THE PRIZE OF A PROPHET - C: 28th Sun in OrdTime

First Reading: 2 Kings 5:14-17 (9 October 2022)

“Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Please accept a gift from your servant” (2 Kgs 5:15).

These were the words of Naaman, the victorious commander of the army of the king of Aram (2 Kgs 5:1a), to the prophet Elisha after being healed of his leprosy (vv. 1b, 14). A part of this army’s triumph was the takeover of the land of Israel. In this context, the Arameans subjugated the Israelites, turning some of them into slaves (v. 2). For this reason, the king of Israel was frightened by Naaman’s visit, thinking that he was starting a quarrel with him (v. 7).

Naaman’s desire of being healed forced him to undertook the long journey to Samaria to look for Elisha (v. 9). The prophet, instead of healing immediately the strong man, commanded him to wash seven times in the Jordan (v. 10), about which the latter was furious (v. 11). Elisha’s rationale for delivering this order was not to humiliate the Aramean officer nor to do vengeance for conquering Israelite lands. He did it to let him realize that true healing goes with an authentic repentance in the name of the God of Israel as represented by the waters of the Jordan.

Subtly, the prophet was calling for his integral conversion as a preliminary step to full recovery.

Naaman was initially hesitant (v. 11), but was won over by his servants to perform this extraordinary act (v. 13). Afterwards, “[h]is flesh became again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (v. 14). Subsequently, he was converted, declaring, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel” (v. 15). He also grasped his mistake of adoring other gods in the temple of Rimmon (v. 18). Elisha was kind enough to let him go in peace (v. 19) after realizing his sincerity and change of heart. Conversely, Elisha’s servant named Gehazi took the opportunity to get something out of Naaman, who asked for “a talent of silver and two festal garments” (v. 22). To this request, Naaman gave him two talents and two festal garments (v. 23). But Elisha was not ignorant of this extortion, reprimanding him, “Was I not present in spirit when someone got down from his chariot to wait for you?” (v. 26). He instantaneously punished him by inflicting him the leprosy that was formerly with Naaman (v. 27).

Elisha is portrayed in 2 Kings as a person of integrity, righteousness, and audacity. Before talking to Naaman and Gehazi, Elisha had already spoken bluntly to the guild of prophets (cf. 2:15-18; 4:38-41), the city-dwellers (cf. 2:19-22), little boys (cf. 2:23-24), the king of Israel (cf. 2:13-19), and ordinary women (4:1-37) and man (4:42-44). He would continue this witnessing at the heights of the Aramean and Israelite conflict, confronting leaders of the repercussions of their actions (cf. 6:8–9:13).

A true prophet speaks the truth to anyone.

The Philippine society is recently appalled by the brazen murder of a respected journalist in the person of Mr. Percival Mabasa (a.k.a., Percy Lapid). He was a fierce oppositionist, speaking straightforward the mistakes of political leaders and power players in the previous and current administrations. His brutal killing is a big blow to press freedom and human rights to dissenting opinions. Such an act should be condemned at all costs, yet, the ethos of impunity persists in the country, making it unsafe for fighters of the truth.

May we unify our efforts to oppose this culture of death, advocating instead truth, righteousness, honesty, and good governance.

- Rex Fortes, CM