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Monday of the Third Week of Lent
Today's Scripture
As we begin this third week of Lent, we have a story from the Second Book of Kings. It is the story of Naaman, a man who is a well-respected army commander. But Naaman is also a leper. Such a disease in that time led someone to be an outcast from society. Naaman’s leprosy threatened his family, his career, indeed his entire future. Perhaps out of sheer desperation, Naaman took the advice of a little Hebrew servant girl and went to Israel seeking a cure. When the prophet Elisha tells Naaman to wash in the Jordan, however, he became indignant and almost left the country without his cure. Eventually Naaman did wash in the Jordan and was cured of his leprosy. More importantly, Naaman also came to faith in the God of Israel. There is a theme of acceptance here: Naaman himself had not been accepted, on account of his leprosy. After his healing, however, Naaman comes to accept the God of Israel.
This theme continues into our well-known gospel passage from Luke, where Jesus observes that “no prophet is accepted in his own native place” (Lk 4:24). The people of Nazareth had watched Jesus grow up, and apparently they were unable to see the remarkable in him because they could only consider him as the carpenter’s son. No doubt they were offended by Jesus’ remarks, as indicated by the end of the passage where they want to hurl him down from a hill.
The reason these two readings are paired together is because Jesus here mentions the story of Naaman the Syrian. Jesus uses the examples of Elijah and Elisha, two of the greatest prophets of Israel, to make two points. First, Elijah and Elisha were often rejected by their own people, disregarded by many who heard their messages and disliked by Israel’s kings. Secondly, both prophets were able to help those who were not Israelites. In other words, though they were not accepted by their own people, they were accepted by foreigners. And for these foreigners who believed, the prophets were literally life-saving.
So also for Jesus. And so during this Lent, we are brought to reflect on the fact that Jesus was Jewish. He was a Jewish Messiah unlike what had been expected because he came not only for Jews, but for Gentiles as well. He came that ALL might have life. Whereas the Hebrew people had often adopted foreigners into their midst (such as Ruth, for example) or helped foreigners (such as Naaman), Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection transforms the entire people of Israel, expanding it to include all who will accept him.
During these days of Lenten penance and preparation, we are called to make each day a day of accepting Christ, of making him welcome in our hearts. As we go about our Lenten acts of mortification, it is important always to call this to mind; whatever our sacrifice, it ought to be helping us to accept Jesus and to recognize him as our salvation. If we are able to do this, then when Easter comes, we will really feel the great joy of Jesus’ resurrection, as life conquers death. Today, take some time to consider how you are growing this year at accepting Christ.
- Maria Morrow
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