From the Prayer of the Day for the sixth Sunday after Epiphany
Almighty and ever-living God, with mercy you look upon our weaknesses. Stretch out your wondrous hand...
From 2 Kings chapter five
Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he (Elisha the prophet) 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!
From Psalm 30
1I will exalt you, O LORD, because you have lifted me up
From 1 Corinthians chapter nine
26So I do not run aimlessly, nor do I box as though beating the air;
From Mark chapter one
Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him
Dear fellow boxers, we have good news today. It's quite uplifting, really. Paul was on to something when he said he doesn't box the air. Rather, like an athlete he tirelessly trains himself to be a peak performer, a peak preacher, a peak proclaimer of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I suspect we all have the same level of determination. We are determined to do what we are determined to do. It's not a question of whether we have determination. It's a question of what we are determined to do! Naaman the gentile general (of an enemy people nonetheless!) thought he was all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips. He thought that Elisha himself, the healer and prophet, should come out and wave his hand over the sores, make it right as rain, so Naaman could be healed. He was boxing the air with his leprous hands. His leprosy afforded him a convenient way to make it about something else, something other than a necessary step of faith. Elisha did not wave his hand. Naaman went down into the water kicking and screaming like a toddler. Naaman came out of the water like a toddler sans the kicking and screaming. Ha Ha Ha Ha Ha. How awesome is that. The healing of leprosy was the means for the Spirit of God to touch Naaman's soul, and heal him there too.
Paul hints at something with which we all struggle. We beat the air trying to knock out a malady that doesn't even exist, because of Christ. Listen to how Christ touches a man with leprosy. The man was not focused on his leprosy.. he was focused on Christ. He came begging, saying to Jesus "If you want you can make me clean". Jesus, prompted by the determination of this man said absolutely "I want. Be clean!" And like a swimmer finishing his last lap Jesus S T R E T C H E D. Touched. Healed.
What have you been boxing at? If you could do something else with your time, what would it be?
I have been boxing at the idea that accomplishing something is actually a let-down. I would rather expect that the Lord will always provide vision. Especially if I come begging.
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