Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide Luke 10:4-7

Is it possible for us to empty ourselves taking the form of a servant, to be a guest reliant on an others hospitality? (Philippians 2:7)

Our readings point to the role of servants and beggars.

The girl who had been taken as a slave spoke out. “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” We don’t know this girls name. She disappears from the story as soon as she has spoken. But her courage to speak changed Naaman’s life and faith.

The king of Aram does appropriate posturing offering a king’s ransom on behalf of his commander. But he doesn’t pay attention to what the girl said. The girl said, the prophet would cure the leprosy, she did not say anything about the King.

As you would imagine the King of Israel was terrified. Is the king of Aram just picking a fight? What could he possible do even if he was given all the money in the world? Fortunately at this point Elisha intervenes. But Elisha does not actually go out to speak personally to Naaman he sends his servant out.

The servant’s job is simple, tell Naaman to wash seven times in the river Jordan. The servant does what he is told to do. His role is important but simpler than the girl who spoke out as a slave.

Naaman is not impressed. Elisha did not come out, did not touch him or do any ritual prayers or actions. Is Elisha asking Naaman to take on the Hebrew faith? Certainly the baptism that John the Baptist extolled people to come out to the Jordan for was based on a rite used to welcome proselytes into the Hebrew faith. They would be born again as Hebrew people.

But may be this practice had not started as early as the time of Elisha. May be it was Naaman’s baptism that began the tradition of foreigners being baptised. The word baptism means to bath. But whether Elisha was asking Naaman to have ritual baptism or not doesn’t really matter, the important thing is that Naaman having bathed seven times begins to wholeheartedly trust the God of Israel. His experience of healing leads him to faith.

Now Naaman would not have gone to bath in the Jordan if not for another servant (or servants) speaking up and challenging him to do this apparently simple task. Yes they need to bring a reasoned logical argument to make Naaman change his mind.

So we have a slave girl, Elisha’s servant and Naaman’s own servants contributing to Naaman’s healing and conversion. The powerful kings almost managed to derail the process but the servants created the opportunity for healing and grace. Some how, the empty handed, the unnamed powerless ones brought healing and grace to Naaman. Even Elisha refuses to receive the King’s ransom because he knows that it was God who healed Naaman. So in some sense even Elisha is empty handed and powerless before God.

Now let’s move to the Gospel reading. After the debacle in last weeks Gospel reading where Jesus and his friends were refused hospitality in a Samaritan town Jesus sends his disciples ahead to prepare the way. But he doesn’t say look here is a King’s ransom in gold, go ahead with this money, tell people who is coming and prepare the way for the King to enter. Jesus says; take no purse, no bag and no sandals. Jesus sends them out like beggars. You will remember from the story of the prodigal son that the son was given sandals as part of his sign of being restored as a member of the household. It was our gospel reading for today that caught Francis of Assisi’s attention. He and his brothers took on a vow of poverty.

I suspect that what is unsaid here is that there is no point going to another from a position of power to bring them good news. Real grace only changes lives when we come empty handed

Western society seems to refuse to learn this lesson. Regardless of whether we go with a great army, to invade Vietnam or Iraq, or Afghanistan we do not have the power to bring peace and prosperity.
If we bring aid to the countries of the Pacific or the nations of Africa in its billions we never succeed in bringing sustainable prosperity.
Even the Church on too many occasions has come from a position of power rather than with the humility and powerlessness that Jesus invites. So in many countries the Church has only succeed in renaming the gods with Christian names and so much of what already existed continues without grace. Fortunately that has not always been the case. Many great missionaries have gone with extraordinary simplicity, have entered into the culture because of the hospitality of the people and there they have brought grace in abundance.

For us then we are called to go empty handed. We need to take of masks of power or wealth or superior knowledge and just be people of God in their midst. I suspect for most of us that will not be a literal going to another people and culture. It will simple mean being truly ourselves without adornment or masking. In some ways that is all we can ever be but many, many people, perhaps even most of us, spend a huge part of lives posturing with knowledge, power or wealth.

Leslie A Hay speaks of “numinous reciprocity” (1) when the guest becomes the host. The story of Abraham providing hospitality to the three travellers is the obvious example along with the story of the road to Emmaus. When we provide hospitality we minister to Christ and naturally we are blessed. If we are received into someone’s house what a privilege to be greeted by Christ and if we empty ourselves we too will be Christ to them.

So the invitation of grace for us today is an invitation to let go of anything that may get in the way of us being ourselves before God. Jesus invites us to be naked and powerless before God. Like the slave Girl or Naaman’s servants we may then be in a position to offer words of Grace.

(1) Leslie A Hay, Hospitality: The heart of Soiritual Direction, Presence Vol 13 No 1, March 2007 page 14