July 2nd Reflection by Bill Lynch

2 Kings 5:1–14
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.” He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.” But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.”

So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Reflection
Don't you admire the faith of the servant girl in Elisha? She knew what Elisha could do and had the faith and courage to say something to those who had all power over her. What if it all turned out wrong? What would have happened to the girl?

Naaman came thinking he was going to be cured in some fashion of a ceremony. Instead, Naaman was cured of much more than a skin disease. This was more than the work of a prophet, a man. This was the work of God. Naaman was in store for so much more than he came to receive.

Naaman was washed clean in a river inferior to the rivers that Naaman already knew. But the water is just the earthly element. What about the promise? What about God's action in this healing? When these are combined with faith and trust and hope, we witness all the difference.

The same occurs today at baptism. We are visited by God through grace and given a sign of the healing that only God can provide. A healing that goes beyond our pride and pulls us into faith. In baptism we are covered with the waters of this world and given the promise of God's love. A love freely given... a love given to you and to me... even while we are unclean... even when we desperately need healed.

Oh the faith of the servant girl... and praise be to the faith of Naaman. But all the glory to God!

Prayer
Lord, you come to me when I am unclean and offer cleansing. Give me the strength of the servant girl to proclaim my faith in you to those you give to me... today... tomorrow... and forever. --- Amen