Every day of Lent, Bishop Edward Malesic writes a Scripture reflection for the faithful. Follow the bishop on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click HERE for the readings.
Naaman, an Aramean, was an important man in the military. His one problem? He had leprosy. His king, the King of Aram, heard a report of healings in Israel, so he sent Naaman to the king of Israel to be healed.
The King of Israel was disturbed that anyone would think that he could heal the man. He knew that he could not. There is wisdom in knowing what one can do and what one cannot do.
Eventually, Naaman found his way to the prophet Elisha. Elisha told him to wash seven times in the Jordan to be healed. At first, Naaman refused to do that, and he went away angry. Why? Naaman expected something more spectacular (“I thought that Elisha would surely come out and stand there to invoke the LORD his God, and would move his hand over the spot, and thus cure the leprosy”). He must have thought to himself, “What is something as simple as going into the river seven times going to do for me?”
His servants debated with Naaman. “Give it a try.” And because they convinced Naaman that Elisha was a prophet, he went down to the Jordan and plunged into it seven times. On the seventh time he came out of the water and was clean of the leprosy. He gave praise to God.
Jesus told us to look for grace in ordinary things. He gave us the seven sacraments based on common elements: water, wine, bread, oil, the love of a man and a woman, the laying on of hands, and the words “I absolve you.”
We can take these simple things for granted, or we can see in them the power of God that can wash us clean, feed us with the real presence of Christ, anoint us with the spirit, strengthen us in sickness, forgive our sins, wed a couple for life, and ordain a man to ministry.
Think of how simple it is that Jesus told us to take bread, bless it, break it, and share it and of it he said, “This is my body.”
May we find God in ordinary things today.