When I first was asked to preach today, I didn’t really want to, but gave a tentative ok. Before I gave a for sure “yes” I went to see what the lectionary had for that day. I read through all the verses. You have Psalm 30 with David praising God for how even at his lowest, God was ready and willing to raise him up. When David needed help, God was there. I thought to myself, “That’s a good one talking about how great it is that no matter what we have said, thought, or done, God is ready to turn us around and heal our wounds.”
Next I read Isaiah 66:10-14 and about God’s unfailing love for Israel and those who mourn when Israel mourns, and rejoices when Israel is joyous, God will bless you for it. Also that God will bless Israel and many great things will come from her that you will like. When you are down, God will comfort you and that comfort will come from Israel.
I think this comfort is not only God foreshadowing Jesus and the Holy Spirit to us, but also of what the future will hold. Did you know that Israel has some of the leading Doctors in the world when it comes to curing cancer, and they have developed new and better ways of desalinating ocean water into usable and drinkable water? God said, “I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream.”
Next I read Psalm 66: 1-9, it didn't stand out too much to me, a fairly standard Psalm of praising God. How great and mighty he is, and we should be worshiping him because we are alive. Very true, but I’m glad I didn't have to write a sermon on that.
Next was Galatians 6: 1-16. I actually really liked this passage. Paul was very quick to point out, that if you catch anyone in sin, you should, with “the spirit of gentleness” work to overcome that sin in their life, together. Paul goes on with a lot of good and powerful ideas verse after verse. “Bear one another’s burdens.” Those who think too much of themselves, deceive themselves. Test your own work, not someone elses because this is a cause of pride. Everyone in the family of God must carry their own weight. That is literally the first 5 verses.
So many good things I could think of in these readings. But no. Dad picked something else. Dad picked 2 Kings 5. I had read about it, thought about it. I didn’t really like it. Not that there isn't anything good to be learned, obviously there is or I wouldn't be up here, but nothing really jumped out at me, so I thought about again, read it again, thought some more, eventually things started building. Like why did the king of Israel tear his clothes?
Naaman was a mighty warrior, who God even seemed to like, but he had leprosy. Right away here, you find that Naaman was a very important man. He was probably second only to the king. He had a title that only one man in a kingdom could own. He was Naaman, Commander of the Army of the King of Aram. Naaman had power, fame and probably riches to go with it all, yet it was disease that brought the mighty man down. His fate was sealed. He was going to die.
I want to stop a moment to talk about Naaman’s title. “Commander of the army of the king of Aram.” This is an important title to remember. Because it is used elsewhere in the bible as well. Joshua 5:13-15 says:
But I think Naaman was actually a good man as well. He listened to people. In fact, we are told that it was the slave of his wife that had mentioned that there was a great prophet in Samaria and that this man could heal Naaman. This slave girl was captured during a raid into Israel, yet even far from home, she had enough faith in God that she would mention to Naaman’s wife about this. And Naaman listened.
It might have been a bit of listening because he didn't want to die yet, but he listened and believed her enough that he approached his king to ask permission to go to Israel and be healed. And I believe the king loved Naaman because he not only gave permission, but also a large amount of Silver, Gold and new clothing. When was the last time you went to your boss and asked if you could do something and your boss gave you a rather large sum of money to make it happen. Or even gave you a single piece of new clothes, let alone the 10 sets of new clothing the king of Aram gave for Naaman to go and get healed?
But not everyone seemed to have as much faith, or was maybe a little confused. The king of Israel did not understand why Naaman was there, sure he knew that he was there to be healed, but how could the king do it? “Am I God?” he asked and thought this a ploy to pick a fight between the two kingdoms. He tore his clothes in frustration. Tearing your clothes was an outward act of showing how upset you were. Not an angry upset, but a mournful and worried upset. The king of Israel was probably at his wits end and was worried war was going to come.
Then as gossip so easily does, word spread to Elisha’s ears that the king had torn his clothes he sent a letter to the king. So the king sent Naaman and his people to Elisha. Elisha sent a servant out to tell him how to cure himself. Naaman was angry that the prophet didnt make time to visit him. The people of Israel surely knew who Naaman was. For a man as powerful as Naaman was, to be snubbed by a prophet of some other people.
But here is where the real meat of the story comes in. Naaman left angry, I'd guess he was probably thinking of war with Israel for this snub. But his servants tried to calm him. They talked some sense into him. "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?"
Naaman goes to the Jordan River bathes seven times and is clean. He is healed of his Leprosy. Naaman’s story didnt end where our reading did. Naaman went back to Elisha, his skin “as healthy as a young child’s” Now before the prophet, Naaman announced that he now believed there was no other god in all the world except in Israel. Naaman would no longer offer burnt offerings to any god but except God. And even went on to say that though he will have to go to the temple of Rimmon with his king, when he bows he will be bowing to the LORD.
There is a lot of trust in this whole passage. First the young slave girl trusted in the LORD enough and was brave enough to mention to her mistress about the man of God in Israel. Naaman’s wife trusted the girl enough to mention it to her husband. And whether it was out of desperation because he didn't want to die, or whatever it was, Naaman trusted this slave girl too, enough to ask his king.
