Luke 4:
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Naaman, the Syrian foreigner, was the only leper who was cleansed in the time of the prophet Elisha, even when there were plenty of lepers in Israel who could have benefited from that healing. Even as he proclaimed the year of the Lord's favor, Jesus reminded his neighbors that a Syrian stranger received God's favor in that earlier time.
In our time as well this reminder leaps off the page: God's favor is loose, unruly, uncontained by presuppositions about who needs it or who deserves it. It escapes from human boundaries, those marked by brick walls and stained glass, those made of words, those drawn on maps or stamped in passports. Maybe we should not be surprised by this, since God's favor has long operated thus. Nonetheless, today when Syrians are so often shown to us as strangers, Jesus reminds us that God's love heals even strangers.
Dear Jesus, I long for God's favor. Teach me to recognize it wherever it appears and open my heart to rejoice whenever it heals. May this be the year when all your world is made whole. Amen.
L. DeAne Lagerquist
Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College
Master of Arts , 1981
Luke 4:21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"
23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, "Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.' "
24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown.
25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land;
26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.
27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.
29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.
30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.[New Revised Standard Version]
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21 He started to speak to them: “Today, as you heard it read, this passage of the Tanakh was fulfilled!” 22 Everyone was speaking well of him and marvelling that such appealing words were coming from his mouth. They were even asking, “Can this be Yosef’s son?”
23 Then Yeshua said to them, “No doubt you will quote to me this proverb — ‘“Doctor, cure yourself!” We’ve heard about all the things that have been going on over in K’far-Nachum; now do them here in your home town!’ 24 Yes!” he said, “I tell you that no prophet is accepted in his home town. 25 It’s true, I’m telling you — when Eliyahu was in Isra’el, and the sky was sealed off for three-and-a-half years, so that all the Land suffered a severe famine, there were many widows; 26 but Eliyahu was sent to none of them, only to a widow in Tzarfat in the land of Tzidon. 27 Also there were many people with tzara‘at in Isra’el during the time of the prophet Elisha; but not one of them was healed, only Na‘aman the Syrian.”
28 On hearing this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with fury. 29 They rose up, drove him out of town and dragged him to the edge of the cliff on which their town was built, intending to throw him off. 30 But he walked right through the middle of the crowd and went away.
[Complete Jewish Bible]Naaman, the Syrian foreigner, was the only leper who was cleansed in the time of the prophet Elisha, even when there were plenty of lepers in Israel who could have benefited from that healing. Even as he proclaimed the year of the Lord's favor, Jesus reminded his neighbors that a Syrian stranger received God's favor in that earlier time.
In our time as well this reminder leaps off the page: God's favor is loose, unruly, uncontained by presuppositions about who needs it or who deserves it. It escapes from human boundaries, those marked by brick walls and stained glass, those made of words, those drawn on maps or stamped in passports. Maybe we should not be surprised by this, since God's favor has long operated thus. Nonetheless, today when Syrians are so often shown to us as strangers, Jesus reminds us that God's love heals even strangers.
Dear Jesus, I long for God's favor. Teach me to recognize it wherever it appears and open my heart to rejoice whenever it heals. May this be the year when all your world is made whole. Amen.
L. DeAne Lagerquist
Professor of Religion, St. Olaf College
Master of Arts , 1981
Luke 4:21 Then he began to say to them, "Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
22 All spoke well of him and were amazed at the gracious words that came from his mouth. They said, "Is not this Joseph's son?"
23 He said to them, "Doubtless you will quote to me this proverb, "Doctor, cure yourself!' And you will say, "Do here also in your hometown the things that we have heard you did at Capernaum.' "
24 And he said, "Truly I tell you, no prophet is accepted in the prophet's hometown.
25 But the truth is, there were many widows in Israel in the time of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a severe famine over all the land;
26 yet Elijah was sent to none of them except to a widow at Zarephath in Sidon.
27 There were also many lepers in Israel in the time of the prophet Elisha, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian."
28 When they heard this, all in the synagogue were filled with rage.
29 They got up, drove him out of the town, and led him to the brow of the hill on which their town was built, so that they might hurl him off the cliff.
30 But he passed through the midst of them and went on his way.[New Revised Standard Version]
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