Epiphany 6, 2012
2 Kings 5:1-14
“Wash and be cleansed”
Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” “Looks can be deceiving.” In the sculptor's words...the façade that we present to the world does not always reflect our inner selves and the old adage that “what you see is what you get” does not necessarily hold true for people. The reason that these sayings exist and why we know them is that people do judge by what they see. Looks do play a significant role in how we judge what we are looking at. If you look at a house and see water stains in all the ceilings…you might reconsider buying that house. If you see a car for sale with a large puddle of oil underneath it may raise some questions about that car. In other words…when it comes to us humans…“seeing is believing and believing is seeing.”
“Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram.He was a valiant soldier.” (2 Kings 5:1)
Naaman was the General of the Syrian army…one of the most powerful armies the world knew at that time. Naaman was famous for his military victories and the conquests he had completed. The world was at Naaman’s feet…he had everything: success, power, respect, and wealth. Naaman was at the height of his career and seemingly had everything he wanted. The world craves for the success that Naaman had.
As we said before…“don’t judge a book by its cover”…because…“looks can be deceiving.” Naaman had everything, that is true, everything including leprosy. There was no cure in Naaman’s time. Naaman was terminally ill with no hope of recovery. Even though Naaman was a great man…his leprosy would have also required him to be quarantined…alone…away from his family, friends, and people. Naaman would be all alone. All of his success; his victories, conquests, and wealth would do nothing for him now…and he would trade all of it to be healed. The riches of this world are meaningless when you realize that they do not last, do not bring happiness, and cannot save you.
God had a plan for Naaman just as He has plans for you. “Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. "By all means, go," the king of Aramreplied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents [approx. 750 pounds… by today’s standard $402,480.00] of silver, six thousand shekels [approx. 150 pounds…by today’s standard $4,132,800.00] of gold and ten sets of clothing. The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:2-6)
Naaman saw his only chance for healing and took it. Naaman would go to the King of Israel for help. This is significant. Although there was a peace treaty between Israel and Syria…they still had border skirmishes for control of different areas. The Israelites and the Syrians did not get along…and the girl that served Naaman’s wife was a captive. But that girl had faith in the true God and selflessly shared her faith with those that kept her captive. Here we see once again…God working in mysterious ways.
“As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel ." So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” (2 Kings 5:7-10)
To say the least the King of Israel was not pleased to see Naaman or read the letter from the King of Aram. The King of Israel, Joram, was not faithful to God. Joram’s thoughts were that the King of Aram knowingly sent his General to Israel because he wouldn’t be able to heal his servant. King Joram thought that once Naaman found out he wouldn’t be healed that this would be an insult to the General and the people of Aram and would lead to war. Unlike the servant girl that told Naaman of God, Joram did not have faith that God would heal Naaman or the wisdom to send Naamn to Elisha.
Elisha heard what was going on and sent for Naaman. Naaman immediately went to Elisha’s house without haste. Naaman was simply looking for a cure and would do anything to get it. Elisha sent a messenger to Naaman…and told Naaman to “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” (2 Kings 5:10)
As desperate as Naaman was…he was also a proud man. “But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.” (2 Kings 5:11-12)
Naaman had traveled hundreds of miles just to be healed. He brought many valuable gifts with him to give for his being cured. Naaman was an important man. Surely the prophet would at least meet him and speak with him face to face…surely the prophet would do something impressive to cure him…surely the prophet could have sent him somewhere important to bathe in a river…but none of these are what the prophet did. All of this offended Naaman.
“Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.” (2 Kings 5:13-14)
Like Naaman we get offended by God. Surely God can help us with our daily lives and problems by meeting us face to face or by giving us an important “sign” from heaven. Surely God can use His angels and pastors to do something impressive for us. Surely God could come up with something better than plain water, wine, and stale wafers. But God doesn’t. God uses the plain waters to baptize, plain ordinary wine and stale wafers to give us faith, forgiveness, and strength. But only their look is ordinary…for with God’s very Word these ordinary things become extraordinary. Just as God would use the muddy Jordan river to cleanse Naaman, He uses plain elements to cleanse us from our sin.
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” “Looks can be deceiving.” As you have been given faith, forgiven, and strengthened by ordinary things…that God made extraordinary the same applies for you. Though you may be ordinary or simple to the world…God makes you extraordinary. You are His beloved child. You have been made perfect in Christ. You are marvelous, wonderful, and beloved in His sight. Amen.
Now may the peace of God which passes all human understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus our Lord and Savior. Amen.
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