Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Lectionary: 144

Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead, a descendant of David: 
such is my gospel, for which I am suffering, 
even to the point of chains, like a criminal. 
But the word of God is not chained. 

The story of Naaman the Syrian, from our first reading today, demonstrates Saint Paul's statement, "The word of God is not chained." To get the whole story you have to read 2 Kings 15.

The Syrian general Naaman, successful in every way and beloved of his king and his soldiers, is stricken with leprosy. 

There happens to be in his household a little girl, a Hebrew, who has heard of the Prophet Elisha. She tells her mistress the General should go to the Prophet and he'll be healed. 

But who listens to little slave girls? What are the odds that her silly lisping notions will send the commander of armies off to Israel? But the word of God is not chained. 

He goes. Hearing that he is coming the King of Israel tears his garments and thinks his coming is a pretext for war. Rather than a healing we're about to observe another pointless war between Israel and Syria. Here's another chain for the word of God to break. 

Elisha intervenes and the leper arrives outside his hut. The man of God won't come out to see him. Why not? Apparently the word of God is restraining him because Elisha always obeys the prompting of the Spirit.

Naaman is put out by Elisha's refusal to see him. It only confirms his doubts about this wild goose chase. 

Are not the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be cleansed?” With this, he turned about in anger and left.

But his attendants reason with him. We've come this far; why not give it a try? He bathes in the river and is healed. In fact, he enjoys a spiritual awakening also. He decides to take relics from Israel, buckets of dirt, that he might worship the Hebrew God from his distant home. 

Saint Paul knew this and many other ancient stories of Israel. They were never ancient to him. They were just as real as the Roman jail in which he cooled his heels. Despite his imprisonment -- a situation from which he might never escape -- he enjoys great consolation. He might be chained to the wall but nothing chains the Word of God. 

It goes before us and follows after us. It opens opportunities to speak of Jesus to friends, neighbors and loved ones. It confirms our testimony and, when necessary, heals the harm we have done in our eagerness. 

The Prophet Jesus, following the well-worn path of Elijah and Elisha, of Isaiah and Ezekiel, of Malachi and John the Baptist announced the Kingdom of God by word and deed. He required only the faith of his hearers to be effective. Those who welcomed him welcomed God's peace; those who refused him invariably fell back into their torpor. 

Saint Paul teaches us to bury our own personal ambitions in the certain victory that is God's. We might prefer this or that grace or favor; we might long for one result or another. Forget all that and pray, "Thy will be done." 

Rest assured, God is still in charge. The word of God is not chained.