? 
I think the leper’s plea for mercy was a cry for healing. Their greatest concern would be for healing, and not for food, shelter or clothing. This was a golden opportunity to ask Him for mercy and compassion; perhaps the only opportunity they would ever have. Definitely not a chance to be missed. Having immediately recognised Jesus, and having heard about His miracle healings, they believed that He might heal them, or at the very least take pity on them. By calling Him Master, they acknowledged Jesus as Master of disease and even of nature itself, the only question was would He have compassion on them. We know that God delights in showing mercy to those who cry out for it. God is rich in mercy. The fact that in obedience to Jesus’ command to show themselves to the priests, BEFORE healing took place, to me, confirms that they were expecting to be healed. Otherwise, why go and show themselves to the priests? It was only when they thought that their leprosy had gone away that they would present themselves to a priest, who could declare them clean (Lev 14). 
 

[hanks]

2. What is the significance of the lepers showing themselves to the priests? (17:14a) 
What is significant is that the lepers responded to Jesus’ command to show themselves to the priests before they were healed. They responded in faith and on their way to the priests all were healed. The priests had no power to heal them, and was chosen as the only person that could pronounce them clean, so that they could return to their homes and be with their families. The difference here to a previous healing of a leper (5:13) was that Jesus did not touch them or even say “Be clean!,” or anything similar. And that at first He healed the man and only then told him to go and show himself to the priest. But here, without any evidence of healing, Jesus commands these ten lepers to go and show themselves to the priests. 
 

[hanks]

3. Why does Luke make the point that the lepers weren't healed until they started to obey Jesus' command? (17:14b) 
The point Luke is making, is that in obedience to Jesus’ command, “Go, show yourselves to the priests” before healing them; was a test of their faith. The fact that they were only healed from a distance while on their way to the priests, shows us that they had responded in obedient faith. I feel this calls for a great amount of faith on their part, to leave without being healed and yet with the expectation that this will occur. Jesus was asking the men to respond in faith so that, by their obedience, they would be healed. All responded in faith, and Jesus healed them on the way. 
 

[hanks]

4. What about the thankful leper's actions showed his thankfulness? (17:15-16) 
This leper showed his thankfulness by returning to thank Jesus. By praising God with a loud voice. Jesus had healed him and he was going to make it known! This was the heartfelt praise of a person who had been healed by Jesus’ mighty power. Then he threw himself at Jesus’ feet, a posture of worship, to praise Him and give thanks. Even giving praise to God. Twice it is mentioned that he glorified God (15, 18). That is to exalt Him, and to let others know of His great mercy, grace, and how great He is. 
 

[hanks]

5. What was Jesus' attitude toward the thankful leper? Toward the other nine lepers? (17:17-18) 
He was pleased with the thankful leper and not only healed him but saved him from his sins. However, it is also clear that Jesus was grieved because only one of the ten cleansed lepers returned to give praise to God. A group of Jews allow a Samaritan to outdo them in praising God and giving thanks. And this even though the Jewish nation had been blessed far above any other nation (Psalm 147:20). Jesus had shown mercy to every single one of the ten, all had been healed, and were able to return to their homes. Since all were cleansed, He asks “where are the other nine?” The main point is that all should have returned to praise God and thank Jesus for their healing. Their refusing to respond to God’s healing removes the real purpose of a miracle – the physical healing remains, but the spiritual healing never takes place. The lack of gratitude by the other nine was typical of the rejection of His ministry by the Jewish nation. He alone had the power to cleanse the nation and make it ceremonially clean. However, the nation did not respond properly to Him. The nation accepted the things that Jesus could do (such as heal them and feed them), but it did not want to accept Him as Messiah. 
 

[hanks]

6. In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not? 
Jesus is speaking about both physical healing and spiritual salvation. The thankful leper was both healed and saved. The praise and thanksgiving of the Samaritan were actually far more than only gratitude. He made a decision to come to Jesus in faith, and received something far greater than physical healing: he was also saved from his sins. The other nine were healed, but they were not saved because they did not have the attitude of thanksgiving. Ingratitude is a symptom of disbelief, and leads to futility and darkening of the mind in unbelief (Romans 1:21). They only wanted to be healed, to exploit the power of Jesus for their own selfish needs, and were not interested in any further commitment to Jesus. The ungrateful person refuses to acknowledge receipt of anything by grace, and it is only by grace that one can be saved. 
 

