Thoughts on Today’s Lessons for Sunday, July 7, 2013.
The Healing of Naaman’s Leprosy
Abraham, the patriarch of the Israelites, was born in Aram; but by the time of the Kings, Aram and Israel were enemies, so the powerful Aramean general Naaman can’t have been excited about his servant’s advice that he go to Israel for a cure for his leprosy. But leprosy was then a terrible and disfiguring disease. It rendered the sufferer unclean, cutting him off from his community. So Naaman went, only to have Elisha add insult to injury by sending out a mere servant out with a ridiculous sounding prescription. Fortunately for Naaman, his servants came to the rescue again, calming his rage at Elisha’s disrespect. It can’t hurt to try, they advised … and behold, Naaman was cured.
Psalm: Psalm 30
What an appropriate Psalm to follow Naaman’s healing! It thanks God for healing a grave illness. Then it celebrates gifts of God that may bring even more joy: ending the sadness and depression that so often accompanies illness … turning the weeping of those long dark hours of night into the celebration that comes at dawn … and turning the mourning of sickness into the dancing of health.
Second Reading: Galatians 6:(1-6), 7-16
We now reach the end of a six-week tour through Galatians, in which Paul has declared Christ’s message is universal for all humankind – Jew and Gentile, man and woman, slave and free – standing up against evangelical opponents who fought for a more exclusive way. Paul’s message clearly repeats Jesus’s message: “Bear one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfil the law of Christ.” In other words, love your neighbor as yourself.
Gospel: Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
In last week’s Gospel, Jesus “set his face to go to Jerusalem,” telling his disciples in no uncertain terms not to tarry, Now Jesus organizes an advance team of 70 to tell the local villagers that the Kingdom of God is near. Just as the Seventy were called to do then, so we are called today, to act as Christ’s body on earth and proclaim without shame that Jesus brings good news to the poor, release to captives, sight to the blind and freedom for the oppressed.