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« Epiphany and the Coming to Faith as a Response | Main | Transfiguration Sunday »
The pattern that we have seen throughout Epiphany continues. The OT reading provides a type, a figure, a sign of that which comes to pass in the Gospel reading. The Epistle reading reads both from and back to the earlier readings. Of course, while we want to identify with Jesus in the narrative, the story itself leads us to identify with the leper.
By identifying with the leper, we of course can hear these texts either as a call to baptism or to remember our baptism. Ash Wednesday is quickly approaching and we need to call actively to those who have not died and been raised in Christ in the waters of baptism, to enroll into a time of Lenten formation for baptism on Easter Sunday.
2 Kings 5:1-15ab
How does Naaman get called to be cleansed from his leprosy? How does this happen? Where is God in this call? Present or absent? (warning: trick question!). Why does the king of Israel respond as he does when Namaan arrives with the wealth that he brings? How does the kings response differ from Elisha’s? Why?
When Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house, how does Elisha treat him? Why? Who stops Namaan? What do you notice about the social status of everyone throughout the passage? Who has more insight and wisdom into the situation? The powerful or the weak? Why?
What happens in Naaman’s bath? How does he respond? How does Elisha change his behavior now from before his bath? What did Naaman need to do to be cleansed?
Mark 1:40-45
As background to this text, read Leviticus 13-14. What is at stake is entry to the Temple – participation in the meals that arise through there. Who ultimately declares the leper clean? What will happen between Jesus’ healing and the leper’s declaration of cleansing? Why is the leper’s following up in obedience to Jesus/the Torah a “testimony� What is the full impact of the healed/bathed/declared cleansed leper on the ministry of Jesus? What can the ex-leper now do?
1 Corinthians 9:24-27
In light of the “races†given in the OT and Gospel readings, races to “water†to be declared “cleansedâ€, what does it mean to “punish the bodyâ€? What is the final end of this race? How is self-control significant?
How is baptism a response to the “leprosy†that we suffer? What is the practical significance of this material water, with people and others involved that make this a “race� Why happens to our bodies as we submit/have submitted to enter the race in faith through the bath? What does it tell you that Elisha order Naaman/Jesus ordered the leper to take these certain physical movements in order to continue into their lives? What happens to Naaman and the leper as a result? What happens to others? How do these lepers show a pattern for our lives?
Have a wonderful evening!
Posted by johnwright at February 12, 2009 2:23 PM
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