Naaman also had to trust in the words of the Elisha. Many times in life, we hear people trying to heal themselves, mostly now its cancers or another sickness and even problems in our day to day lives, but the plea to God is the same. It causes me to wonder, how many times to we beg for God to cure us, he tells us exactly how, but we want something different. We want a grand display of God working in our lives. We use the excuse that if God can cure me of this disease or fix my problem with a big display, then I can show the world how great God is. Yet we ignore the simple command because it seems too simple.
Our call is simple. To go and make disciples. We are to do this by loving God and loving people. This is not a hard thing. Actually this is a very hard thing to do when we are looking on taking on the world by ourselves. But we aren’t alone. We have a body of people who, at a moments notice, should be ready to throw love like a hot potato at a world of hungry Irish. Sadly we make it harder when we think along the lines of, “what’s in it for me, How can we do this, we don’t have enough people, we don’t have enough money.” But when God wants something done, he will provide for it.
Naaman’s life was changed that day he took a bath in the Jordan River, so too where his families, and maybe his friends. Maybe if we would just once, do just what God says, no matter how easy or hard it sounds, our lives will also be changed, and with that, the lives of everyone around us as well.
Naaman was a mighty warrior, who God even seemed to like, but he had leprosy. Right away here, you find that Naaman was a very important man. He was probably second only to the king. He had a title that only one man in a kingdom could own. He was Naaman, Commander of the Army of the King of Aram. Naaman had power, fame and probably riches to go with it all, yet it was disease that brought the mighty man down. His fate was sealed. He was going to die.
I want to stop a moment to talk about Naaman’s title. “Commander of the army of the king of Aram.” This is an important title to remember. Because it is used elsewhere in the bible as well. Joshua 5:13-15 says:
“When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, “Are you for us, or for our adversaries?” And he said, “No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come.” And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, “What does my lord say to his servant?” And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, “Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy.” And Joshua did so.”And again, in Revelation 19 we read:
Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. On his robe at his thigh was written this title: King of kings and Lord of lords.This title tells of the importance of the one who holds it. In Revelation we know it is Jesus who holds this title. He Rides out at the front of the Army of Heaven. And though there is some debate on who was before Joshua, I believe it was Jesus “Pre-incarnate.” Yes the title between Naaman and Jesus is slightly different, the title nonetheless is meant as a great honor and should be something to be remembered.
But I think Naaman was actually a good man as well. He listened to people. In fact, we are told that it was the slave of his wife that had mentioned that there was a great prophet in Samaria and that this man could heal Naaman. This slave girl was captured during a raid into Israel, yet even far from home, she had enough faith in God that she would mention to Naaman’s wife about this. And Naaman listened.
It might have been a bit of listening because he didn't want to die yet, but he listened and believed her enough that he approached his king to ask permission to go to Israel and be healed. And I believe the king loved Naaman because he not only gave permission, but also a large amount of Silver, Gold and new clothing. When was the last time you went to your boss and asked if you could do something and your boss gave you a rather large sum of money to make it happen. Or even gave you a single piece of new clothes, let alone the 10 sets of new clothing the king of Aram gave for Naaman to go and get healed?
But not everyone seemed to have as much faith, or was maybe a little confused. The king of Israel did not understand why Naaman was there, sure he knew that he was there to be healed, but how could the king do it? “Am I God?” he asked and thought this a ploy to pick a fight between the two kingdoms. He tore his clothes in frustration. Tearing your clothes was an outward act of showing how upset you were. Not an angry upset, but a mournful and worried upset. The king of Israel was probably at his wits end and was worried war was going to come.
But here is where the real meat of the story comes in. Naaman left angry, I'd guess he was probably thinking of war with Israel for this snub. But his servants tried to calm him. They talked some sense into him. "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean'?"
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| From Bible.com |
There is a lot of trust in this whole passage. First the young slave girl trusted in the LORD enough and was brave enough to mention to her mistress about the man of God in Israel. Naaman’s wife trusted the girl enough to mention it to her husband. And whether it was out of desperation because he didn't want to die, or whatever it was, Naaman trusted this slave girl too, enough to ask his king.
Naaman also had to trust in the words of the Elisha. Many times in life, we hear people trying to heal themselves, mostly now its cancers or another sickness and even problems in our day to day lives, but the plea to God is the same. It causes me to wonder, how many times to we beg for God to cure us, he tells us exactly how, but we want something different. We want a grand display of God working in our lives. We use the excuse that if God can cure me of this disease or fix my problem with a big display, then I can show the world how great God is. Yet we ignore the simple command because it seems too simple.
Our call is simple. To go and make disciples. We are to do this by loving God and loving people. This is not a hard thing. Actually this is a very hard thing to do when we are looking on taking on the world by ourselves. But we aren’t alone. We have a body of people who, at a moments notice, should be ready to throw love like a hot potato at a world of hungry Irish. Sadly we make it harder when we think along the lines of, “what’s in it for me, How can we do this, we don’t have enough people, we don’t have enough money.” But when God wants something done, he will provide for it.
Naaman’s life was changed that day he took a bath in the Jordan River, so too where his families, and maybe his friends. Maybe if we would just once, do just what God says, no matter how easy or hard it sounds, our lives will also be changed, and with that, the lives of everyone around us as well.
