Daily Readings - Mon Mar 08 2021
2 Kings
1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.2Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife.3She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."4Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said.5"By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing.6The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."7As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"8When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel."9So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.10Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."11But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy.12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.13Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"14So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant."
Luke
24"I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown.25I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land.26Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon.27And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian."28All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this.29They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff.30But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two powerful stories that highlight God's universal mercy and the importance of humility. The first reading tells the story of Naaman, a Syrian military leader afflicted with leprosy. Through the faith of a young Israelite girl, Naaman is directed to the prophet Elisha, who instructs him to wash in the Jordan River. Despite initial hesitation, Naaman humbles himself, follows Elisha's guidance, and is miraculously healed. This story underscores that God's grace extends beyond the boundaries of Israel, reaching even to a foreigner.
In the Gospel, Jesus faces rejection in His hometown of Nazareth. He references the stories of Elijah and Elisha, noting that their miracles were performed for outsiders—a widow in Sidon and Naaman the Syrian. This message angers the people, who reject Jesus, illustrating the theme that prophets are often not accepted in their own lands. Jesus' words emphasize that God's blessings are not confined to a particular group but are available to all, challenging the people's narrow expectations.
These readings remind us to embrace humility and openness. Naaman's healing required him to let go of his pride and trust in Elisha's instructions, despite their seeming simplicity. Similarly, Jesus' message calls us to look beyond our preconceptions and trust in God's plan, even when it doesn't align with our expectations. In our daily lives, we are invited to approach God with humility, trusting in His providence and recognizing that His grace is available to everyone, regardless of background.
As we reflect on these stories, we are called to a deeper faith and trust in God's ways. Just as Naaman found healing through humility, we too can experience God's grace by surrendering our will to His. Let us open our hearts to receive and share God's love, remembering that His mercy knows no bounds.