2007년 3월 12일 사순 제3주간 월요일
제1독서 열왕기 하권 5,1-15ㄷ
그 무렵 1 아람 임금의 군대 장수인 나아만은 그의 주군이 아끼는 큰 인물이었다.
주님께서 나아만을 시켜 아람에 승리를 주셨던 것이다. 나아만은 힘센 용사였으나 나병 환자였다.
2 한번은 아람군이 약탈하러 나갔다가, 이스라엘 땅에서 어린 소녀 하나를 사로잡아 왔는데, 그 소녀는 나아만의 아내 곁에 있게 되었다. 3 소녀가 자기 여주인에게 말하였다.
“주인 어르신께서 사마리아에 계시는 예언자를 만나 보시면 좋겠습니다. 그분이라면 주인님의 나병을 고쳐 주실 텐데요.”
4 그래서 나아만은 자기 주군에게 나아가, 이스라엘 땅에서 온 소녀가 이러이러한 말을 하였다고 아뢰었다.
5 그러자 아람 임금이 말하였다. “내가 이스라엘 임금에게 편지를 써 보낼 터이니, 가 보시오.”
이리하여 나아만은 은 열 탈렌트와 금 육천 세켈과 예복 열 벌을 가지고 가서, 6 이스라엘 임금에게 편지를 전하였다. 그 편지에는 이렇게 쓰여 있었다. “이 편지가 임금님에게 닿는 대로, 내가 나의 신하 나아만을 임금님에게 보냈다는 사실을 알고, 그의 나병을 고쳐 주십시오.”
7 이스라엘 임금은 이 편지를 읽고 옷을 찢으면서 말하였다. “내가 사람을 죽이고 살리시는 하느님이란 말인가? 그가 사람을 보내어 나에게 나병을 고쳐 달라고 하다니! 나와 싸울 기회를 그가 찾고 있다는 사실을 그대들은 분명히 알아 두시오.”
8 하느님의 사람 엘리사는 이스라엘 임금이 옷을 찢었다는 소리를 듣고, 임금에게 사람을 보내어 말을 전하였다. “임금님께서는 어찌하여 옷을 찢으셨습니까? 그를 저에게 보내십시오. 그러면 그가 이스라엘에 예언자가 있음을 알게 될 것입니다.”
9 그리하여 나아만은 군마와 병거를 거느리고 엘리사의 집 대문 앞에 와서 멈추었다. 10 엘리사는 심부름꾼을 시켜 말을 전하였다. “요르단 강에 가서 일곱 번 몸을 씻으십시오.
그러면 새살이 돋아 깨끗해질 것입니다.”
11 나아만은 화가 나서 발길을 돌리며 말하였다. “나는 당연히 그가 나에게 나와 서서, 주 그의 하느님의 이름을 부르며 병든 곳 위에 손을 흔들어 이 나병을 고쳐 주려니 생각하였다. 12 다마스쿠스의 강 아바나와 파르파르는 이스라엘의 어떤 물보다 더 좋지 않으냐? 그렇다면 거기에서 씻어도 깨끗해질 수 있지 않겠느냐?”
나아만은 성을 내며 발길을 옮겼다. 13 그러나 그의 부하들이 그에게 다가가 말하였다. “아버님, 만일 이 예언자가 어려운 일을 시켰다면 하지 않으셨겠습니까? 그런데 그는 아버님께 몸을 씻기만 하면 깨끗이 낫는다고 하지 않습니까?”
14 그리하여 나아만은 하느님의 사람이 일러 준 대로, 요르단 강에 내려가서 일곱 번 몸을 담갔다. 그러자 그는 어린아이 살처럼 새살이 돋아 깨끗해졌다.
15 나아만은 수행원을 모두 거느리고 하느님의 사람에게로 되돌아가 그 앞에 서서 말하였다. “이제 저는 알았습니다. 온 세상에서 이스라엘 밖에는 하느님께서 계시지 않습니다.”
복음 루카 4,24ㄴ-30
[나자렛에 도착하신 예수님께서 회당에 있는 사람들에게 말씀하셨다.]
24 “내가 진실로 너희에게 말한다. 어떠한 예언자도 자기 고향에서는 환영을 받지 못한다. 25 내가 참으로 너희에게 말한다. 삼 년 육 개월 동안 하늘이 닫혀 온 땅에 큰 기근이 들었던 엘리야 때에, 이스라엘에 과부가 많이 있었다. 26 그러나 엘리야는 그들 가운데 아무에게도 파견되지 않고, 시돈 지방 사렙타의 과부에게만 파견되었다.
27 또 엘리사 예언자 시대에 이스라엘에는 나병 환자가 많이 있었다. 그러나 그들 가운데 아무도 깨끗해지지 않고, 시리아 사람 나아만만 깨끗해졌다.”
