July 3, 2022 Sermon
Sermon title: "Naaman Takes a Bath"
Scripture: 2 Kings 5:1-14
(Other lectionary choices include Psalm 30, Galatians 6:1-16, and Luke 10:1-11 and 16-20.)
2 Kings 5:1-14
The Healing of Naaman
1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me." 8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13But his servants approached and said to 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'?" 14So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
Today's Scripture reading contains an interesting story: a Syrian army general who has been successful against Israel goes back to Israel to be cleared of a certain skin disease. Interesting that Israelite writers have a story about a SYRIAN conqueror who conquered THEM! The prophet of Israel Elisha gets the last word, and - therefore - so too does God. But it's kind of unusual for ancient writers to tell the truth about the truth: Israel LOST the battle, and SYRIA won. That's one reason I like the Bible so much: it tells the truth, even if telling the truth can be painful.
Something else I find interesting is the Hebrew slave girl taken captive when Syria defeated Israel, and we don't even get her name! But that's the way it is sometimes in our faith: we do stuff out of love or compassion, and we don't care who gets credit. Also, how interesting that the slave girl wants Naaman - her master - to be cured! She doesn't care who he is, friend or enemy. She would simply like to see him cured. But another aspect of this story is that perhaps Naaman and his household have been KIND to the slave girl, and because of their kindness to her, she wants to reciprocate, even if she's the slave and Naaman's family is the master. That idea is not too far-fetched.....the idea that perhaps Naaman was kind. Later in the story his own people try to get him to wash in the Jordan. Could it be that they LIKE their boss because he is kind? Think about it! Many people are AFRAID of their bosses, even today. If Naaman's underlings didn't like him, they might have thought, "Let the old arrogant so-and-so stew in his own juice. I don't care if he gets cured or not!" But that is not what happened here: Naaman's subordinates urged him to comply with what Elisha said, and he did.
Another aspect of this story is that we see an arrogant army general react to what he sees as a snub by Elisha. He is FURIOUS when Elisha sends a surrogate out to meet him and doesn't come himself! But the neat part of this story is that he eventually DOES swallow his pride and does what Elisha tells him to do. That's hard to do: swallow our pride. But Naaman does, and by doing so - and bathing in the Jordan River - he is cured. Also, what's interesting here is the itty-bitty requirement - washing in the Jordan - when Naaman expected a BIGGER requirement would be needed. The trouble is that Naaman ASSUMED too much. (Sidebar: have you ever noticed how ASSUME is spelled? It makes an ASS of U and ME! I hope you'll forgive me for telling that one in church!) But let US not ASSUME too much! One of the problems later on when Jesus came on the scene was that people ASSUMED that God wouldn't come to earth that way, as a lowly baby in a manger in a stable in some out-of-the-way place. But the Christian belief is that that is EXACTLY what happened. I always fall back on this quote from Isaiah: Isaiah quoting God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts; neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord." So let us not ASSUME too much and let us let God be God.
I mentioned a moment ago that Naaman assumed too much. Look what he brought with him: we are told in the Scripture that he brought horses and chariots. And we can assume that he brought a lot of riches in those horses and chariots. He really expected that this cure was going to cost him an arm and a leg, or at least a couple of horses' legs! And maybe a chariot or two as well. But he was wrong. All he really needed to do was have a little faith in what the prophet Elisha said, and what he said was to go wash in the Jordan.
Are you familiar with this verse from Micah chapter 6? "God has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you: but to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God."
Sometimes you and I are like Naaman in that we have a tough time accepting what it says in Micah chapter 6. "We think there must be a huge price we must pay in behavior, attitude, and lifestyle in exchange for this gift. [But] again and again, the Bible tells us, no. God gives and gives. Have faith, and healing is yours. New life is yours." That's a quote from the Lutheran pastor Nathan Aaseng from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, whom I quoted last week.
And Pastor Nathan says this: "The story makes an important claim about God. What does the Lord require of you? Just one thing: faith. [Or I would say TRUST.] Naaman received new life because a servant girl believed God could give it to him, and she shared that belief. All Naaman had to do to complete the deal was have a little bit of that faith and he would be clean. Naaman didn't have to pay anything, perform any heroic deeds or sacrifices. All he had to do was wash in the river, which was really nothing more than an act of faith."
Can it really be that simple? Yes, it can; and Yes, it is! Remember Jesus's words about having faith as big - or as little - as a mustard seed? He wasn't kidding! That's all it takes! It isn't nothing and it is something. But that's all it takes, and it isn't much! Thanks be to God! Amen.
Pastor Skip
