As Paul Harvey used to say, “And now for the rest of the story.” In the first reading, Naaman was resentful that Elisha had told him to plunge into the waters of the Jordan seven times, but he was persuaded by his servant to do so. We hear that Naaman was cured and thus wanted to reward Elisha. Then in the Gospel reading, I’m sure the lepers were resentful that they were ostracized because of their disease, yet only one overcame that bitterness to realize he had been cured.
Sometimes, we become so fixated on the problem that we fail to see the solution or the potential that exists, and we may become resentful or angry. Even when the situation changes, we may continue to harbor resentment instead of being grateful for the change.
Henri Nouwen, the late 20th-century theologian and spiritual master, wrote a short article entitled “From Resentment to Gratitude.” Essentially, he calls us to learn to move past resentment and bitterness, instead finding a place where we can be grateful for what God has done in our lives. In other words, our resentment will gradually diminish as we learn to say “thank you” more often.
The healing of two foreigners, Naaman of Aram and the unnamed Samaritan, reminds us of our need to say “thank you” to those who do things for us and (especially) to God. Instead of resenting what we don’t have or complaining about the cards life has dealt us, perhaps we need to be more aware of our blessings and use them for good in the world.
