In both the first reading and the Gospel, we hear about Naaman, the leper, and how God’s mercy was shown to him. This is a wonderful Lenten story that reminds us of the grace of humility, and nobody is below or above the mercy of God.
The biblical account of Naaman’s life is familiar to many of us. For those who are not familiar with the story, please read Second Book of Kings chapter 5.
In 2 Kings 5:1–19, Naaman’s healing clearly shows God’s miraculous power. But in the background stands a courageous servant girl words of wisdom that changes everything for Naaman.
“…if the prophet had told you to do something extraordinary, would you not have done it? All the more now, since he said to you, ‘Wash and be clean,’ should you do as he said,” says the servant girl to her master.
We see God’s power to make our misery the servant of his mercy through her. Naaman’s story is also a glorious story of God’s sovereign mercy conquering human evil and heartbreak. The cure was an act of God’s grace and mercy. Grace is free, priceless.
The Gospel is from Luke 4:24-30 and is a continuation of Jesus preaching in his hometown Nazareth. Jesus read from the Book of Prophet Isaiah:
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord.”
At the end of the reading, Jesus handed the scroll back to the attendant and sat down. At the time of Jesus, Rabbis preach seating and not standing. The choir they seat is called the “Chair of Moses”. Then Jesus said to all the attendants:
“Today, this scripture passage is fulfilled in your hearing.”
The above passage is the shortest homily ever recorded in the Scripture. Later, Jesus reminded the people of His hometown of Nazareth that God’s mercy is not limited to a particular group of people; rather, His mercy and compassion are for all.
Jesus says:
“….. there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, and a great famine came over all the land, and Elijah was sent to none of them but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4: 25-27).
Jesus cites two examples (Zarephath and Syria) were non-Jewish people that were healed, and the Jewish people were not.
This appears to be a warning to the people of Nazareth to not reject Jesus just because of their familiarity with Him.
How did the people at the Synagogue in Nazareth react to Jesus’s strong message?
They were all “filled with wrath. They rose up and drove him out of the town and brought him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they could throw him down the cliff. But passing through their midst, he went away. (Luke 4:22-30)
The Lenten season allows you and I the opportunity to change, a time to make honest efforts to transform ourselves. Lent is a period of 40 days of prayer, Penance, and spiritual endeavor in preparation for Easter. The Constitution of the Sacred Liturgy of the Second Vatican Council # 109 reminds us that there are two elements that are characteristic of Lent- the recalling of baptism or the preparation for it and Penance. These are the means through which we prepare for the celebration of Easter.
As we prepare and journey through these days of Lent, let’s take advantage of the wonderful grace given to us by the Lord. Grace is freely given. Like Peter, we can say “In truth, I see that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him” (Acts 10: 34-35)
Have a wonderful Lenten journey….
