This day is a day of good news, but we are silent

2 Kings 7:3-9 There was a famine in Samaria (Chapter 6: 24-31). Benhadad, king of Aram (Syria), besieged Samaria so strongly that famine spread throughout the city. In it, people were forced to pay exorbitant prices for unclean foods that were not permitted to be eaten (e.g. donkey’s head), or for wild herbs and grains. The King of Israel recognized that no one but the Lord could help in this situation. He cried and put on sackcloth when he heard that people were eating human flesh from the extreme famine (like the example of the two women). He swore to kill Elisha before that day was over, blaming him for being the cause of those terrible conditions, and for his failure to do anything to alleviate them. At the same time, there were four leprous men sitting at the gate of Samaria, in despair, because it is not permissible for lepers to enter the city (Leviticus 13:46). The people of the city were throwing them some food, but it stopped due to hunger. These men decided to travel to the nearby Aramean camp in the hope of getting food. When they arrived there, they found the Aramean camp deserted; The Lord had made the enemy forces hear the noise and the sound of the chariots of a mighty army coming against them. Because they thought that the King of Israel had hired Hittite and Egyptian soldiers to help him, they ran away quickly and left everything behind, including clothes, gold, and food. But whatever it was, it was from God. The leprous men went to tell others about this divine work and bore witness about God’s miracles and gifts. This moment is symbolic of an invitation to every believer to bring the good news of salvation and joy to all. These men did not wait until dawn, but went out into the darkness to preach the good news. They felt that their silence was evil and that God could punish them for it. These men had the quality of wisdom, and they did not surrender to the state of frustration, failure, and the bleak picture before them. Rather, in the spirit of hope, they set out for the enemy camp, and when they found all these good things, they wanted to share with the people. They did not take the blessings for themselves, even when they were already rejected by the people who considered them impure. This is a great example to us to share the good news we have been given. Let us go out into the world and with joy tell people of the great miracles and gifts God has given us.  Amen. Iman Karras