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Elisha was a prophet of Israel in the ninth century. He was
known as a miracle worker among prophets. In the cleansing of
Naaman, the Syrian general, Elisha is in the background that
Yahweh might receive the glory. When Naaman humbles himself and
obeys Elisha's directive to wash in the Jordan, he is healed. The
passage brings to the forefront the superiority of Yahweh over
the gods of Naaman and God's graciousness which is extended to
Gentiles.

Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 (C, E, L); 1 Corinthians 10:31--11:1 (RC)
Preceding this pericope, Paul stated that he was a free man.
As a man in Christ, he was free from the law. In these final
verses of the chapter, Paul sums up his ministry by telling us of
his practice of self-discipline and self-control. In the
following chapter, Paul gives an illustration of lack of self-
control by the Israelites while in the wilderness. To gain the
goal of life, Christians, like athletes, discipline themselves.

Gospel: Mark 1:40-45 (C, E, L, RC)
Jesus authenticates his authority by superhuman deeds. The
healing of the leper is a cleansing. This miracle of cleansing is
related to Jesus' previous exorcism of an unclean spirit. In this
instance it is an unclean body through leprosy. Leprosy was
considered a sign of evil or sin. By touching the leper, Jesus
brings himself closer to a conflict with the religious
authorities. Yet, he orders the cured leper to report to the
priests in fulfillment of the law.

Psalm Of The Day
Psalm 30 (C) -- "O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and
you have healed me." (v. 2)
Psalm 32 (L); Psalm 42 (E)

Hymn Of The Day
"O Jesus Christ, May Grateful Hymns Be Rising"

Theme Of The Day: God's Glory Manifested In Cleansing
Gospel -- Jesus is willing and able to cleanse.
Lesson 1 -- Obedience to God's Word brings cleansing.
Lesson 2 -- Cleansing results from the discipline of obedience.
The theme of cleansing is clear in the Gospel and Lesson 1.
But we may have a problem of fitting Lesson 2 into the theme. The
theme of Lesson 2 is self-discipline and self-control. Naaman
would not have been cleansed if he had continued in his rage of
protest (v. 12); and only when he controlled himself by dipping
himself seven times in the Jordan was he healed. Likewise, in the
Gospel, we see self-discipline in the leper's obeying Jesus'
command to report to the priests and make the necessary offering.
Lesson 2 tells us that without the self-control of obedience,
miracles cannot happen. The Psalm of the Day deals with the
spiritual cleansing of sin through the mercy of the Lord. The
Hymn of the Day expresses gratitude for the love, care and
healing received from Christ.

THEOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS
Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
1. Leper (v. 40). In Jesus' day leprosy was a dreaded
incurable disease similar to AIDS and many forms of cancer today.
Because of modern medical science, leprosy, like smallpox, is no
longer a scourge. Leprosy was considered a symbol of sin. In this
sense leprosy is relevant to this generation. Sin is an incurable
"sickness unto death," a dreadful, disfiguring terminal illness,
for "the wages of sin is death." To be saved from spiritual death
requires a miracle by Christ as was the miracle of healing a
leper.
2. Clean (v. 40). To be cleansed was to be healed. Dirt is
associated with sin. Lepers were required by law to warn people
to stay away by crying, "Unclean." In our day we refer to sin as
something unclean: dirty stories, polluted values, cesspools of
iniquity, filthy minds and dirty tricks. Since God is sinless, no
one can approach him with unclean hearts and dirty hands. Only
the pure in heart see God. In approaching God we must come clean.
3. Pity (v. 41). Jesus felt sorry for the leper. In Jesus' day
lepers were so numerous that people ceased to care for them. If
lepers did not keep their distance, they were often stoned by the
people. They were unwanted because of fear of contracting the
disease. "Pity" is the motivation for helping others. Because
Jesus felt sorry for the leper, he was willing to heal them.
Social service, helping one's neighbor, comes as a result of
Christian compassion.
4. Touched (v. 41). By law people dared not touch lepers, and
lepers had to stay six feet away from people. They could touch
objects only with a stick. A leper could not embrace his wife nor
kiss his children. He could not live in a town or village but was
forced to live in the country. A leper was considered as dead.
The burial service was read over him, and he was banished from
society. The touch of Jesus was a sign of acceptance, sympathy
and identification with the leper. At the same time it was an act
of disobedience to the laws of the land. Jesus never refused to
break a law in order to help a person in need. Human values are
greater than civil obedience.
5. Nothing (v. 44). Jesus commanded the leper to tell no one
about his cure or who helped him. He did not want the miracle to
be advertised; he wanted no publicity. To heal a leper was
considered the sign of the Messiah's coming. Jesus did not want
people to flock to him on the basis of his being a wonder worker.
He was interested more in saving souls than in healing bodies. He
wanted people to come to God for his own sake and not on the
basis of physical well-being. The way to God was the way of the
cross.

