The power of obedience. The two miracles narrated today emphasize the power of obedience. There are no healing gestures on the part of either Elisha or Jesus. No mention is made of any therapeutic formulas addressed to the sick, as occurs in other accounts of miracles. There is only a command.

• That of Elisha to Naaman sounds like this, "Go and bathe seven times in the Jordan."
• Jesus says to the lepers, "Go and show yourselves to the priests."

Neither Naaman nor the ten lepers have been cured yet, nor do they know whether or not they will be; but, they trust and obey. The power of their trust and obedience make the miracle happen. Obedience already implies, at least, a minimum degree of faith in the person whom one obeys, a faith that is not devoid of stumbling blocks and hardships.

This is evident in Naaman’s story. He had another conception and other expectations of the miracle, and especially of the way in which it would happen, "Here was I, thinking he would be sure to come out to me, and stand there, and call on the name of Yahweh his God, and wave his hand over the spot and cure the part that was diseased." Nothing of the sort happened. He did not even see Elisha, for the prophet’s message was delivered by an intermediary. Naaman was furious and began to return to his home, having lost all hopes of being cured. On the way, persuaded by his servants, he obeyed; he bathed in the Jordan "and his flesh became clean once more like the flesh of a little child." In the end, Naaman realized that it is not the waters of the Jordan that cure leprosy but the Spirit of God, who uses the Jordan and other means as well, to do good and save man.

Following Jesus’ command, the ten lepers set out on a journey towards the temple of Jerusalem. They had to walk quite a few kilometers. They were still lepers and… how could they go to Jerusalem in such conditions and show themselves to the priests? Wouldn’t it be better to wait until they were sure that they had been truly cured? They overcame such difficulties, and on their journey felt that their skin was being renewed and that it had been cleansed.

The obedience of faith has the power of a miracle. Isn’t it his obedience to faith that causes Paul to be imprisoned by the Gospel? Isn’t it his obedience to faith that makes Paul endure any pain in order for salvation to reach all men?

Integral healing. Naaman was cured of his disease, but he continued to suffer from spiritual blindness. As a well-educated man, he returned to Elisha’s house and as a sign of thanksgiving, offered him rich gifts. Now, before the man of God, his eyes are opened to the true God, to the point that he says, "Since your answer is no, allow your servant to be given as much earth as two mules may carry, since your servant will no longer make burnt offerings or sacrifices to any god except Yahweh."

Something similar happens to one of the lepers when he finds himself cured. Nine of them continue their journey towards Jerusalem, they show themselves to the priest, but, delirious with joy, they return to their homes forgetting to thank Jesus. In so doing, they do not allow Jesus to grant them the salvation that he has come to bring to all men. The last, a Samaritan, in finding himself cured, heeds the inner impulse to return to Jesus and thank him. He throws himself prostrate at the feet of Jesus in grateful adoration. And Jesus not only relieves him of the leprosy, but also of sin, of all that prevented him from obtaining salvation. "Stand up and go on your way. Your faith has saved you."

Paul’s encounter with Jesus on his way to Damascus opens his eyes to faith in Christ, freeing him of his strictly Pharisaic mentality, of his hatred for Christians, even of his very human weaknesses, to the point of enduring serenely the chains of prison and of being firm in his following and proclamation of the Gospel message. Jesus Christ is the true doctor of bodies and souls.

Reasons for obeying.

• All men, from their birth to their grave, spend most of their life obeying. As men and as Christians it would be beneficial to us to have good reasons for obeying.
• Obedience pleases God. God is not a stranger, he is our Father. How can we not but please him by doing what he desires?
• Jesus, our model, is our supreme example of obedience. He obeyed God in the long years which he spent in Nazareth, subjecting himself to the will of his parents. He obeyed God during his public life, being nourished daily by the will of his Father. He obeyed God in his death, even death on a cross.
• The Holy Spirit accompanies and strengthens us inwardly, so that in obeying him we do not feel lonely or weak.
• Mary’s "fiat" challenges us in our solicitous, simple and constant obedience to the vocation and mission that God has entrusted to us. Mary’s generous "fiat," which we recall three times a day, is a thorn in Christian conscience.
• Man’s social nature and the communitarian nature of faith speak for themselves about the need for organization, authority, and consequently, the need for obedience.
• When one obeys with faith and love, obedience instills great peace in his heart. Pope John XXIII’s episcopal slogan, "Oboedientia et pax" emphasize this.
• A believing and loving obedience contributes greatly to the maturation of the Christian personality, which has as its plan, above all else, the will of God. "Your will, O Lord, above all things."
• The experience and prudence of parents and educators, like the grace that has been given to those that hold some type of authority within the Church.
• The effectiveness that obedience provides to a civil or ecclesial institution in the attainment of its own goals. Union and obedience generate strength.

Dissent and obedience. Individualism, such a pronounced tendency today, is a broad avenue that easily leads to dissent within the family, society and the ecclesial community.

Disagreeing on questionable issues, of little consequence, is not a serious matter. But a habitual dissent over fundamental aspects of life and faith – and considering such a dissent as an inalienable human right – is a daring attitude bordering on a certain intellectual intemperance or on a clear passive ignorance.

It is true that on some occasions there may be a legitimate dissent, if it arises after a mature reflection, with a sincere longing to seek the truth, and if it is manifested discreetly and according to the established criteria. Sometimes, however, it seems that some people are out there waiting for the bishop or the pope to make a statement so that they can automatically disagree with it.

The Church is not an agglomeration of individuals, nor is reason the only yardstick of the Church’s life. Why not rise above it all, and obey in the face of temptation (for example, to dissent) by means of a sound faith and a simple and ecclesial obedience? The Kingdom of Christ will gain credibility in the concert of men! And most especially, we will become better Christians!are still signs with which God shakes our conscience, challenges us and wishes to continue to offer us his salvation.