[hanks]

7. Why is it so easy to forget to thank God for His blessings? 
Like the other nine, we are prone to be quick to ask for God’s blessing, but easily forget to give Him thanks. We are quick to pray but slow to praise. Our problem is deeper than mere forgetfulness. This spirit of ingratitude is part of our sinful nature, and it is only the Holy Spirit that can change us, and give us a spirit of thankfulness. Also, thanksgiving is an admission of our dependence on our Heavenly Father, and an acknowledgement that He gives everyone life and breath and everything else (Acts 17:25b). Our only proper response is to glorify Him from a thankful heart. If only we could come to the realisation that He blesses us far more than we even appreciate and far more than we deserve. 
 

[Irmela]

1. What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing?

I personally do think they expected Him to heal them. Food and clothing they could get from family and friends. Shelter they got on the outskirts of town somewhere as was available to them, be it in caves or elsewhere in the vicinity. Isolated, none the less from family and friends. Healing was not something they could expect from family and friends. In fact it seemed it was out of reach. They must have heard of the healings having taken place with Jesus's ministry and so they called out for Him to have mercy on them also. 

The fact that they turned and went to do as Jesus commanded them to, viz., to show themselves to the priest, shows that they were expectant of healing to take place somehow. 

[Irmela]

2. What is the significance of the lepers showing themselves to the priests? (17:14a)

By this Jesus shows that He is not working against what the Law said. For the lepers to return into society, the priest had to examine them to see if there were signs of the disease. Jesus would not have sent them to the priest if He did not believe that they were indeed healed. The lepers in turn had faith in Him and turned around to follow His instructions, before they were healed. In doing this, they obeyed  and suddenly realized that they were indeed healed. 

[Irmela]

3. Why does Luke make the point that the lepers weren't healed until they started to obey Jesus' command? (17:14b)

Jesus does not follow a ritual. Sometimes healing takes place without hands being laid on the person. 

Luke points out that the lepers needed to have faith and obey the command given by Jesus. Only after they followed His command did the visible signs of healing manifest themselves. (Faith without works is dead) 

[Irmela]

4. What about the thankful leper's actions showed his thankfulness? (17:15-16)

Samaritans did not under normal circumstances easily mix with Jews. This healed leper had no inhibitions of showing all and sundry his thankfulness to the Jewish Teacher, who had healed him. He praised God in a loud voice and threw himself down at Jesus's feet and thanked Him. 

[Irmela]

5. What was Jesus' attitude toward the thankful leper? Toward the other nine lepers? (17:17-18)

The thankful leper had thrown himself at Jesus's feet in humility and gratitude. The immediate response recounted from Jesus was, Where not all ten cleansed? There was a group that were healed at the same time. It was not a one by one account.

They had sought Him together. They had been given an instruction together. They were following this instruction together. They had all discovered that they were healed together.  Yet now came the sad part only one came back to give thanks.

Jesus noticed that it was a "foreigner" that came and gave thanks. He reassured him and acknowledged him also. He did not recoil from him. In the following verse we find that Jesus acknowledged that the healed leper's faith had made him well, and he was sent on his way, indeed more blessed than the others. 

There was an expectancy for all of the ten lepers to return and give thanks. Nine did not. The healing was taken for granted. Jesus disappointedly pointed out that God was not acknowledged by the other nine, but only by the foreigner. 

 

[Irmela]

6. In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not? 

I think He refers to both. He is given peace and reassurance also. 

The other nine were healed in their bodies only. They did not acknowledge God in the whole situation, so they lost out on a further blessing involving their whole being as such (term it their salvation). 

[Irmela]

7. Why is it so easy to forget to thank God for his blessings?

They can so easily be taken for granted. 

Sometimes they are blessing in disguises and then we tend to thank Him belatedly for having answered in the way He did. 

I pray that I would truly show gratitude and thankfulness for His blessings at all times. 

[Old Jerry]

What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing?

