reflection for the 4th July 2010

Year C Proper 9 4 July 2010
2 Kings 5: 1-14 Psalm 30 Galatians 6: (1-6), 7-16 Luke 10: 1-11, 16-20

Our readings this week take us to the story of Namaan, the commander of the army of the King of Aram. In brief Namaan had contracted leprosy, most probably a mild form, however, any form of leprosy generally meant the end of life as the person knew it. Social events would become a thing of the past and his career was about to take a back seat due to the restrictions of this condition. Namaan had an Israelite girl in his household who suggested that he see the prophet in Israel who would heal him.

In focusing on the story we often overlook the little servant girl. She was taken as a slave during one of the army’s raids on Israel, yet despite this and the fact that her master was directly responsible for her predicament, this girl has knowledge and faith in God and his messengers. Unlike us in our modern day predicaments, this girl has not become despairing and depressed over her life, but in all that she does she is being a living witness to the God that she serves.



Namaan sets off to the land of Israel and goes directly to the King. The King of Israel shows his lack of faith in God by his actions. He tears his clothes in mourning, declaring that the King of Aram is deliberately trying to make war with him. Not only does this show that the King lacks faith in God, but it also shows that he lacks faith in God’s messengers. “Those who reject you, reject the one who sent you”! Or in the words of Luke 10:16"He who listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but he who rejects me rejects him who sent me."

The King of Israel created such a fuss that someone who witnessed the event, with greater faith and understanding, had the good sense to contact Elisha, the prophet.



Namaan was to be confused and offended by the actions of the prophet. Instead of meeting personally with this important commander of the army, Elisha sends a message that Namaan is to wash in the river Jordan 7 times. You can just imagine how Namaan, who was used to being treated somewhat like royalty was feeling.... he’d witnessed the Kings little royal hissy fit then sent to a prophet who didn’t even give him the courtesy of a greeting and then asked him to wash 7 times. What an insult!



What happens next makes me wonder that a processing plant was not set up at the Jordan river, bottling water that claims to be the fountain of youth – Just wash 7 times and your skin will become like that of a young boy! Needless to say, Namaan was healed.



The Prophet Elisha was not trying to make a good impression on the commander of the army, though it might have been personally very advantageous to do so. Instead the man of God follows God’s direction and in doing such Namaan’s pride is dealt with and God is glorified.



St. Paul and the Prophet shared a common aspect of being sometimes unpopular for the words they spoke. St. Paul made it clear that he was only interested in doing what God wanted and that was often not popular. Galatians 6:12 “Those who want to make a good impression outwardly are trying to compel you to be circumcised. The only reason they do this is to avoid being persecuted for the cross of Christ.”



We might reflect on the ways in which the modern church has circumcised itself in an effort to make a good impression outwardly. In our many different denominations we have different ways of making ourselves appealing to the secular masses. Promotion and community service is a wonderful thing, but we are not really here to be popular. We are here to proclaim the Good News, release the oppressed, heal the blind and set prisoners free. These things may make us popular with some, but in proclaiming the Good News we need to deal with some of the realities that people often avoid.... such as, “we are all sinners!” I dare anyone to go to a high school assembly and declare them to be sinners and see how popular it makes you.



We are living in a generation of people who have been brought up to believe they are innately good.... even if they do something undeniably wrong they will still declare themselves to be “good people”. So, in order to truly proclaim the Gospel we need to make them see the truth of our human condition..... this is not easy.



Add to the mix that we in the Christian community are these same self righteous people and we also are a people who tend to blame God if anything goes wrong. There is no one to be the servant girl who continues to serve and bear witness to God to those who are the instruments of her captivity.



Who are we bearing witness to? When we have situations at work that get us down, do we serve those who work with us with patience knowing that God will allow us, in it, to bear witness to him? Oops! I don’t think I’ve done so well there either.



The hard thing is in knowing when to serve and when to walk away!



In our Gospel reading Jesus has sent out the 72 to preach the Good News. It wasn’t always met with applause and Jesus knew this. He told them to wipe the dust off their feet in testimony against them.



We have a responsibility to preach the Good News. We don’t have a responsibility to make people accept it. It is God’s Holy Spirit that will draw to Him those who are His. We need to very clearly know what is our responsibility and what is not, otherwise we end up selling out, such that we forget what the Gospel even is and create various programs and platforms to gather people into our club.... it is a club that continues to gather people and as a side line has a vague belief in God.



I recently heard the story of a church that invited a pop singer to perform at an outreach. Their Gospel message seemed to be that God will give them everything they want if they follow him. The altar call was then to the song “Single Ladies”.... not exactly holy and a long way from the Gospel.



I look around at the Church (ie many denominations) in my local area and sense that things are dying. If feels like we are rowing upstream and getting nowhere... then we get tired and drift backward. We have plenty of programs and strategies that have worked in the past, but this is not the past and our programs are not working. Like Namaan we need to put our pride aside and that includes our denominational pride. Namaan had objected that the two rivers of his land were better than the river Jordan and this almost prevented his healing.



We the Church, some would think, have leprosy. People give us a wide berth as they go by. How can we be healed? Wash in the river Jordan 7 times! The Jordan River represents the entry to the Promised Land. Seven is the number of God and his 7 fold Spirit. We need to be immersed, well and truly, and walking in the Promised Land. In other words we need to be walking in the Spirit.... immersed in the message of God in our own lives and filled with the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 30: 1 “I will exalt you, O LORD, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 O LORD my God, I called to you for help and you healed me. 3 O LORD, you brought me up from the grave; you spared me from going down into the pit.”