Lesson 1: 2 Kings 5:1-14
1. Maid (v. 2). Here is the heroine of the story involving top
generals, kings and prophets. It was the witness of a "little
maid" that started the ball rolling leading to Naaman's cure. The
little girl was a slave, a captive in a foreign land. She could
have been bitter, hateful and resentful. She could have rejoiced
that her master would soon be dead or banished as a leper. We
rejoice in her compassion, in her faith in God, and in her
testimony to her faith.
2. Angry (v. 11). Naaman was an angry, sick man. He felt
humiliated and despised by Elisha's treatment of him. Elisha did
not even give Naaman an audience. He did nothing spectacular to
heal him. He asked him merely to take seven dips in the Jordan.
Did he have the right to be angry? Today some counsellors advise
patients to express their anger. But should there be anger in the
first place?
3. Wash (v. 12). To wash is to be cleansed. Naaman was ordered
to wash in the Jordan. Can washing in ordinary water clean one of
an incurable disease? It doesn't make sense. God's way is not
man's way. For Naaman, cleansing of leprosy came only when he
learned to obey God's Word through the prophet. Christians have
the water of baptism by which they are cleansed of their leprosy
of sin in obedience to God's command to be baptized.

Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
1. Race (v. 24). Paul does not say that the Christian life is
a race, but it is like a race. He uses the athletics of his day
to illustrate his point. In once sense, the Christian life is

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a race because we race throughout life. Salvation is a continuing
process. In this life we never "arrive" nor do we attain
perfection. The prize is given when life is ended. On the other
hand, the Christian life is not a race, for in a race only one
wins. In the Christian sense, every person in Christ is a winner.
Paul uses a race as an analogy to bring out the need of self-
control, self-discipline and the goal of Christian living.
2. Self-control (v. 25). An athlete must have self-control to
win. A football player is out of control if he runs with the ball
toward the wrong goalposts. Self-control calls for keeping the
rules of the game. Lack of self control is poor sportsmanship.
Self-control for the Christian is not a human achievement, but is
a gift of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22).
3. Subdue (v. 27). This is another word for self-discipline.
Without self-discipline, there is no self-control. Paul says he
practiced self-discipline by pommeling and subduing his body.
Evidence of the contemporary lack of self-discipline is abundant:
obesity, drunkenness, drug addiction, etc. The theme of the day
is "Do your own thing," or "Do what feels good," or "Live your
own life." An athlete succeeds because of self-discipline. Bjorn
Borg, one of the world's greatest tennis players, disciplines
himself by practicing four hours daily; and before a tournament,
he refuses to engage in social affairs that involve drinking and
late hours. The athlete disciplines himself in order to win. A
Christian, likewise, disciplines self to win the prize of eternal
life.

PREACHING POSSIBILITIES
Soul Cleaning Time
Need: Good housekeepers have at least an annual house
cleaning. It is a thorough cleaning of the house with all the
furnishings from top to bottom, inside and outside. Our souls
need cleaning also because they get dirty from sin in a dirty
world. Leprosy is a symbol of the uncleanness of sin. How, when
and where does this spiritual cleansing take place? The sermon
gives the answer. In the Gospel and Lesson 1 there are two kinds
of cleaning: wet and dry! The former can be applied to baptism
and the latter to the holy communion. Cleansing results from the
discipline of obedience to God's commands.
Outline: Experiencing the cleansing power of God --
a. The water of God's Word (baptism) -- Lesson 1.
b. The touch of Jesus' hand (holy communion) -- Gospel.
c. The cleansed life demands discipline -- Lesson 2.