 

A. They just wanted something to make them feel better. So they probably wanted food, shelter, or clothing. I don’t think they were expecting a healing.

 

What is the significance of the lepers showing themselves to the priests? (17:14a)

 

A. the Old Testament law said that they had to be approved by the priests to be declared clean.

 

Why does Luke make the point that the lepers weren't healed until they started to obey Jesus' command? (17:14b)

 

A. Because we are to obey what Jesus is telling us so that we can be healed,

 

What about the thankful leper's actions showed his thankfulness? (17:15-16)

 

A. This person was truly grateful for what Jesus had done for him. We are also to be grateful for what Jesus does for us.

 

 

What was Jesus' attitude toward the thankful leper? Toward the other nine lepers? (17:17-18)

 

A. Jesus’ attitude toward the thankful leper was one of appreciation. He was very disappointed in the other nine.

 

In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not?

 

A. I think that Jesus was speaking of both the physical and spiritual healing especially for the one leper that came back and thanked him. It was the faith that other nine lepers that healed.

 

Why is it so easy to forget to thank God for his blessings?

 

A. I think the reason that it so easy to forget to that God for his blessing is because we are so happy that what we had asked for was delivered. Then we forget to be grateful.

[Katy]

Q1. The lepers knew  how compassionate Jesus was and so they asked Him to have pity on them. They were thinking in terms of practical help rather than being cured. At the same time they didn’t seem surprised when Jesus told them to present themselves to the priest. So maybe they were asking for practical help but hoping Jesus would do something greater for them. 
Q2.The significance of showing themselves to the priest was the only way they could be pronounced “ cured”. The priest had the job of inspecting them and declaring them cured and allowing them back to integrate once again into their communities. 
Q3.The lepers obeyed Jesus without question. They were not healed when Jesus told them to go and present themselves to the priest, but they set off in faith and obedience to Jesus and were healed on the way.

Q4.Only one leper returned to Jesus to thank Him and to offer praise and worship to Him. The one leper who came back was a Samaritan  . The Samaritans and the Jewish people were old enemies and did not mix together. That didn’t make a difference to Jesus, nor did it stop this leper returning to find Jesus to say “ Thank you”. He was full of humility and threw himself at Jesus feet and praised God for healing him. 
Q5. Jesus questions him”were not ten made clean”. It is probably more a statement of fact rather than a question! Jesus comments “ Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner”? The Jewish members of the group don’t bother with saying “ Thank you”, they have just taken Jesus mercy towards them  for granted. Jesus told the man to Rise and go your faith has made you whole.”

Q6.Jesus was speaking about his spiritual healing. He believed in God and returned to Jesus in true humility and submission which indictates a much deeper healing of the soul rather than the body. His companions received physical healing only they showed no sign of thankfulness or submission to Jesus. They just took what they could get and went on their way.

Q7.If we are not in a deep relationship with Jesus we can take His goodness and grace towards us for granted. We may be too self reliant thinking we are the masters of our own destiny, and not think that God has any input into our lives. We must be like this thankful humble leper and live in submission to God and be aware of all the blessings we receive every day from Him.

[haar]

1.    What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing?

When the ten lepers called out to Jesus for mercy, the lepers probably expected some monetary gift.

2.    What is the significance of the lepers showing themselves to the priests? (17:14a)

The priests were the sole authority to declare a leper healed and fit to mingle with the society. Jesus was very sure the ten lepers were healed and thus instructed them to go get the certificate of cleanness.

3.    Why does Luke make the point that the lepers weren't healed until they started to obey Jesus' command? (17:14b)

Luke made the point that faith is demonstrated by action. He thus stressed that their action of turning to go to the priest was faith in action. This faith caused the lepers to obey, and as they moved, their healing was perfected and is a lesson for us disciples.

4.    What about the thankful leper's actions showed his thankfulness? (17:15-16)

The thankful leper turned to go back to Jesus to show his gratitude first, before reporting his healing to the priest. He did this by throwing himself at the feet of Jesus giving thanks to him. We should emulate him.

5.    What was Jesus' attitude toward the thankful leper? Toward the other nine lepers? (17:17-18)

Jesus appreciated the thankful leper for returning to give thanks and lamented how the other nine did not see the need to do like the thankful leper.

