By the Spirit

2 Kings 5:19-27

1 Corinthians 5:1-8

There is an interesting factor that binds together two of our readings today. In both the 2 Kings and 1 Corinthians passages there is reference to being present in the spirit. “But (Elisha) said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when someone left his chariot to meet you?” (2 Kings 5:26); “For though absent in body, I am present in spirit…” (1 Corinthians 5:3).

The community of faith is essentially boundless in these passages. Neither the prophet Elisha nor the apostle Paul were limited by distance in their ability to know and participate in what was going on. Spiritually they were very much present to those from whom they were separated. Pardon the pun but each of them “were apart from the action, but at the same time a part of the action” as God allowed them to be. Their spiritual awareness and their authority gave them the ability to bridge gaps, to discern truths, to offer guidance, and to hold others accountable. In our world of instant communication we may believe we have the same opportunities to reach out to one another, to bridge all gaps, to be in all places as once. But it was a spiritual focus that gave Elisha and Paul insight into what others were doing. We may use all the technology at our disposal but unless we use it according to God’s will we are, as Paul says elsewhere, “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1) whey it comes to interacting.

Elisha and Paul were very much attuned to the spiritual life and allowed that spiritual aspect of their lives to guide their work to the glory of God. May we do the same.

Prayer: Lord, help us to reach out in love to one another, offering encouragement and support according to your will. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Pardon Me, Please

2 Kings 5:1-19

Naaman was a general in the service of the king of Aram. Naaman was also a leper who learned there was a prophet in Israel who could cure him. Elisha was that prophet who did in fact heal Naaman of his disease. Afterwards the general acknowledged that the God of Israel was the one true God in all the world and the only God that Naaman would worship. “But,” said Naaman to Elisha, “may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count” (2 Kings 5:18). Elisha then assures Naaman that he may go in peace.

I find this to be an odd moment. On a number of occasions God has claimed to be a jealous, insistent that the people of God have nothing to do with other deities. (Exodus 34:14 even says “…the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God.” And Exodus 20:5 specifically mentions bowing to other gods as unacceptable.) So why is it that Naaman is given permission to do these things, to attend the worship of another god and to bow with the king of Aram on those occasions? Frankly, I have no idea. When it comes to worshiping the God of Israel it would seem like Naaman should be “all in” or not, as opposed to “in (with exceptions).”

And yet clearly God meets us where we are and our relationships with God are not “one size fits all.” My needs are not necessarily the needs of another, my situation in life is not identical to anyone else’s. For this reason I take comfort in knowing that God relates to people within the community of faith just as we should relate to one another, recognizing the strengths and weaknesses we each carry, offering to do those things for which we are best suited. In his healing Naaman found the truth about God who already knew the truth about Naaman. What a blessing to know that God pays more attention to us than we do to God.

Prayer: Lord, you know us better than we know ourselves. Bless us with what we need to live as your people. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Good Question

According to Luke’s account Herod the tetrarch had heard about the things that Jesus was doing and he was perplexed by it. “…(I)t was said by some that John had been raised from the dead, by some that Elijah had appeared, and by others that one of the ancient prophets had arisen” (Luke 9:7-8). “…(W)ho is this about whom I hear such things?” Herod asked (v. 9).

Good question. Who is Jesus, this one about whom we “hear such things?” A few answers can be found elsewhere in the same account from Luke. In commissioning “the twelve” to go and “proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal” (vv. 1-2), Jesus embodied God’s act of calling and sending prophets like Elijah and Elisha, Isaiah and Jeremiah who were given powers to speak and to act on God’s behalf. And later, when he fed the 5,000 near Bethsaida, Jesus repeated a similar event in the prophetic career of Elisha (2 Kings 4:42-44). Jesus was also at work welcoming, teaching, and healing the crowds who had followed him (Luke 9:11). In this very busy passage from the gospel Jesus tells us much about himself and reveals much about his work and his identity. Who is this about whom we hear such things? He is the one who transcends the ancient prophetic witness, rises above the teachings of John, and lays claim to the power and authority that belong to God. Yet this is just a glimpse of Jesus that Luke gives us in this passage.

The resurrected Jesus may be more difficult for us to define, but today he remains in our midst, Immanuel, God with us calling, teaching, healing, and proclaiming the kingdom of heaven so that we, may discern God's will and live accofdingly.

Prayer: Lord, help us to discern your work and your will in our world, and give us the strength to follow you in faithfulness. Amen.