Lenten reflection for March 24, 2014
The third Monday of Lent
2 Kings 5:1-15
Luke 4:24-30
The theme for today's reflection is suspicion, pride and
ego run amok!! The first reading is a
dramatic powerhouse. It is taken from 2 Kings,
chapter 5 and is well worth reading. No
shortage of plot elements in this chapter.
Naaman, the army commander and a favorite of the King of
Aram, suffers from leprosy. A little
girl, captured in a raid on Israel lets it be known that Naaman could be healed
by a prophet dwelling in Israel. The King of Aram, not too proud to beg, sends
Naaman along with many objects of wealth to his apparent rival, the King of
Israel for healing. The King of Israel,
rather than being delighted with this opportunity to promote peace, decides
that the King of Aram has set him up! He believes that the King of Aram is
trying to provoke him, to start a conflict!
He rends his garment, he's a mess!
Fortunately, Elisha gets word, and tells the king to send
Naaman to him.
Naaman approaches Elisha who tells him to bathe in the
Jordan River 7 times. Great news,
right? I have a horrible illness and
this simple, lovely act is the cure. Awesome,
I'm in! But this is not Naaman's response; he, full of nationalistic pride, becomes ANGRY
at Elisha and says that the rivers in his own country are perfectly fine, thank
you very much! Fortunately, his servants
intervene and persuade him to try. He
does and is healed, crying out "Now, I know that there is no God in all
the earth, except in Israel."
Our gospel reading is taken from Luke, chapter 4 and is
the more familiar story of Jesus, speaking in the synagogue in Nazareth,
telling the people that a prophet is not accepted in his own town. He references the above story of Naaman to
illustrate the point. Elisha healed
Naaman, but did not (would not? could not?) cure the lepers of Israel. The crowd responds in anger. Interestingly, if we draw back from this
moment in the story we see that Jesus has come to Nazareth at a time of
incredible power and movement in his ministry.
He has experienced the challenges in the desert, has triumphed and has
been all over Capernaum healing. He now
comes to Nazareth and is initially praised, but once he tells them that he
won't be accepted (can't heal?) there, the crowd turns ugly, and decide to KILL
him, but scripture says "he passed through the midst of them and went
away".
These scripture passages speak to me of our determination
to have it our own way, even when it comes to our relationship to the great God
of all. How many times have I ignored a
message of grace or healing because it came from a source I did not care to
honor? How many times have I reacted with anger when things did not unfold on
my own timeline in the place and in the way I had decided was the best? Am I
missing healing waters because I like my own river better? I am particularly
struck by the phrase, "he passed through the midst of them and went away." Am I bringing such a preconceived notion to
the experience of the sacred that it may be right there before me, but passing
by me and going away? St. Teresa of Avila said that "Humility is the
ointment for all our wounds." Certainly the King of Israel, Naaman, the
crowd in Nazareth, and I (perhaps you?) could use a generous dose of that
particular ointment.
-by Lou
Ann Horstman
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