Scripture Reflection 24 March 2014, Monday, 3rd Week of Lent HUMILITY AS THE PREREQUISITE TO FAITH IN GOD’S LOVE THROUGH CONVERSION SCRIPTURE READINGS: 2 KGS 5:1-15; LK 4:24-30 universalis/20140324/mass.htm The greatest obstacle to faith is pride. It is the attitude of one who thinks he knows everything and can do everything by his own strength and effort. This is the context of today’s gospel. The Jews could not accept Jesus because He was only the son of a carpenter and one of their own kind. They could not accept that someone so ordinary like Jesus could teach them anything new. This made Jesus remark, “I tell you solemnly, no prophet is ever accepted in his own country.” Indeed, Naaman, an “army commander to the king of Aram, was a man who enjoyed his master’s respect and favour.” But he failed to realize that it was the Lord who had granted him victory to the Aramaens. He became proud of his success. He thought that his success in battles was primarily due to his might, ingenuity and strategy. His over self-confidence was evident in the way he approached the King of Israel to help him. We are told that he brought with him “ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten festal robes.” His arrogance was displayed when he did not even bother to come down from his chariot to meet the prophet. And when told to bathe in the river seven times, he was indignant and became angry with the prophet for not coming out to receive him or perform some spectacular miracles as he had imagined. Yet the fact remains that he was a leper. To suffer from leprosy must have been a crippling experience then. No one could heal him, not even the king with all his powers and wealth. The truth as the gospel tells us is that life and everything else is a gift from God. Indeed, at the beginning of the first reading, we read that it was the Lord who gave Naaman the victory over his enemies. So there is nothing to boast about. If there is anything to boast about in life, it is the mercy and love of God. In the face of death, Naaman showed himself to be powerless. Only God could heal him for He is the author of life and death. Even the king of Israel admitted his limitations for after reading the letter from the king of Aram, he tore his garments in dismay saying, “Am I a god to give death and life, that he sends a man to me and asks me to cure him of his leprosy? Listen to this, and take note of it and see how he intends to pick a quarrel with me.” At any rate, Naaman was given a lesson in humility both by God and by Elisha. It was a necessary lesson or else Naaman would have been destroyed by a greater sickness, not just by leprosy which is merely being alienated from man but by sin, which is to be alienated from God. It was important that Naaman learns that Yahweh, the God of Israel is truly the powerful One on earth. As we enter the third week of Lent , the promise of new life is ours provided we are humble enough to recognize our need for God and we have a change of heart. The gift of His love is only given to those who are humble of heart, repentant of their sins, especially pride and who desire Him. We cannot buy or earn God’s love and gift of life. This is particularly true in the case of baptism which is a gift from God. Grace is a gift from God that cannot be bought by presents or bribery, hence Elisha refused to accept any gift from Naaman after he was healed. Indeed, the cleansing of Naaman in the river prefigures the Christian baptism whereby sins are forgiven and new life is given. Indeed, humility is the prerequisite for faith in God . The Jews were self-righteous and could not accept Jesus. This explains why they were incensed when Jesus pointed out that miracles were performed for the Gentiles, whom they felt were undeserving of God’s love. Yet, Elijah was sent to a widow at Zarephath, a Sidonian town when there was a great famine and “then in the prophet Elisha’s time there were many lepers in Israel, but none of these was cured, except the Syrian, Naaman.” They held that salvation was only meant for the Jews since they were the chosen race. Today, we are called to be open to the Word of God, as in the case of the servant girl who prompted Naaman’s wife to tell her husband to seek help from the prophet Elisha. Only through the intervention of a slave girl could Naaman be healed. We need not think that it must be someone great, such as a theologian, preacher or healer, before we listen to him. If we have faith and humility, then God can work and speak through anyone, especially members of our community, our loved ones and those whom we meet each day. The obstacle to God’s grace is our pride. We think too highly of ourselves. We are not open to hear from others especially if they are our peers or our subordinates. Do we get angry, especially when someone junior to us corrects us? Are we humble enough to hear the Word, come to repentance and act accordingly like Naaman? This is what we are called to in order to receive the grace of Easter, the gift of new life. How then can we overcome our pride? God comes to us through ordinary ways. So let us make use of the means given to us in Lent. Just as God healed Naaman through the waters of Jordan, so too let us make use of ordinary means of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to grow in humility. Let us learn from the widow cited by Jesus in today’s gospel. Elisha was sent to help her because of her generosity. She shared the little food and oil that she had with him, trusting in God alone, leaving nothing for herself. Her hospitality and faith in God and in the prophet empowered her to give of herself completely. May we too learn to trust in God’s love and surrender our lives in faith like her through whatever means the Church has provided for us to grow in holiness and through the people we meet each day in our lives. WRITTEN BY THE MOST REV MSGR WILLIAM GOH ARCHBISHOP OF SINGAPORE © ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 10:10:30 +0000
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