Topical Bible: Glorifying God: Leper

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In the biblical narrative, the act of glorifying God is often demonstrated through the lives and actions of individuals who have experienced His miraculous intervention. One such example is the account of the leper who was healed by Jesus, as recorded in the Gospels. This account not only highlights the power and compassion of Jesus but also serves as a profound illustration of gratitude and worship.

Biblical Account

The healing of the leper is recounted in several Gospel accounts, notably in the Gospel of Luke. In Luke 5:12-16 , we read:

> "While Jesus was in one of the towns, a man came along who was covered with leprosy. When he saw Jesus, he fell facedown and begged Him, 'Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.' Jesus reached out His hand and touched the man. 'I am willing,' He said, 'be clean!' And immediately the leprosy left him. Then Jesus ordered him, 'Do not tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the gift Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.' Yet the news about Him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear Him and to be healed of their sicknesses. But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

In this passage, the leper's approach to Jesus is marked by humility and faith. His plea, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean," acknowledges both the authority and the compassion of Christ. The immediate healing that follows is a testament to Jesus' divine power and willingness to restore those who seek Him.

Response of Gratitude

The leper's response to his healing is not explicitly detailed in this passage, but the broader biblical context suggests a response of gratitude and glorification of God. In a parallel account found in Luke 17:11-19, ten lepers are healed by Jesus, but only one returns to give thanks. This Samaritan leper's return to glorify God is commended by Jesus, who notes the absence of the others:

> "One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked Him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?' Then He said to him, 'Rise and go; your faith has made you well.'" (Luke 17:15-19)

This narrative underscores the importance of recognizing God's work in one's life and responding with worship and thanksgiving. The healed leper's act of returning to Jesus to express gratitude is an act of glorifying God, acknowledging His mercy and power.

Theological Implications

The healing of the leper and his response carry significant theological implications. Leprosy, a disease that rendered individuals ceremonially unclean and socially ostracized, symbolizes the pervasive nature of sin and the need for divine intervention. Jesus' willingness to touch and heal the leper demonstrates His authority over physical and spiritual impurity, offering a foretaste of the ultimate cleansing from sin through His sacrificial death and resurrection.

Moreover, the leper's glorification of God serves as a model for believers. It emphasizes the call to recognize God's grace in our lives and to respond with heartfelt worship. The act of glorifying God is not merely a verbal acknowledgment but a life transformed by His grace, marked by gratitude, obedience, and a desire to testify to His goodness.

Practical Application

For contemporary believers, the account of the leper encourages a posture of humility and faith in approaching God. It challenges individuals to recognize the ways in which God has worked in their lives and to respond with genuine gratitude and worship. The leper's account is a reminder that glorifying God is an integral part of the Christian life, reflecting a heart that has been touched and transformed by His grace.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Luke 17:15
And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Grateful Samaritan Leper.
... THE GRATEFUL SAMARITAN LEPER. ... And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned
back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he fell upon his face at his ...
//christianbookshelf.org/barton/his life/the grateful samaritan leper.htm

Journey to Jerusalem. Ten Lepers. Concerning the Kingdom.
... with a loud voice [made strong by health and gratitude] glorifying God; 16 and ... In
the leper-houses at Jerusalem Mohammedans and Jews now live together despite ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xcv journey to jerusalem ten.htm

B. The Second Period. Chs. 5:1 to 6:11
... The leper was an outcast; he was compelled to live apart from the dwellings of men ...
took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his house, glorifying God.26 And ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/b the second period chs.htm

First Forgiveness, Then Healing
... and Jesus was wise in his generation, so he charged the healed leper to tell no ... and
took up that whereon he lay, and departed to his own house, glorifying God. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 41 1895/first forgiveness then healing.htm

C. The Last Stages. Chs. 17:11 to 19:28
... he saw that he was healed, turned back, with a loud voice glorifying God; and he ...
and sadness in the question of Jesus as he saw this restored leper lying at ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/c the last stages chs.htm

Jesus Heals a Paralytic at Capernaum.
... The healing of the leper created such excitement that for some time, several
weeks, Jesus kept out of the cities. ... c glorifying God. ...
/.../mcgarvey/the four-fold gospel/xxxv jesus heals a paralytic.htm

In Jericho and at Bethany - Jericho - a Guest with Zacch??us - the ...
... thy way,' yet, immediately he received his sight,' he followed Jesus in the way,'
glorifying God. ... that it took place in the house of Simon the Leper' - not, of ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xxiv in jericho and.htm

God's Gentle Power
... holy in it, anything noble in it, anything that will be glorifying to God? ... Say, with
the leper, "Unclean ... Say it now, and God help you, "God be merciful to me a ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/gods gentle power.htm

Jesus and his Fellow Townsmen.
... Nazareth indeed prove, to their self-glorifying satisfaction, the ... of famine, than
a worshipper of the true God! a leper of Damascus less displeasing to God ...
/.../macdonald/hope of the gospel/jesus and his fellow townsmen.htm

The Box of Ointment.
... to imagine the Leper and the raised dead man, seated at the same table together
with their common Deliverer, glorifying their Saviour-God, with bodies and ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/macduff/memories of bethany/xvii the box of ointment.htm