Blessings for those Unsure in Faith

Prayer-Soldier

Blessings for those Unsure in Faith

Scripture:

Then he [Naaman] went down, and washed in the Jordan seven times, according to the word of the man of God [Elisha]; and his flesh was restored, like the flesh of a little child: and he was made clean. And returning to the man of God, with all his train, he came, and stood before him, and said: In truth, I know there is no other God, in all the earth, but only in Israel: I beseech you, therefore, take a blessing of your servant. But he [Elisha] answered: As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none. And when he pressed him, he still refused. And Naaman said: As you will: but I beseech you, grant to me, your servant, to take from hence the burden of two mules of earth: for your servant will not henceforth offer holocaust, or victim, to other gods, but to the Lord. (2 Kings 5:14-17)

Be mindful that the Lord Jesus Christ is risen again from the dead, of the seed of David, according to my gospel: Wherein I labor even unto bonds, as an evildoer. But the word of God is not bound. Therefore I endure all things for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus, with heavenly glory. A faithful saying: for if we be dead with him, we shall live also with him. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him. If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we believe not, he continues faithful, he cannot deny himself. (2 Timothy 2:8-13)

And it came to pass, as he was going to Jerusalem, he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. And as he entered into a certain town, there met him ten men that were lepers, who stood afar off. And lifted up their voice, saying: Jesus, Master, have mercy on us. Whom when he saw, he said: Go, show yourselves to the priests. And it came to pass, as they went, they were made clean. And one of them, when he saw that he was made clean, went back, with a loud voice glorifying God. And he fell on his face before his feet, giving thanks. And this was a Samaritan. And Jesus answering, said: Were not ten made clean? And where are the nine? There is no one found to return and give glory to God, but this stranger. And he said to him: Arise, go your way; for your faith has made you whole. (Luke 17:11-19)

Reflection:

Naaman, an important army commander for the king of Aram, suffered from leprosy, which made him unclean to those he led and the king whom he served. Hearing that Naaman could be cured at the hands of Elisha, a prophet of God, the king of Aram sent his commander to the king of Israel such that Naaman could receive the cure. Hearing the instructions of the prophet Elisha, Naaman doubted what he was told to do for he did not know God, nor was he of the nation chosen by God and was not aware of His ways. The expectations of Naaman as to how he might be healed were not met, therefore, Naaman turned away. He was finally convinced by his servants to follow the instructions of the prophet. Upon receiving the cure, Naaman began to believe in the God of Israel and offered tribute to the prophet who prayed to God for the healing. The prophet would not take payment for the work of God, so Naaman asked that he be allowed to take soil of the land of Israel from upon which Naaman would kneel and offer worship to God.

We might wonder, for what purpose does God heal some, but not others? We might wonder even more as to why God would heal someone who does not know Him and does not accept the instructions they are given from which to be healed? In this case, it was not the faith of Naaman that was rewarded, though he benefited; rather, it was the faith of the ones who sent him to be healed and the prophet who offered prayer to God as an intercessor for Naaman.

We might ask further, what meaning does this event have to the faithful within our day? The answer is that the encouragement and prayers of the faithful may help those who are skeptical and do not know Him. Naaman initially scoffed at the idea of what he was asked to do. He had assumptions as to how his cure would proceed and the instructions of the prophet did not meet his expectations; therefore, Naaman began to turn away. (2 Kings 5:11-12) It was only the encouragement [in faith] of his servants which caused Naaman to do what the prophet instructed such that Naaman was cured. Naaman trusted his servants and his servants trusted in God. The lesson, then, is that the trust and prayers of the faithful may help those who do not know and may be skeptical about God.

It is partially for this reason the evil one seeks to suppress our sharing of faith. We cannot open the eyes of the lost or stoke the flames of faith within our community if we are left silent and isolated. If we are lax and accept the demands for our silence, the evil one wins without contest. Should we have the courage to stand in faith, we can expect the evil one will endeavor to intimidate us into silence, but, to fight the good fight (1 Timothy 1:18-19) we must seek, in prayer, the courage and strength of faith by which we may share the blessings of His truth. No matter our circumstance, we must always be prepared to give reason for our hope (1 Peter 3:15) both to those who inquire and those who seek to persecute.

We must ask ourselves, what is the meaning of faith if we only reflect upon it alone? If it is to have substance within our lives, it must be something we live and share, not just within our prayers to God, but within the community of the body of Christ and for the blessings of those who do not yet recognize Him. If we truly believe in the One sent as our salvation, then, we must seek to put into practice all which He teaches. Our faith must not be only an academic pursuit, but we must put it into motion through how we choose to live our lives and how we relate to others through civility, compassion, charity and love.

Blessed are those who receive His healing, but as we do, whether it is physical or spiritual, we must be prepared to give thanks and praise. We may rejoice at the blessings we receive, but if we do not offer thanks for what He gives, what do we communicate to Him through our ingratitude? What should we expect from anyone whom we take for granted?

It is the selfish heart which expects, but does not give. It is the selfish heart which receives but does not offer thanks. It is the selfish heart which fails to comprehend the ever growing darkness and loneliness of their path. Let us, then, seek to turn our heart away from selfishness and turn to the blessings of the ways of which Jesus teaches.

Despite our faults, He seeks to make us whole, but if we do not respond to Him, He will let us walk the path we choose. Let us, then, reach out to Him, not only with our petitions, but also with our thanks and praise for the blessings He gives, the prayers he answers and the many ways He reaches out to us and seeks to work within our lives.

May the peace and blessings of the Lord be with you always,
Prayer Soldier