28 회당에 있던 모든 사람들은 이 말씀을 듣고 화가 잔뜩 났다. 29 그래서 그들은 들고일어나 예수님을 고을 밖으로 내몰았다. 그 고을은 산 위에 지어져 있었는데, 그들은 예수님을 그 벼랑까지 끌고 가 거기에서 떨어뜨리려고 하였다. 30 그러나 예수님께서는 그들 한가운데를 가로질러 떠나가셨다.
March 12, 2007
2 Kgs 5:1-15ab
Naaman, the army commander of the king of Aram,
was highly esteemed and respected by his master,
for through him the LORD had brought victory to Aram.
But valiant as he was, the man was a leper.
Now the Arameans had captured in a raid on the land of Israel
a little girl, who became the servant of Naaman’s wife.
“If only my master would present himself to the prophet in Samaria,”
she said to her mistress, “he would cure him of his leprosy.”
Naaman went and told his lord
just what the slave girl from the land of Israel had said.
“Go,” said the king of Aram.
“I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”
So Naaman set out, taking along ten silver talents,
six thousand gold pieces, and ten festal garments.
To the king of Israel he brought the letter, which read:
“With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you,
that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
When he read the letter,
the king of Israel tore his garments and exclaimed:
“Am I a god with power over life and death,
that this man should send someone to me to be cured of leprosy?
Take note! You can see he is only looking for a quarrel with me!”
When Elisha, the man of God,
heard that the king of Israel had torn his garments,
he sent word to the king:
“Why have you torn your garments?
Let him come to me and find out
that there is a prophet in Israel.”
Naaman came with his horses and chariots
and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house.
The prophet sent him the message:
“Go and wash seven times in the Jordan,
and your flesh will heal, and you will be clean.”
But Naaman went away angry, saying,
“I thought that he 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.
Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar,
better than all the waters of Israel?
Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?”
With this, he turned about in anger and left.
But his servants came up and reasoned with him.
“My father,” they said,
“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.”
So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times
at the word of the man of God.
His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
He returned with his whole retinue to the man of God.
On his arrival he stood before him and said,
“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth,
except in Israel.”
Ps 42:2, 3; 43:3, 4
R. (see 42:3) Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
As the hind longs for the running waters,
so my soul longs for you, O God.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Athirst is my soul for God, the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Send forth your light and your fidelity;
they shall lead me on
And bring me to your holy mountain,
to your dwelling-place.
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Then will I go in to the altar of God,
the God of my gladness and joy;
Then will I give you thanks upon the harp,
O God, my God!
R. Athirst is my soul for the living God.
When shall I go and behold the face of God?
Lk 4:24-30
Jesus said to the people in the synagogue at Nazareth:
“Amen, I say to you,
no prophet is accepted in his own native place.
Indeed, I tell you, there were many widows in Israel
in the days of Elijah
when the sky was closed for three and a half years
and a severe famine spread over the entire land.
It was to none of these that Elijah was sent,
but only to a widow in Zarephath in the land of Sidon.
Again, there were many lepers in Israel
during the time of Elisha the prophet;
yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.”
When the people in the synagogue heard this,
they were all filled with fury.
They rose up, drove him out of the town,
and led him to the brow of the hill
on which their town had been built,
to hurl him down headlong.
But he passed through the midst of them and went away.
Commentary
Naaman is an army commander, an enemy of Israel. But he is also a leper, and he is led by his servant girl (a captive in battle) to Elisha to be healed. Naaman learns to obey and as he does he is healed in the waters of the Jordan. His servants help him and he becomes like a child and believes, "Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel." An outsider who came to believe through the help of his enemy captive and a prophet.
Jesus, the prophet of God, preaches to his own family and neighbors in Nazareth but they refuse to take his words to heart. And he tells them that they are as hard-hearted as their ancestors, reminding them of Elijah and the widow of Zarephath, and Elisha and the Syrian Naaman. God worked his wonders through them though they were outsiders/pagans because God's own people were so stubborn. Jesus' listeners turn indignant and they try to kill him. But Jesus walks away from them. How long have we been close/kin/friend (or think we are) with Jesus and yet do we hear and repent? Or is Jesus walking away from us?
From the first reading we find a courageous soldier and commander from Aram, Naaman who has Leprosy. His King supports his going to the land of Israel. It is a little girl who is in Naaman’s household, a servant to his wife who tells him to seek this cure from a prophet in Samaria. This story is loaded with pictures of our own human reaction to guidance. Naaman’s King wants to send him to the King of Israel, maybe only Kings had this power in his mind. The king to whom he sends Naaman gets flustered and tears his garments, he knows he can’t cure this soldier; he thinks he’s being set up for a fall. But Elisha, the prophet hears of this visit and tells the King to send this man to him, so he will know there is a prophet in Israel. Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house eventually, but after Elisha tells him to dip seven times in the waters of the Jordan for his cure, Naaman gets angry. He had expectations that this prophet would just touch his wounds and cure him. He’d rather dip in his own rivers. I could see myself in Naaman’s reaction. When I pray to the Lord, I always ask for Divine intervention, and then I move quickly to how God might settle the matter. Then when God is working on it, I question when the “cure” takes a different turn, forgetting that God is in charge of his own fixes.
