Daily Readings - Mon Mar 05 2018

First Reading - 2 Kings 5.1-15a

¹Naaman, the leader of the military of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man with his lord. For through him the Lord gave salvation to Syria. And he was a strong and rich man, but a leper²Now robbers had gone out from Syria, and they had led away captive, from the land of Israel, a little girl. And she was in the service of the wife of Naaman³And she said to her lady: "I wish that my lord had been with the prophet who is in Samaria. Certainly, he would have cured him of the leprosy that he has.⁴And so, Naaman entered to his lord, and he reported to him, saying: "The girl from the land of Israel spoke in such a manner.⁵And the king of Syria said to him, "Go, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." And when he had set out, he had taken with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand gold coins, and ten changes of fine clothing⁶And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, in these words: "When you will receive this letter, know that I have sent to you my servant, Naaman, so that you may heal him of his leprosy.⁷And when the king of Israel had read the letter, he tore his garments, and he said: "Am I God, so that I could take or give life, or so that this man would send to me to cure a man from his leprosy? Take notice and see that he is seeking occasions against me.⁸And when Elisha, the man of God, had heard this, specifically, that the king of Israel had torn his garments, he sent to him, saying: "Why have you torn your garments? Let him come to me, and let him know that there is a prophet in Israel.⁹Therefore, Naaman arrived with his horses and chariots, and he stood at the door of the house of Elisha¹⁰And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, and wash seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will receive health, and you will be clean.¹¹And becoming angry, Naaman went away, saying: "I thought that he would have come out to me, and, standing, would have invoked the name of the Lord, his God, and that he would have touched the place of the leprosy with his hand, and so have healed me¹²Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel, so that I might wash in them and be cleansed?" But then, after he had turned himself away and was leaving with indignation¹³his servants approached him, and they said to him: "If the prophet had told you, father, to do something great, certainly you ought to have done it. How much more so, now that he has said to you: ‘Wash, and you will be clean?’ ¹⁴So he descended and washed in the Jordan seven times, in accord with the word of the man of God. And his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child. And he was made clean¹⁵And returning to the man of God, with his entire retinue, he arrived, and stood before him, and he said: "Truly, I know there is no other God, in all the earth, except in Israel. And so I beg you to accept a blessing from your servant.

Gospel - Luke 4.24-30

Luke

Chapter 4

²⁴Then he said: "Amen I say to you, that no prophet is accepted in his own country²⁵In truth, I say to you, there were many widows in the days of Elijah in Israel, when the heavens were closed for three years and six months, when a great famine had occurred throughout the entire land²⁶And to none of these was Elijah sent, except to Zarephath of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow²⁷And there were many lepers in Israel under the prophet Elisha. And none of these was cleansed, except Naaman the Syrian.²⁸And all those in the synagogue, upon hearing these things, were filled with anger²⁹And they rose up and drove him beyond the city. And they brought him all the way to the edge of the mount, upon which their city had been built, so that they might thrown him down violently³⁰But passing through their midst, he went away

Sermon

The readings today present us with powerful stories of healing, faith, and the surprising ways of God. In the first reading from 2 Kings, we encounter Naaman, a Syrian military leader afflicted with leprosy. Despite his wealth and status, Naaman’s healing comes not through the grand gestures he expects but through the humble obedience of washing in the Jordan River. This story highlights the importance of humility and trust in God’s providence, even when His ways seem unexpected or simple. Naaman’s journey from pride to faith reminds us that true healing—both physical and spiritual—often requires surrendering our own expectations and trusting in God’s plan. In the Gospel, Jesus references Naaman’s story in His teaching at the synagogue in Nazareth. He points out that during the time of Elisha, many widows and lepers in Israel were not healed, but God chose to show mercy to a foreigner, Naaman the Syrian. This teaching angers the people because it challenges their assumption that God’s blessings are reserved for them alone. Jesus is emphasizing that God’s grace is universal and not limited to any one group. The people’s anger reflects the same resistance to God’s unexpected ways that Naaman initially felt. Both stories remind us that God often works outside our comfort zones and challenges our narrow perspectives. These readings invite us to reflect on our own openness to God’s surprises. Like Naaman, we may struggle with pride or doubt when faced with God’s unexpected plans. Like the people of Nazareth, we may resist the idea that God’s blessings extend beyond our own circle. Yet, the stories also offer hope: Naaman’s healing shows that God can work through even the most unlikely circumstances, and Jesus’ teaching reminds us that His mercy is available to all. Let us ask for the grace to trust in God’s ways, even when they seem strange, and to embrace the universal reach of His love. In doing so, we may find the healing and freedom we seek.