March 28, Lectionary # 238

Scripture: lectionary 238. II Kings 5:1-15. Psalm 42:2.3. 43:3.4. Luke
4:24-30.

The story of Naaman is referred to by Jesus in today's Gospel. He was
cured of his skin disease by the intervention of a little girl from Israel
who persuaded the King to allow Naaman to search out the prophet Elisha,
the disciple prophet of Elijah, the great miracle worker prophet. He does
and is cured by bathing seven times in the lowly Jordan River. Jesus
speaks of both Elisha and Elijah as he addresses the audience in the
synagogue. They listen and then realizing that he shows how they reject a
prophet in their midst( "no prophet is received in his own native place")
and they try to force him over a precipice. Jesus escapes without any
harm. His address was telling them that the Gentiles responded more to the
prophets than their people did and than they did. The audience missed the
point and wanted to vent their anger upon him by throwing him over the
cliff.

God's authentic prophets bring the truth to people through their words and
actions. We often ignore them both those prophets in the Scriptures and
those that are among us and who are saints. Like the little girl who
persuaded the King to have Naaman search out the prophet Elisha, we must
have her type of faith and trust in God and God's work in others who are
prophetic.

We are called to ponder over the story of Elisha and the miraculous cure of
Naaman, the Syrian commander. We should be led by the example and words of
this child who is unnamed but is the one whose faith brings about a cure
for the commander. She is a simple person who models for us absolute trust
in God's power in the prophets. She shows us that many young people are
capable of great acts of faith and trust in God. We can easily recall a
good number of young saints in our Church calendar of feasts who can serve
as models for our own faith and trust. Simplicity, openness, and trust must
overcome our jealousy or our inability to see the good and God in others.
Am I aware that others are temples of the Holy Spirit? Do I see the image
of God in those with whom I live? We can attempt to be aware of the
prophets among us and also the innocent ones who like the little slave girl
from Isael accomplished a great deed for a great soldier and leader. Amen.