THE GIRL, THE GENERAL, AND THE GOD WHO HEALS

READINGS: TWENTY EIGHTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

In the first reading of this 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time (2 Kings 5:14-17), we read about Naaman, a five-star general in the Syrian Army, who got healed of his leprosy through the intervention of a slave girl who had been captured by the Syrian army and given into slavery to Naaman’s wife. The role she played in this story portrays a beautiful twist of fate, which I believe has a lot to teach us as we follow the footsteps of Christ. 

Torn from her land, stripped of her freedom, and forced into servitude, this slave girl had every reason to let bitterness consume her. By all human logic, she could have rejoiced at her master’s affliction: “It suits him right!” Yet, she chose a higher road. With compassion that defied her circumstances, she pointed Naaman toward the prophet in Samaria, a small act of mercy that set in motion a chain of events that would not only cleanse Naaman’s skin but also transform his soul. When Naaman finally humbled himself, obeyed Elisha’s strange command, and dipped seven times in the Jordan, his flesh was restored “like that of a little child” (2 Kings 5:14). But more than that, his heart was reborn. In verses 15–17, Naaman confesses: “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” He even asks for Israelite soil to take home, a symbol of his new allegiance to the living God. 

It is important to notice the progression of this story. An enemy receives grace, a proud man is humbled, and a foreigner becomes a worshiper of the true God. My friends, mercy is stronger than resentment. Like the captive girl, we are often tempted to let hurt harden us. But when we choose mercy over malice, we become conduits of God’s healing. Who knows what miracles might begin with a single word of kindness to someone who has wronged us?

We also see that humility is the gateway to transformation. Naaman almost missed his healing because of pride. He wanted grandeur, not obedience. Yet, it was the Jordan’s muddy waters that cleansed him when he surrendered. Our breakthroughs often come not through dramatic displays, but through quiet obedience to God’s word. See how God’s grace reaches beyond boundaries. Naaman was a foreigner, an enemy commander. Yet God’s mercy embraced him; a challenge for us to see that no one is beyond the reach of grace, not even the person who has hurt us, not even the one we least expect. But the greater miracle here is not the healing of Naaman’s leprosy but his confession: “Now I know there is no God in all the world but the God of Israel”. Our greatest need is not just relief from suffering, but reconciliation with God.

My friends, even in weakness, we can be instruments of God’s power. Even in greatness, we must bow low in obedience to God’s word. God delights in turning enemies into worshipers, bitterness into blessings, and brokenness into testimony. Let’s walk along the highway of the Spirit. Let us love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and trust that God can use even our smallest acts of mercy to open doors to someone else’s healing, and even more so, to our own breakthroughs.