Theme Healing Presence

Sentence

A great prophet has arisen among us! God has visited his people!

Luke 7.16

Collect

Mighty God,

strong, loving and wise,

help us depend upon your goodness

and to place our trust in your Son. Amen.

A Reading from the Second Book of Kings

This story tells us that Israel's God is sovereign over Aramea and all other lands – not only Israel. It was usual to bring gifts when approaching a prophet. The word translated leprosy can refer to any of a number of skin diseases.

1Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army. The Lord had helped him and his troops defeat their enemies, so the king of Syria respected Naaman very much. Naaman was a brave soldier, but he had leprosy.

2One day while the Syrian troops were raiding Israel, they captured a girl, and she became a servant of Naaman’s wife. 3Some time later the girl said, “If your husband Naaman would go to the prophet in Samaria, he would be cured of his leprosy.”

4When Naaman told the king what the girl had said, 5the king replied, “Go ahead! I will give you a letter to take to the king of Israel.”

Naaman left and took along seven hundred fifty pounds of silver, one hundred fifty pounds of gold, and ten new outfits. 6He also carried the letter to the king of Israel. It said, “I am sending my servant Naaman to you. Would you cure him of his leprosy?”

7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in fear and shouted, “That Syrian king believes I can cure this man of leprosy! Does he think I’m God with power over life and death? He must be trying to pick a fight with me.”

8As soon as Elisha the prophet heard what had happened, he sent the Israelite king this message: “Why are you so afraid? Send the man to me, so that he will know there is a prophet in Israel.”

9Naaman left with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent someone outside to say to him, “Go wash seven times in the Jordan River. Then you’ll be completely cured.”

11But Naaman stormed off, grumbling, “Why couldn’t he come out and talk to me? I thought for sure he would stand in front of me and pray to the Lord his God, then wave his hand over my skin and cure me. 12What about the Abana River or the Pharpar River? Those rivers in Damascus are just as good as any river in Israel. I could have washed in them and been cured.”

13His servants went over to him and said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something difficult, you would have done it. So why don’t you do what he said? Go wash and be cured.”

14Naaman walked down to the Jordan; he waded out into the water and stooped down in it seven times, just as Elisha had told him. Right away, he was cured, and his skin became as smooth as a child’s.                             2 Kings 5:1-14

1. I will extol you O Lord for you have lifted me up:
   you have not let my enemies triumph over me.
2. 2. Lord my God I cried to you for help:
   and you have restored my health.
3. Lord you have brought me back from the dead:
   you have saved my life from among those going down to the Abyss.
4. 4. Let all your servants sing praises to you O Lord:
   and give thanks to your holy name.
5. For your anger is but for a moment,
   and in your kindness is life:
   tears may linger at nightfall,
   but joy comes with the dawn.
6. 6. In my prosperity I said, `I shall ' never be shaken:
   your favour O Lord has made men as firm as any strong mountain.'
7. You turned your face away from me:
   and I was greatly dismayed.
8. 8. I called to you O God:
   to the Lord I made my appeal.
9. `What profit is there in my death:
   in my going down to the grave?

10. `Will the dust give you praise:
or will it proclaim your faithfulness?

11.  `Hear O Lord, and be gracious to me:
O Lord be my helper.'

12. You have turned my mourning into dancing:
you have stripped off my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

13.  so that my heart shall sing your praise without ceasing:
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

A Reading from the first letter to the Corinthians

Paul has written that he has been “entrusted with a commission” from God to spread the good news. He has gone beyond what God expects of him, making himself the servant of all. He accepts this discipline voluntarily, and “for the sake of the gospel”.

24You know that many runners enter a race, and only one of them wins the prize. So run to win! 25Athletes work hard to win a crown that cannot last, but we do it for a crown that will last forever. 26I don’t run without a goal. And I don’t box by beating my fists in the air. 27I keep my body under control and make it my slave, so I won’t lose out after telling the good news to others.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27

The Holy Gospel according to St Mark

At Capernaum Jesus has surprised those worshipping and studying in the syn­agogue by teaching without reference to the scriptures and by healing a mentally disturbed man by command alone. He has also cured Peter’s mother-in-law of a fever. He has now moved on to other towns in Galilee.

40A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, “If you choose, you can make me clean.” 41Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, “I do choose. Be made clean!” 42Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. 43After sternly warning him he sent him away at once, 44saying to him, “See that you say nothing to anyone; but go, show yourself to the priest, and offer for your cleansing what Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.” 45But he went out and began to proclaim it freely, and to spread the word, so that Jesus could no longer go into a town openly, but stayed out in the country; and people came to him from every quarter.

Mark 1:40-45