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RECOGNIZING THE ORDINARY MEANS TO THE EXTRAORDINARY GOD - stephenkhoo - 03-10-2015 02:54 PM
RECOGNIZING THE ORDINARY MEANS TO THE EXTRAORDINARY GOD
SCRIPTURE READINGS: 2 KINGS 5:1-15; LUKE 4:24-30
http://www.universalis.com/20150309/mass.htm
The season of Lent is a time of conversion. But how can conversion take place? Sometimes, we wish that we could experience something extraordinary, like a lightning bolt that comes from heaven, similar to that of the experience of Moses at Horeb or Paul at Damascus. Yet for most of us, our experience of the wonders and powers of God are not that dramatic. Does it mean therefore that we would never have the grace for conversion?
Today’s liturgy is quite consoling for those of us who have never had such an experience. For the way of the Lenten program is via the ordinary way of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. In other words, the Church’s way of conversion is not via the spectacular, but an ordinary means of grace. Conversion and healing take place gradually in most instances, just like leprosy, which affects us gradually. All that is required from us is a humble faith in God.
This message is brought out in both scripture readings today. We have the example of the faith of the little girl captured from Israel who became a servant of Naaman. In spite of being held captive, she bore no hatred or resentment. Instead, she trusted in the divine providence of her Lord. So faith-filled was she that she could show compassion for Naaman. She believed in God in spite of the fact that she lived in exile in a foreign land. It was her faith that gave her a compassionate heart.
In contrast, we have the King of Israel who supposedly had experienced the power of God in his life and in his kingdom. God had liberated them from the slavery of the Egyptians. But instead of trusting in the power of God, he was more concerned about his own needs and his throne. Hence, when he received the letter from the envoy of the king of Aram to help his servant Naaman, he immediately suspected that the king was trying to pick a quarrel with him. Clearly, the king of Israel had no faith in God; hence he lived in fear and lacked compassion for others.
Naaman however had some faith in God. But his faith needed to be purified. He lacked humility. He expected God to work wonders in a spectacular manner. Thus he became indignant when told to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River. He felt humiliated and left in a rage, because he thought: “Here was I thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprous part. Surely Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, are better than any water in Israel? Could I not bathe in them and become clean?” His rejection of Elisha’s instruction was due more to pride and ego than his lack of faith in the power of God
Again it was the ordinary faith of the simple people that made him change his mind. It was the humility of his servants that convinced him that he should not test the power of God.
In the gospel, we are given a synthesis of faith and compassion. During the time of Jesus, the people had no faith, like the king of Israel. But also like Naaman, they wanted Jesus to prove Himself by working miracles and wonders in their midst. They failed both in faith, in humility and therefore in compassion. They could not accept Jesus, the son of a carpenter, to be their prophet. They could not believe that someone of their kind could be God’s representative.
However, Jesus refused to submit to their desire for spectacular means to prove His divinity. He is the kingdom of God in human lowliness. God wants to come to us in human and ordinary ways. Jesus would perform miracles only out of compassion for the sick, the poor and needy, not for Himself or for His self-interest. This God who comes to us is not self-centered and egoistic. For Jesus, His miracles are performed for all, including the Gentiles, the Syrians and the Sidonians. Jesus, like God, is not so insecure and narrow-minded in love that He would reserve His love and kindness only to the chosen people. Most of all, Jesus shows His faith in His Father’s love and power by accepting the rejection of His people. He trusted in His Father who will protect Him from harm.
Consequently, the lesson we must learn from today’s liturgy is that we must not try to provoke God into acting to satisfy our curiosity. Rather, we are called to surrender ourselves in humility to whatever ways the Lord wants to work in our lives. We must be contented with the ordinary means of salvation. God can work wonders only if we have faith and humility.
What is said of the water that cleansed and healed Naaman must also be said of the spiritual exercises recommended by the Church during the season of Lent. A deep devotion to the Divine Mercy or a pious devotion to the Stations of the Cross surely can help us to experience the love and mercy of God, evoking in us repentance and conversion. Of course, we must not forget the discipline of doing penance, fasting and prayer, especially praying and meditating on the scriptures. We must make use of the Sacrament of Reconciliation or daily participation of the Eucharist. These are the proven means to help us grow in holiness and live a life of grace.
Most of all, we must not forget the words of Jesus that “No prophet is ever accepted in his own country.” If Jesus lamented this fact, it is because Jesus came as a prophet from God, but His townsfolk could not accept Him. He was simply too ordinary for them. We too, sometimes cannot accept the fact that we have so many ordinary prophets around us in this community. A correction that comes from a concerned colleague at work is not accepted simply because he does not have the authority. Instead we become defensive like the contemporaries of Jesus. We react like them by retaliating instead. Why must we only listen to authority? Why can’t we be more humble to realize that quite often, God could be sending His prophets to us through ordinary people in our lives? Are we missing out opportunities of grace for conversion?
Yes, this extraordinary God of ours is extraordinary only because He is so ordinary. He comes to us in the incarnation, in the life, passion and death of Jesus to reveal to us His greatness in ordinariness. He wants us to experience His power according to our humanity and struggles. Happy are we who are humble enough to receive His grace and extraordinary love through such ordinary means. God is truly great because He works in such ordinary ways, leaving us the freedom to respond in faith.
- See more at: http://www.csctr.net/reflections/#sthash.kP7OANx4.dpuf