17th after Trinity

Readings: 2 Kings 5v1-3&7-15c; Psalm 111; 2 Timothy 2v8-15; Luke 17v11-19.

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the thoughts and meditations of all our hearts be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our strength and our redeemer.

A Word: In the readings today we hear about healing from the disease called leprosy. This is a contagious disease that attacks the nervous system and leaves the person unable to feel hurt and pain. As a result, those with leprosy get terrible injuries. This disease was known about in ancient times.

In the book of Kings we hear about the miraculous cure from leprosy of an Aramean army commander. This was prompted through his wife’s slave, a young Israelite woman, who tells them about the Israelite prophet Elisha and his powers of healing. Naaman believes what he is told and gets the King of Aram to write a letter to the King of Israel asking for a cure. However, when the King of Israel gets this letter he is distressed because he thinks he is being asked to cure Naaman. This distress was heard about by Elisha the prophet who sent a message to the King asking for Naaman be sent to him. So the scene is set for Naaman’s cure. But instead of Elisha coming out and speaking to Naaman, Elisha sent a servant to tell him to go and wash himself seven times in the River Jordan and that he would be cured. Naaman was disappointed and annoyed at how he was treated, so he went off in a sulk and might have missed out on being cured. Fortunately for Naaman, his men knew their commander well. For they convinced him to do as instructed by the prophet and, after following the instructions, Naaman was healed. Naaman was so thankful that he returned with all of his company to thank Elisha and proclaimed that the only true God was the God of Israel.

By the time of Jesus, people with leprosy were banished from living with other people to stop it spreading because there was no treatment for it until the mid-1900s. In Luke we hear about another account of healing when Jesus reaches out and sends 10 lepers to show themselves to the priest. All 10 went and as they went they were cured. One of the ten returned to thank Jesus and Jesus told him that it was by faith that he was healed. This man was a Samaritan.

What we learn from both of these accounts is that God healed people and those who were healed were not Israelites. I believe that these accounts of healing show us God’s cares for all humankind, and not just for those who worship him.

For, as the psalm tells us, the works of God are great and marvellous. For they are full of power, majesty, honour, grace, compassion, truth and justice. For we have a God who keeps his word by sending freedom and rescue to his people. The psalm also tells us that if we wish to be wise and have true understanding that we need to worship God and live by God’s commandments. This is encouraged in the letter to Timothy. For Paul says to get on with doing our best to explain the word of truth and to stop arguing over the words we use. For as God’s workers, we are a people called and approved by God, a people who must be careful about what we do in proclaiming the good news. For Jesus who was raised from the dead is ever faithful and if we do our best we, along with all who come to believe, will receive salvation, eternal glory and life reigning with Jesus forever in heaven.

Let us Pray: Almighty God, our Lord and King, pour your love and grace into us, draw us to yourself, prompt us to search for you, help us to find you and grant our hearts the rest you promise. Then, as we live out our lives, guide us to follow your ways, to ever be a people who are called to love and serve you and other people. For you call us to the way of peace and rest, the way that leads to your heavenly city where we shall see you face-to-face. Amen

Thanks for joining us today.