Word to the Wise
Monday, March 28, 2011 - 3rd Week of Lent - Mon
[2 Kgs 5:1-15a and Luke 4:24-30]"Amen, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own native place.....Again, there were many lepers in Israel during the time of Elisha the prophet; yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian......"
To appreciate the significance of Jesus' statement, we should read the story of Naaman the Syrian! It forms the first scripture for today. Naaman is quite a character! He is a and appreciated military talent, but he is a "leper." He is also a gentile and therefore not expected to have any of the faith of a Jew! A servant girl tells his wife about Elisha! His attitude seems to be, "Nothing else has worked - I may as well try this prophet in the land of Israel." When he gets there, he is insulted by the command of Elisha to bathe in the Jordan and, at first, refuses to do it. Again, his servants prevail on him and he takes the bath and is cleansed.
Naaman comes up in Jesus' speech to his hometown synagogue. He is berating them for their lack of faith and their failure to respond to his message. The result of this failure is compared with the lack of faith of many in Israel at the time of Elisha the prophet so that the only person who is healed of leprosy in that time is a non-Jew! The irony of this is almost comical because Naaman's "faith" is less than perfect! He has to be persuaded at least twice! Given his emotional and "big shot" character, his conversion is dramatic! Nothing of this kind happened in Nazareth!
Jesus was an unlikely person to the audience in Nazareth. Naaman's servants were unlikely people to be advising him, as well! It might be a helpful Lenten "exercise" to ask ourselves about the unlikely people who have been examples of faith to us. There are times when God's providence humbles us by the faith of those from whom we were least expecting a helpful example. The lesson in humility can be very healing as Naaman learned! AMEN
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