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Elisha tells Naaman, a Syrian general, to immerse himself in the Jordan River to be cleansed of his leprosy. Initially refusing to do this humble act, Naaman eventually obeys and is healed, revealing not the magic of the water but the power of Israel’s God.

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. ²Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. ³She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." ⁴So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. ⁵And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel."

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. ⁶He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." ⁷When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."

⁸But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." ⁹So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. ¹⁰Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." ¹¹But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! ¹²Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. ¹³But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?" ¹⁴So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Psalm (ELW): Psalm 30

My God, I cried out to you, and you restored me to health. (Ps. 30:2)

¹I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lift- ^| ed me up

and have not let my enemies triumph ^| over me.

²O LORD my God, I cried ^| out to you,

and you restored ^| me to health.

³You brought me up, O LORD, ^| from the dead;

you restored my life as I was going down ^| to the grave.

⁴Sing praise to the LORD, ^| all you faithful;

give thanks in ho- ^| ly remembrance. R

⁵God's wrath is short; God's favor ^| lasts a lifetime.

Weeping spends the night, but joy comes ^| in the morning.

⁶While I felt se- ^| cure, I said,

"I shall never ^| be disturbed.

⁷You, LORD, with your favor, made me as strong ^| as the mountains."

Then you hid your face, and I was ^| filled with fear.

⁸I cried to ^| you, O LORD;

I pleaded with ^| my Lord, saying,

⁹"What profit is there in my blood, if I go down ^| to the pit?

Will the dust praise you or de- ^| clare your faithfulness?

¹⁰Hear, O LORD, and have mer- ^| cy upon me;

O LORD, ^| be my helper." R

¹¹You have turned my wailing ^| into dancing;

you have put off my sackcloth and clothed ^| me with joy.

¹²Therefore my heart sings to you ^| without ceasing;

O LORD my God, I will give you ^| thanks forever. R

Second Reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24–27

Using the athletic imagery of a runner and a boxer, Paul illustrates to the Corinthians how Christians have a focus committed to the ministry of the gospel, so that their victorious goal is not individual glory but eternal life for all.

²⁴Do you not know that in a race the runners all compete, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win it. ²⁵Athletes exercise self-control in all things; they do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable one. ²⁶So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air; ²⁷but I punish my body and enslave it, so that after proclaiming to others I myself should not be disqualified.

Gospel: Mark 1:40–45

Jesus cures a leper and asks him to tell no one but a priest, in accordance with Levitical law. Though Jesus performs miracles, his identity as Messiah will not be understood until the cross.

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.

Reprinted by permission under Augsburg Fortress Liturgies Annual License #26405.

New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.