FAITH IN THE WORD


MONDAY, THIRD WEEK OF LENT   

2 Kings 5:1-15; Ps 42:2-3,43:3-4; Lk 4:24-30

The Prophetic Presence of the Word

The story of Naaman the Aramean commander reveals something to us, which our Lord used to taunt the audience in his hometown of Nazareth during his ministry there. It reveals the fact that God is interested in everyone, irrespective of the tribe, race, people, or nation; He created everything and everyone. So, he is interested in their well-being and ultimate salvation. We ought to use this revelation to correct our misconception that God's salvation is only suited for particular people and not for others. The leprosy of Naaman, the Aramaean army commander, made him open to receive the word of God proclaimed by an Israeli slave girl in his house. The passage from 2 Kings reveals that the Lord granted victory to the Aramaeans through Naaman. Thus, God made it that they carried the little girl as a slave who would open the eyes of Naaman to the presence of God in Israel. “Now, on one of their raids, the Aramaeans had carried off from the land of Israel a little girl who had become a servant of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, ‘If only my master would approach the prophet of Samaria. He would cure him of his leprosy.’” This simple, spiritually dense statement started a scurry of activities.

The little girl was aware of what many people in Israel were not aware of, and never paid attention to, namely, the Holy One present in their midst; that is, the word of God dwelling among them. Even the king of Israel was unaware of the divine presence established in Israel through the indwelling of the word of God revealed to them through Moses and the prophets. Hence, he tore his garment when Naaman came with his request for healing, protesting that he was not a god. The prophet Elisha understood God’s presence and sent for Naaman. “When Elisha heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent word to the king, ‘Why did you tear your garments? Let him come to me, and he will find there is a prophet in Israel.’” The importance and significance of the prophet derive from the word of God he proclaims. This is exactly what Elisha did for Naaman; he related or passed on the will of God to him. It was not about the prophet; it was about the word of God. “And Elisha sent him a messenger to say, ‘Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will become clean once more.’” That did not happen until Naaman agreed to follow the instructions God gave him through the prophet. Elisha rightly removed himself from the scene so that God would receive all the glory. The real presence and the divine authority are in the Word, and in the Eucharistic presence, dwelling among us.

This same lesson our Lord taught us in the Gospel. Using the examples of the prophet Elijah, whom God used the faith of the Sidonian widow in the word of God spoken by Elijah to sustain through the period of famine; and Naaman, whom God cured leprosy due to his faith in the word of God spoken by Elisha, our Lord made it clear to his Jewish audience, who were from his home town and very familiar with him, that they had no faith in the word of God. By these examples, he provoked them to the realisation of their lack of faith in the word of God, that is now Incarnate and dwelling among them. It was a direct assault on their identity and claim to be the people of God. They were enraged and wanted to kill him. “When they heard this everyone in the synagogue was enraged. They sprang to their feet and hustled him out of the town; and they took him up to the brow of the hill their town was built on, intending to throw him down the cliff, but he slipped through the crowd and walked away.” The words of our Lord should provoke us to reflect on our lives; to know whether we are really paying attention to the Gospel and not just presuming that we are okay, while we are not. The season of Lent is a time to pay attention to the real presence of God with us, especially in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and re-appreciate the gift of God’s word and presence. We must hunger and thirst to be in communion with God. “My soul is thirsting for God, the God of my life; when can I enter and see the face of God?”

Let us pray: May your unfailing compassion, O Lord, cleanse and protect your Church, and, since without you she cannot stand secure, may she be always governed by your grace. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. 

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