Reflections
Psalm 98: 1, 2-3, 3-4 (Read)
“Sing to the Lord a new song.” 
The Lord makes all thing new, and we are
a new creation, the work of his hands.
And so it is right that we sing a “new song”
to the Lord, who has done marvelous things for us.
This is a Psalm of joy, and because God's saving
power has been revealed to all the nations, we are
all encouraged to “break into song, sing praise.”
“The Lord's right hand and holy arm have won
the victory.” It is clear from this Sunday's readings
that God's healing power is not limited to the Israelites.
In this Sunday's first reading the Syrian army commander
Naaman is healed in the land of Yahweh. (2 Kings 5:14)
And in Sunday's second reading, St Paul reminds us
that the 'word of God is not chained' and that if we
persevere and die with Christ, we too will be counted
among the living, the chosen ones. (2 Timothy 2: 9-10)
Then in the Gospel, God's saving power is made
available to a grateful Samaritan, who is the only
one healed that has learned to sing the new song,
glorifying God in a loud voice and falling at the feet
of Jesus in thanksgiving. (Luke 17: 11-19)
God's salvation flows out to all people, whether they
be soldiers from foreign lands, lepers, or those imprisoned.
And how is salvation obtained, how is the victory won?
It is won by God's holy arm, His son, our Savior
Jesus Christ. Victory is obtainable for us too, if we
keep the faith, give thanks to God, and praise Him.
As the Psalm says, “Shout with joy to the Lord, sing praise.”
Amen
Discussion Questions for Reflection
1. Our Psalmist declares, "The Lord has revealed to the nations His saving power."
Tell of how the Lord has revealed to you personally His saving power.
2. The Psalm urges us to "Sing to the Lord a new song." Speak of what it means
to you to have learned the 'new song' of praising and worshiping the one true God.
On Instagram, of all places, I recently saw a clip of a Christian healing service in England. A man named Mohammed was onstage, overcome with emotion. He was dressed in a beautiful tunic, jumping ecstatically, and explaining in his best English that he had just been healed of deafness. He could hear again!
ReplyDeleteHe recounted that he did not pray for it, necessarily. He was just open to healing, out of desperation. You could see the conversion taking place in his heart, as he recognized Jesus. He proclaimed slowly but surely, "Jesus must be Lord!" The power of this moment was palpable through my phone screen. Tears streamed down this man's face, as the crowd erupted in praise of God.
Like the heroes in this week's readings, Mohammed is a "foreigner," perhaps of another faith originally. Certainly, of a culture unfamiliar to me. Yet, he was chosen to reflect God's goodness to those of us who might consider ourselves followers of Christ. His sheer and pure gratitude was inspiring. He had "ears to hear" and shared that testimony with thousands in the crowd and probably millions through social media.
This is the witness of someone I don't know, but whose experience touches me personally. How I serve a wonderful God who loves to heal! And when I experience his daily comforts and restorations of my soul, I should sing a new song, indeed. His saving power is for everyone, including me. And I praise his Holy Name for it.