In Luke’s Gospel today, Jesus refers to this very incident, Elisha’s cure of a man who did not live in Israel, despite the fact that Israel had people with leprosy too. It is easy to look at our readings today and ask why people didn’t listen to the prophets in their midst. Hindsight has lots of advantages. But, all we have to do is look at our own reactions and actions to realize we haven’t changed very much. The dictionary defines a prophet as “a person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.” (The American Heritage Dictionary) The Church through the Vicar of Christ our Pope has been consistent in preaching chastity and purity in our sexual lives. Our Church has warned that we’ve enacted laws that support a culture of death rather than a culture of life. Recently I’ve listened to the news and the public debate over whether states should mandate young teen girls to get vaccinated to prevent cervical cancer caused by certain venereal diseases. I can’t help but think we don’t believe our young teens are capable of saying no to sex, and with multiple partners. In our own area, we hear that venereal diseases are very high among the young teens. Why is the incidence of sexual activity increasing? Do we just write off talking to our teens about abstinence? The reason to me seems to line up with the message in our readings today. We don’t believe the prophets of today, much less the ones who were sent before.
During Lent, the good Lord is asking us to look at our response. God can keep sending prophets, but if we don’t listen life will be more difficult. As the Vicar of Christ, it is no wonder that people have referred to our Beloved Popes as Prophets, but do we use good discernment when we listen to them? Jesus points out in the Gospel reading that prophets are not usually accepted in their home land. But with communication as good as it is today, our access to hearing this message is more accessible than ever. Will we continue to stare at the face of truth, and wonder why so pervasive? The answer: let us all spend more time in prayer this Lenten season seeking God’s Will. The message is very clear for us today; as we hear from the Prophet (the Word) let’s listen and obey.
by
Deb Fortina
Academic Affairs
Like Moses, Elijah and Jeremiah, Jesus knew rejection by his own people. The family and the village are realities that cling close to you, but their loving embrace becomes a stranglehold when you disappoint them. Nazareth was a village of perhaps 500 people: just about the best size for malice. The people were happy with Jesus while he was bringing credit on them, but when he compared foreigners favourably with Israelites they wanted to throw him over a cliff.
Matthew said Jesus “did not” (would not) act because of the people’s unbelief (13:58). But Mark said he "could not" do a miracle in Nazareth (Mk 6:5). A village is able to choke up the sources of life itself.
The theme of rejection runs right through the gospels. "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first" (John 15:18). See also Mk 6:4; Jn 4:44. It was the expected thing that prophets were rejected. “Can you name a single prophet your ancestors never persecuted?” asked Stephen, just before they killed him (Acts 7:52).
We don’t get the impression that Jesus was bitterly disappointed or angry about his treatment in his home town. Perhaps he expected it. He even seemed to provoke it. We start out in life with our ego-dream: we expect everyone to love us as much as our mothers did. When we discover that the world isn’t like that we become bitter and disillusioned; and so begins the rollercoaster of emotions. If we had no expectations, but also no bitterness, we would be free of two traps on the path of discipleship.
Jesus' word of judgment
What can limit God's grace and power in our lives for change and transformation? Indifference and lack of faith for sure! The prophets confronted God's people with their indifference and unbelief. God's grace and mercy is offered freely to those who seek it with sincerity, repentance, and faith. When Naaman, a non-Jew went to Jerusalem to seek a cure, the prophet Elisha instructed him to bathe in the river. In faith he obeyed and was healed. Jesus did not hesitate to confront his own people with their indifference and unbelief. When Jesus spoke in his hometown synagogue he startled his listeners with a seeming rebuke that no prophet or servant of God can receive honor among his own people. He then angered them when he complimented the gentiles who seemed to have shown more faith in God than the "chosen ones" of Israel. They regarded gentiles as "fuel for the fires of hell". Jesus' praise for "outsiders" caused them offence because they were blind-sighted to God's mercy and plan of redemption for all nations. The word of warning and judgment spoken by Jesus was met with hostility by his own people. They forcibly threw him out of the city and would have done him harm had he not stopped them. The Lord offers us freedom and pardon and the grace to walk in his way of righteousness. His discipline is for our good that we may share his holiness (Hebrews 12:10). "Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but whoever hates reproof is stupid" (Proverbs 12:1). Do you seek the Lord for instruction and help so you can grow in holiness?
"Lord, teach me to love your ways tht I may be quick to renounce sin and wilfulness in my life. May I delight to do your will."
