There are a lot of questions to be answered in our readings today. It would be good to read the 2nd Kings verses before this one, so we understand Naaman better. He was a pagan with position, an army commander, who had leprosy. He had traveled to Israel in hopes of being cured. He would approach Elisha and be healed. The whole story of Naaman is different from the rest of scripture we normally hear. It is more like a TV drama than an Old Testament reading. There is scandal, there is royalty, there is relief and salvation only through the most unexpected means (Elisha and the God of Israel) for the military leader.
But we can take much from it. The King of Israel hears the King of Aram (Naaman’s boss) is sending Naaman to him to be cured and in his shock and distress tears his garments and proclaims in his words that only God could cure leprosy, why do they think he could….in walks Elisha to offer to help. He does and Naaman is healed.
Fast forward to the Gospel, and leprosy is again present. In the time of Jesus lepers were seen as social outcasts shunned and demeaned. Their illness was seen as part of their sinfulness. No one had anything to do with them, and they had to walk around with a bell and yelling out, Unclean! Unclean!
Jesus sees them and they raise their voice and they say Jesus, Master, have pity on us.
He hears them and tells them to go to the priests, and they will be healed. It was important that they presented themselves to the priests so they would be welcomed back into society and be able to walk among people and be saved from their life of agony and suffering and rejection by all around them. They would be able to return to family and friends, and everything would change for them. Everything.
So, it would be no surprise that they did not return to Jesus but kept going to the priests after they were healed. All of them but one continued their walk to the temple and priests and a new life with others.
The one that returned we are told was a foreigner, so we have to assume the rest were Israelites. So, we have two readings. One in 2nd Kings and this one in our Gospel of Luke where pagans and those not born in the Israeli community were healed and saved spiritually. These are signs that Jesus came for all men and women, not just the chosen people.
The foreigner that returned was not only healed physically but also spiritually. Something the others did not hear. They encountered Jesus, they were saved by Jesus and chose to return to the world around them rather than return to give thanks.
And this difference in those healed should not go unnoticed. For there will always be people who do learn about Jesus Christ and are saved, maybe even physically and spiritually but they do not hold fast to Jesus. They do not see that what was given was bigger than even being part of the world and family and friends but being part of the Holy Family in heaven. They put living in the world ahead of living for Christ.
I am sure they told others how they were healed and who healed them. They weren’t bad people. But they had trouble understanding the real healing that was offered to them.
With so much being promised in the world. Acceptance by others, comfort, good things to eat. Companionship…all good things by the way. But they cannot compare to choosing to live giving thanks to Jesus Christ and living for him. Our mission in life is to have a relationship with God. To live by the teachings of Jesus Christ and to go out and share his love and healing words to others. Maybe some of the lepers did that. Maybe after retelling the story of healing, they heard someone ask them if they ever heard from Jesus again. Or maybe they were asked how to find him since he certainly was the only true God. Maybe they would be like Naaman and eventually turn their thoughts and heart to Jesus Christ and turn their life around to tell others of Jesus Christ.
Which brings us to our second reading and St Paul talking to Timothy in his letter. He is asking Timothy to persevere and be firm in his faith. To stay on mission.
St Paul stresses several points that are almost poetic verses we should contemplate and consider.
He said, if we have died with him, we shall also live with him.
Which points to our baptism where we die to the world and are reborn into a life with Jesus Christ. He also says, if we persevere, we shall also reign with him.
Meaning that when we are tested, when we have to choose, we must stay on track and choose Jesus. When we fail, and we all fail, we must repent and confess and start again.
He continues, but if we deny him, he will deny us.
This is the sin of apostasy, publicly denouncing God is denying Jesus Christ. We may face persecution and even death and be asked to deny our faith. Jesus said if we do, he will deny us before the Father.
Lastly,
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself. Which is a confusing statement for many of us.
He knows we will fail and be unfaithful at times. But that is why we have confession and the sacraments, to put us back on track. We have only to return and ask for forgiveness. So, we too will hear “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.”
My brothers and sisters, there are many people in our world who are shunned by others. Whether it is illness or race or culture or other difference. But Jesus transcended them all to love and heal and gather anyone from any where that would believe.
Our mission is still to love others and share our faith with all people. We may disagree and we may even be reluctant to approach them, but as followers of Christ that is our calling.
St Francis, whose feast day we celebrated recently, used to shudder when he saw lepers. It wasn’t until he began reaching out to them that he found his calling and mission beginning to expand in front of him. If we struggle with finding our place in this world, we need to reach out to others who need our help. We may not experience lepers much anymore. We may not hear bells on people who are outcasts from society. But there are still people that are unapproachable for many, including the homeless, the sick and foreigner…..the more we reach out to others, the faster we will find our road become clear too.
Deacon Tony Pynes 
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