6.    In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not?

By saying that ‘your faith has saved you’ Jesus meant that the leper has received his physical healing as well spiritual salvation of his soul.

I think the other nine lepers got their physical healing only but not their spiritual hilling.

7.    Why is it so easy to forget to thank God for his blessings?

We are usually so excited about receiving answers to our prayers that we forget to go back to give thanks to the Lord for the answers to our supplications.

Lord God Almighty teach me to learn to learn to always come back to appreciate you for answering my supplications all the time.

[Godswriter]

1.    What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing?

They probably were looking for money or something other than being healed 

2.    What is the significance of the lepers showing themselves to the priests? (17:14a)

According to Levitical law once they were healed of leprosy they were to show themselves to the priests to be considered clean from it. 

3.    Why does Luke make the point that the lepers weren't healed until they started to obey Jesus' command? (17:14b)

Faith is an act of obedience and also because there was a Levitical law on this they had to show themselves to the priests.

4.    What about the thankful leper's actions showed his thankfulness? (17:15-16)

He chose to return to Jesus and thank Him by bowing himself low in doing it

5.    What was Jesus' attitude toward the thankful leper? Toward the other nine lepers? (17:17-18)

He told him that his faith had healed him meaning that he would be healed and also be saved. He lamented about the other 9 and asked why they didn't thank Him.

6.    In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not? He is talking about His spiritual salvation because the leper acknowledged that Jesus was the one who healed him. No they were not they never came back to thank Him

7.    Why is it so easy to forget to thank God for his blessings?

I believe it is because we live in a thankless society that demands their rights and also says everything, they deserve no matter what. However, if we choose to be ungrateful to Him it will eventually show up in other areas as well.

[kreilly]

What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing?

I never really thought about this before.  I had always assumed they meant actual healing, but after reading the study, it makes sense that they probably often asked for help from people as they traveled outside the city limits.  Possibly when they saw rabbis, they would ask for healing in hopes of receiving alms or other assistance (food, clothing). 

In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not?

I agree with Katy, I think Jesus is referring to spiritual salvation.  All ten were healed, but He is speaks specifically to this one and tells him, his faith has saved him.  It reminds me of other times Jesus told people He healed that their sins were forgiven.  He differentiates between the physical and spiritual healing with statements like these.  Although the other nine also demonstrated their faith in following Jesus' command to go show themselves to the priests, He is disappointed that they didn't return to thank HIm.  He doesn't give any indication that they were healed spiritually, as he does for the thankful Samaritan. 

 

[George L]

1. What do you think the lepers expected when they called out to Jesus for mercy? (17:13) Food, shelter, clothing, or actual healing? Oriental giving of alms was a standard social practice. Receiving something was expected. The healing, restoring them to social acceptance was beyond any expectation.
2. What is the significance of the lepers showing themselves to the priests? (17:14a) Conforming to the requisite social health clearance in the culture for that time. Allowed to return into society.
3. Why does Luke make the point that the lepers weren't healed until they started to obey Jesus' command? (17:14b) There is a price to pay to receive from God. There must be faith, either their own or as the man lowered on the pallet, those who helped him. There must be more than want. Obedience is a form of worship. Honoring the word.
4. What about the thankful leper's actions showed his thankfulness? (17:15-16) His offer to serve. A simple and for him perhaps the only thing he had to give as a gift of thanks. His time in public, which he may have not had for years.
5. What was Jesus' attitude toward the thankful leper? Toward the other nine lepers? (17:17-18) Here is a hint of a serious biblical truth, we must begin to gain a heart to serve others rather than hording to our self.
6. In the phrase "Your faith has saved you" (17:19b) is Jesus speaking of the leper's physical healing, or his spiritual salvation, or both? Were the nine lepers saved or healed spiritually? Why or why not? Pre reserection salvation was still remote I believe. The healing should take place. Holding onto received godly gifted things requires thanksgiving, and some tangible repentance action, change of way honoring God for his gift to you.
7. Why is it so easy to forget to thank God for his blessings?  Terribly often we find our attitude as expectation of collecting on a promise, failing to honoring the cost of the gift received.