Psalm 42:2-4
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
NAAMAN'S NUDGE
'So Naaman went down and plunged into the Jordan seven times at the word of the man of God. His flesh became again like the flesh of a little child and he was clean.' 2 Kings 5:14
How differently Naaman's story would have ended if he had not listened to his servants! First a young Israelite servant recommends that he seek healing from the prophet Elisha. Naaman does so, but leaves the prophet in anger. He is insulted at the prospect of washing seven times in the Jordan (2 Kgs 5:11-12). Showing great diplomacy, his servants give him the gentle nudge he needs. Naaman is healed of his leprosy. The story ends happily, thanks in part to the servants.
We, as servants of the Lord today, seek to continue the mission of Naaman's servants. We are called to guide others to the channels of God's grace by which they can be healed. 'Is there anyone sick among you? He should ask for the presbyters of the church. They in turn are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. This prayer uttered in faith will reclaim the one who is ill, and the Lord will restore him to health. If he has committed any sins, forgiveness will be his. Hence, declare your sins to one another, and pray for one another, that you may find healing' (Jas 5:14-16).
Naaman washed seven times. The church offers her seven Sacraments as fountains of healing and holiness for the whole world. But remember, Naaman might not have been healed without a little nudge from his servants.
Praise: William has learned to obey God, especially when he doesn't completely understand His plan.
Prayer: Father, You make it so simple for me to be healed. May I frequent the Sacraments as You intend.
Promise: 'Wash and be clean.' 2 Kgs 5:13
≪No prophet is honored in his own country≫
Today, we hear Our Lord saying that ≪No prophet is honored in his own country≫ (Lk 4:24). These words —uttered by Jesus— have been for many of us —more than once— justification and excuse not to complicate our lives. But, in fact, Jesus Christ, only wants to warn us, his disciples, that things are not as easy as they may look and, more often than not, amongst those supposedly knowing us best, things may still become more difficult.
Jesus' assertion is the preamble of the lesson He intends to give to the people gathered in the synagogue and thus, open their eyes to the evidence that, just because they are members of the “chosen People” they have no guarantee of salvation, cure or purification (which will later be confirmed through the data of the history of salvation).
I said, however, that Jesus' assertion, for most of us, is too often, but an excuse not to “commit ourselves evangelically” in our daily chores. Yes, it belongs to those phrases we have all learned by heart and, gosh!, are they effective...!
It seems those words are recorded in our particular conscience in such a way that, when we should, in the office, at work, with our family or with our friends, within our closer social “milieu”, be taking decisions understandable only to the light of the Gospel, such “magic phrase” push us backwards as if advising us: —It is not worth your while to worry, no prophet is being honored in his own country! We have the perfect excuse, the very best of justifications, for not having to give testimony, nor having to stand by that colleague whom the company is playing a dirty trick on, nor having somehow to help reconciling that married couple, who are also friends of ours.
Saint Paul addressed, instead, in the first place, his own: ≪And going into the synagogue, he spoke freely about three months, disputing and persuading concerning the kingdom of God≫ (Acts 19:8). Are you sure, it is not actually this what Jesus meant to say to us?
At the time of Jesus, Jews hated Gentiles. They called them dogs. They believed that Gentiles were damned. In the gospel, Jesus reminds his hometown folk of God’s mercy to Gentiles in the time of Elijah and Elisha. The first reading is the long story of Naaman, the Gentile general who was a leper. With great arrogance, pomp, and cartloads of riches, Naaman comes to the house of Elisha. Elisha does not even go out to greet him. He sends word for Naaman to go and wash in the Jordan river. At first, Naaman refuses to humble himself. But later he relents and follows instructions. He is cleansed of his leprosy. Lent is the time of renewal of baptism, and the time of preparation for baptism of our catechumens. Let us recall that we were once washed clean of the leprosy of sin through our own baptism. How thankful are we that God has given us the gift of faith and cleansed us of all sin? Through no merit of ours, he has called us to grace. Let us live in gratitude.
The work of the prophet is twofold. One is to console God's people. The other is to confront and challenge them to live-up to the word of God. The word of God liberates while at the same time exacts commitment. Jesus through his Holy Spirit works this prophetic role within us in our prayer. We often react negatively to the word being uttered in the depths of our hearts. We easily reject the consolation. We opt to seek satisfaction in other forms of fulfillment more superficially pleasing to our fallen state or we opt to remain in self-pity and despair. We reject the light that challenges us and we prefer the soft, broad, seemingly easy path that is adverse to the word. Either way, we try to push Christ and His light away from us. We rush him to the cliff to do away with his Presence. But Christ passes through the negative efforts; he remains who he is in himself. Yet Jesus will return to try again. That's our hope, although we should not presume too much. Hope is not presumption. We have to learn the difference.
