In our first reading for Sunday, Naaman is told by the prophet Elisha that, in order to be healed of his leprosy, he must go and wash in the Jordan river seven times. It is unclear as to why it’s seven and not six or eight or any other number. Regardless, Naaman goes and decides to follow Elisha’s instructions. He washes once, twice, three times, and maybe by the fifth or sixth time, he starts to feel a bit silly. Maybe Elisha is playing some sort of joke on him? After all, how can the seventh wash be any different from the previous ones? Either way, Naaman, maybe thinking to himself something like “Well I’ve come this far already.” Goes and washes in the Jordan for a seventh time. After that seventh wash, he comes out “clean of his leprosy”.

Naturally, Naaman seeks to show his gratitude to Elisha by offering him a gift of some sort, but Elisha refuses. Instead Elisha points Naaman to the true power that has healed him – the Lord God, telling Naaman that he is only acting as God’s servant in all of this. Naaman then pledges that he will only offer his  worship to the true God from now on.

So because of Naaman’s trust he is able to be blessed in two ways. One is that he is cured of his leprosy but the second, and most important blessing, is that he now has found the one true God. Similarly, in the Gospel reading for Sunday, Jesus heals the 10 lepers and asks them to go show themselves to the priests, and on the way they were cleansed. But this cleansing was only a means to point them to God. It was meant to be not just a cleansing from physical ailments but rather a pathway that was meant to lead them to acknowledge Jesus as Savior. But only one leper returns and, like Naaman, gives thanks and praise to God.

Let us then be mindful of the blessings in our lives – the little things that we can look at and turn to God in gratitude. Maybe not something as big as being cured of leprosy, but the small blessings that we receive throughout the day can be a means to orient us towards God.