Monday of the
Third Week in Lent
(II Kings 5:1-15ab; Luke 4:24-30)
The first two and a half weeks of Lent deal with penance
to make up for our sins. We emphasized
the need for prayer, fasting, and works of charity to overcome our egotistical
desires. The third week of Lent opens
another perspective. Now we have to ask
ourselves if we are giving proper testimony to Jesus. Today’s readings confirm Jesus as a
prophet. Do we see him in that way?
Naaman almost missed his opportunity for being cured of
leprosy. He wanted to dismiss the advice
of the prophet Elisha who told him to just wash in the Jordan River. Fortunately, his servants were able to
convince him that he had little to lose by complying with the prophet’s
order. In the gospel passage the people
of Nazareth do not have such good advice available. They reject Jesus’ claim of being appointed
by God to bring comfort to the oppressed.
Indeed, they are about to kill him for claiming to be a prophet.
Placing faith in Jesus is a risky venture. We may not lose our lives or our fortunes,
just the consideration of being “one of the guys.” Accepting Jesus as a prophet means to stand
with him by visiting the sick or greeting a child with a severe deformity. It may also mean objecting to a slander that
someone makes or questioning the standing opinion that is based on
hearsay. Former Vice-President Joe Biden
speaks favorably of rival Jesse Helms when both men were in the Senate. He says that they were able to accomplish
much for their country because they refused to denigrate each other as some of
their political allies would have had them do.
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