Peace be with you as we continue our Lenten journey on this third Monday in Lent. We reflect on God's goodness, God's generosity, and God's mercy to all peoples. Now, believe it or not, that God would be merciful to every nation is a bit of a stumbling block for some. In fact, the Old Testament Israel felt that because they were the called and chosen people of God, their jealousy was tremendous when it came to God's dealings with other nations. So when God would show mercy to somebody from another nation, their fury was enraged.
And this is what happens when we do not live by his Spirit, when we do not recognize that his ways are beyond our ways. Whereas we would prefer annihilation for certain groups of people, God does not look at it that way. God seeks transformation, not annihilation, for he wishes that none of his sons and daughters be lost.
So, for example, we saw last week with Jonah who was sent to Nineveh, and his first reaction was no. He got on a boat and he went the opposite direction to Tarshish. Why? Because, as he says, “I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Jonah 4:2). And he feared that God would spare Nineveh.
Nineveh was the capital city of Assyria that had inflicted so much pain on the nation of Israel, had scattered the ten tribes, and had conquered Samaria. And so Israel did not want mercy for them.
Then yesterday we saw in the Gospel the Samaritan woman at the well, again a stranger, an outsider, a Samaritan—one who was considered polluted by pagan philosophy and deities. The Israelites and the Samaritans were neighbors, yet they could not stand each other because each believed the other's faith was corrupted. One worshiped in Jerusalem and the other worshiped on Mount Gerizim.
And yet we saw that Jesus again extends mercy and salvation even to a foreigner, an outsider, a non-Jew.
And this theme continues in today's readings when we meet the person of Naaman. Naaman is a Syrian, and he is the general of the great Syrian army, yet he is struck with leprosy. His servant girl says to him that he should go and visit the prophet in Israel named Elisha. And Naaman, instead of being proud and dismissing the servant girl, listens to her.
And we are reminded by Jesus himself: “There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27).
Because God is not a respecter of persons the way we are. We tend to say, oh, he is an actor, he is a politician, he is a man of prestige—let us give him importance. God does not function like that. God looks upon humility.
And we are reminded in Scripture: “In every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him” (Acts 10:35).
But we have guidelines. We have the Church that teaches us what virtue is, to help guide us in the ways of goodness and kindness and compassion.
So my brothers and sisters, as we continue our Lenten journey, let us remember that God has always desired to extend his salvation to all peoples, to all the families of the earth. In fact, that is what he said to Abraham: “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
And now to be a son or daughter of Abraham means that we live by faith in Jesus Christ, and that this faith is manifested in our good works and in our manner of living virtuously.
May the Lord give us the grace of heroic virtue, to love those who do not necessarily love us, to love our enemy, to pray for those who persecute us, to do good to those who hate us.
And by this will they know that we are Christians, that we love one another as he has loved us.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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