Gospel: Mark 1:40-45
1. Come clean! 1:40-45
Need: Most people want to be clean, at least physically.
Consider the amount of soap and detergents sold annually. Eighty-
five percent of the American people have bath tubs. We want clean
bodies and hair, clean clothes and we want to live in clean
houses. Are we as interested in soul cleanliness? Sin is
associated with dirt: dirty jokes, filthy minds, polluted values,
cesspools of iniquity. Isaiah described himself as a sinner, "A
man of unclean lips." In contrast, God is perfectly pure. Christ
is spotless of sin. God demands clean hands and a pure heart in
those who come into his presence. Leprosy is a sign of sin.
Healing is cleansing. The leper called himself "unclean." In this
sermon we deal with the cleansing of sin, the cure for spiritual
leprosy.
Outline: How to come clean to God --
a. Realize the need for cleansing -- "a leper" -- v. 40.
b. Desire to be clean -- "beseeching ... kneeling" -- v. 40.
c. Accept the cleansing -- "be clean" -- v. 41.
1. Jesus' willingness to cleanse based on pity -- v. 41.
2. Jesus' ability to cleanse -- v. 42.

2. You will or you can't? 1:40
Need: The leper is a wise man. He knows the difference between
being able to and being willing to help a person in need. He is
willing or he is not able, or he is able and not willing. Jesus
combines the two: able and willing. In every church, people
divide themselves between those able and unwilling and the
willing but unable. The leper has faith in Jesus' ability to heal
even leprosy, but there is a question in his mind of Jesus'
willingness. In this sermon we want to inspire the people to be
like Jesus, both willing and able.
Outline: Each of us faces several options --
a. I am able but unwilling to help -- "I can but I won't."
b. I am willing to help but unable to help -- "I will but I
can't."
c. I am willing and able -- "I can and I will."
3. Reach out and touch. 1:41
Need: A telephone commercial attempts to convince people to
call long distance with a musical rendering of "Reach out and
touch someone." A Christian is one who reaches out to the needy,
lonely and troubled and touches them in the name of Christ. There
is a ministry of touch which indicates love, compassion,
acceptance and identity. Jesus touched a dirty and diseased leper
when no one else dared to touch him. Jesus today can touch your
life.
Outline: What is the touch of Jesus?
a. The touch of life -- Luke 7:14.
b. The touch of pardon -- Isaiah 6:7.
c. The touch of freedom -- Mark 7:33.
d. The touch of healing -- Mark 1:41.

Lesson 1: 2 Kings 5:1-14
1. Let God heal you! 5:1-14
Need: This sermon reminds the people that God is eager and
able to help and heal people with their needs, even as dreadful
as leprosy was. Since God is love, he desires our welfare. He
wants us to be healthy and happy. It is not God's reluctance to
help us; it is our unwillingness to cooperate with him. Naaman
almost did not get cured, because he was asked to do what seemed
to him to be too simple and easy.
Outline: Let God heal you by --
a. Seeking God's help -- vv. 1-9.
b. Humbling yourself -- vv. 10-12.
c. Obeying God's direction -- vv. 13-14.
2. Wash me or I die! 5:10
Need: Washing is an integral part of life. No one can avoid
it. To be and to stay clean in a dirty world, there is need of
repeated washings. In this sermon we take a look at various kinds
of washing. We wash at certain times and different articles.
Outline: Kinds of washing we can do --
a. Pilate's washing of hands -- to avoid responsibility.
b. Naaman's washing of the body -- to be clean.
c. Jesus' washing of feet -- to teach service.

Lesson 2: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
1. You can be a winner! 9:24-27
Need: Everybody wants to be a winner, every athlete and every
team. For most, winning is not everything. It is the only thing.
Paul agrees, "In a race all the runners compete, but only one
receives the prize." But winning demands a price. In this text
Paul tells us the price we as Christians must pay to be a winner
in life.
Outline: You can be a winner if --
a. You exercise self-control -- v. 25a.
b. You discipline yourself -- vv. 26, 27.
c. You pursue the Christian goal -- vv. 24, 25b.

2. Why be hard on yourself? 9:24-27
Need: The text calls for self-control and self-discipline.
Paul indicates that he was mighty hard on himself: "I pommel my
body and subdue it." (v. 27) This is not popular in our times. We
say, "Let yourself go." We practice self-indulgence on the basis,
"You owe it to yourself," or "You deserve it." This reflects our
age of Narcissism. Why as a Christian should you be hard on
yourself? Why deny self by saying "No" to self? Why not let go
and live?
Outline: Why be hard on yourself?
a. To win the prize -- vv. 24, 25.
1. The imperishable prize of eternal life -- v. 25.
2. The crown of righteousness -- 2 Timothy 4:8.
b. To be a good example to others -- v. 27.