This week we’ll hear a scripture passage that just about got Jesus killed. In Luke 4, Jesus told the crowd “there were many lepers in Israel at the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.” People got mad at Jesus for showing how God’s grace extends almost TOO far, and they wanted to toss him over a cliff!
The story to which Jesus referred is one we’ll hear this week in 2 Kings 5. Naaman was a successful Syrian commander (and thus was hardly a friend to the people of Israel0. He did not trust the prophets of Israel. Yet Elisha brought healing to Naaman, the outsider.
In our day, as many countries deal with fear of the outsider (we see it in Hungary, Italy, and in our own country), God’s voice calls us to see how far the grace and the healing love of God extend. How can we learn together to be ready to respond generously to those we consider “outsiders” as we listen for God’s call in our day?
I am grateful and frequently humbled by the care you show toward others, people of St. Timothy. Thank you for listening intently to the call to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly.
Three Holy Days
In our tradition, we make space on Maundy Thursday to remember central parts of our faith story. We hear about the...
