Midweek Naaman

 

In the Name of Christ the Crucified +

At the risk of sounding like a broken record this Lent, Naaman was a bad, bad man. In fact, most any Israelite who heard that he had leprosy would have said, “Good, I hope it hurts.” Naaman is the top general of the kingdom of Syria, a nation that threatens and attacks and raids Israel – and not just to get money or supplies. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. They are taking slaves, child slaves. And Naaman is the guy who is running this, this little Jewish girl is now his slave. Naaman is a bad, bad man – and it would be understandable if he were hated and detested. At least that would be the way of the world.

But this little Jewish slave girl, who in terms of the Christian faith and life outshines any of us, speaks. Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy! What faithfulness! What compassion! What understanding of God – knowing that the Lord desireth not the death of a sinner, knowing that the Lord God blesses all creation, knowing the power of the Word of God!And amazingly, Naaman listens. He goes to his king, the king gives the trip his blessing – although the king of Israel (who wasn't that faithful, if at all) is skeptical and weeps. It's all a pretext for war! Well, it could be, especially if you keep ignoring the Word of God, King – but not today. Because Elisha hears of it, and Elisha the prophet says, “Send Naaman to me.”

And Naaman goes to Elisha's house, “And Elisha sent a messenger to him saying, 'Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you will be clean.'” Now, this is fantastic, and we don't notice it. There are two things promised – first, healing. The flesh shall be restored. But there's more than that – you will be clean. To be clean means that you are fit and able to come to the worship of God. If you were unclean, you didn't go to the temple or tabernacle; you stayed away. Not only will you be healed, Naaman, you will be fit to worship the LORD God.

And Naaman's annoyed. One of my favorite bits of Scripture is Naaman saying, “I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand and call upon the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.” What do you mean I just go and wash, and I don't even see the prophet. Where's the production? Where's the show? This is like going to the doctor's office and the secretary tells the doctor you're here, and then she walks back and says, “Take two asprin, and don't bother calling in the morning because you'll be fine.” Doesn't Elisha know who I am? Isn't there going to be some spectacle, something showy? And this is so true of who God is and who we are as sinful human beings. God gives His blessings of both body and soul in subtle ways. Our daily bread is rarely given to us in showy ways – most of the time it's just from the grocery store. And as for being made clean – water and the word – Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?” For our baptisms here we don't even use special water from the Jordan – it's Herscher tap. Woo-hoo. But most importantly, it's the Word of God – and the Word of God is powerful and does what it says, whether it's spoken by a little Jewish slave girl, or a prophet's servant, or a called and ordained servant of the Word, or any baptized child of God. And Naaman is going to learn that, again, thanks to some servants.

But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, 'Wash, and be clean?'” Master, um, this is good. No, really, it's a good thing. This is fantastic – believe what he says, live accordingly! Repent, turn away from your petty anger and be healed. And Naaman does. He washes, and is healed. And this story is so emblematic of how stupid our sin is, how silly our opposition to the Word of God is. We will make mountains out of not even molehills but anthills. We will be tempted to come up with every stupid reason in the book to plug up our ears – but the word of God spoken to you is a great one. The LORD God takes care of your salvation, and He gives it to you freely. Christ Jesus handles everything required to cleanse you of your sin and give you eternal life. You don't have to do any homework, there's no payoff you have to bring after you hear the absolution here, or after a sermon, or even after the blessing to leave. You just say, “Amen” - Yea, yea, it shall be so. What God says stands. Repentance is simply when we get turned away from our sin – whether it is the consequence of our sin or our tantrums that we throw – and we get focused again upon the Word of God and the forgiveness, life, and salvation that it brings.

I love the story of Naaman – and we hear it every year just before Lent – but they always cut the reading off at verse 15. We are going a little be longer tonight and getting the rest of Naaman's story. Naaman returns to Elisha, and actually gets to talk to Elisha this time, and he says, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” What faithfulness! But Elisha turns down the gift – no gift, not now, because you're new to the faith, and you might think this forgiveness thing is transactional. “God washed your back so now you gotta wash His.” Nope – this is a free gift to you from God, not by works or donation so that no man may boast. That's not how you live as a believer in the LORD – you're a free man in the LORD. And Naaman starts thinking things through – If not, please let there be given to your servant two mules' load of earth, for now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. Again – I will amend my worship. My job keeps me from coming to Israel, to Jerusalem, and I'm away from the priests and the Levites – but my worship will be to God alone.

But then a problem. In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant; when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter. I'm going to have to go with my king to his pagan temple – and I'm the one who helps him get up and down when he bows before the throne – it's my job. Um, yeah, this is messy and bad. Ideally I wouldn't, but I have obligations. What does this mean? How will this work out? And Elisha simply says this – Go in peace. You get it Naaman – bridle you tongue, don't cause a scene, be a good servant because as a servant you are under your king's authority – but remain faithful. Life is messy – the LORD understands, and He excels at cleaning up the messiness of life, as your now clean skin shows. You know the LORD, you know His love – go in peace. Same thing we hear even to this day – the peace of of the LORD be with you always, in fact.

Do you see, my dear friends? God takes real sinners living real, messy lives and He brings them to repentance is remarkable ways, by the Word spoken by the lowest, the most humdrum sorts of people – spoken by a servant. Repentance isn't a giant show. Naaman doesn't get a spectacle; he can't even give Elisha fantastic gifts and prizes. Repentance changes your life, but not necessarily in earth shattering ways – you are no longer of the world, but you are still in it. Naaman still goes home to Syria, because that's where God has placed him. You are here in (Herscher/Bonfield), that's where God has placed you – enjoy the life He gives you here. But enjoy it as one who has been repented, who has been turned away from sin and unto God's mercy – turned again and again, even until that day when Jesus Christ turns our eyes unto Him evermore in the resurrection of the Last Day for the life of the world to come. We may be dust, but we are His dust, and He will make us live. Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen.