No prophet is accepted in his own place. Naaman was told there was a man in Israel who could cure him of his leprosy, so he travelled far to the exotic foreign healer for a cure that was not thought possible. But when they get to Israel, the king says that there is no one in Israel who can do something like that. No prophet is accepted in his own country. Then Naaman finds the man. He is told to wash in the river to cure his leprosy. And now Naaman is enraged – this is too simple. He’s washed many times and never been cured. The rivers in Israel are no different from anywhere else. He was expecting a fantastic ritual, not a bath. And even today when people get a common cold and they are told to rest and drink fluids and let it pass, they want antibiotics – which do nothing for a cold and create other problems, because it seems too easy and ordinary to rest and wait. But Naaman’s servants tell him to listen to the healer and do what he asks. They say, if he had told you to do something extraordinary, you would have done it immediately. Since he has told you to do something ordinary, you should do that. Naaman does follow the healer’s orders, and he is healed.
Jesus references this story in the gospel. He says that no one in Israel was healed, even though the healer was there, because they did not recognize his power. I know someone who grew up in Minnesota, and always said she never understood the big deal about Bob Dylan, who grew up down the street from her. She said why is everyone so impressed with Bobby from down the block? Jesus is telling the story of Naaman and Elisha when he is in Nazareth – his own home region. And he’s telling this story to his own countrymen who do not accept that Jesus is the messiah and do not recognize his power. Jesus reads the passage from Isaiah that he himself is fulfilling, but those listening are enraged that Joseph’s son is claiming to be the Lord. There was an ad running on tv about saving money on car insurance. A man needs to save some money and his father suggests this car insurance, but the man disregards his advice. Then he sees a tv commercial where a tv dad says the same thing, and this time the man thinks it’s a great idea. He won’t take the good idea from his own father. People want something fancy and flashy, something different, and can disregard the best answer that’s right in front of them because it seems too ordinary.
Jesus is right in front of us telling us to follow him. Maybe we should do that.
Tamora Whitney
I teach in the English department. I teach composition and literature and Critical Issues -- a class that has a component on Jesuit values.
I like writing these reflections because it makes me think more deeply about the scripture and think about how to integrate the ideas into my own life and how to share these ideas with others.
