Fourteenth Sunday After Trinity (B C P). Series

Psalm 118:1-9, 2 Kings 5:9-16, Galatians 5:16-24, Luke 17:11-19.

A). THE EVERLASTING MERCY OF THE LORD.

Psalm 118:1-9.

Our Psalm today begins, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for He is good” (PSALM 118:1a). Notice that it is not that ‘He has been good to me.’ But rather that He is “good” within Himself. My mentor knew what it was to be persecuted, but faithfully rode out his troubles with the words, ‘Well, you know how things are: BUT GOD IS GOOD’ upon his mouth.

One big part of our interest in God’s goodness is “because His mercy endureth for ever” (PSALM 118:1b). In other words, His “mercy” (hesed = covenant-love) is everlasting! This is repeated three times in PSALM 118:2-4, where three groups of people are singled out to “now say, that His mercy endureth for ever.”

“Israel” (PSALM 118:2a) calls upon the whole community of God’s covenant people, and “house of Aaron” (PSALM 118:3a) upon the priesthood. And “them that fear the LORD” (PSALM 118:4a) includes all the redeemed (cf. Psalm 107:2).

The whole of PSALM 118:1 is repeated at the end of the Psalm (cf. Psalm 118:29).

PSALM 118:5. I called upon the LORD (literally) “from the strait place.” The LORD answered me (literally) “from the open place” (cf. Psalm 31:8). When we feel that we are, as it were, in a tight spot, the LORD delivers us into boundless freedom (cf. Psalm 18:19); into ‘the glorious liberty of the children of God’ (cf. Romans 8:21).

The LORD is (literally) “for me” (PSALM 118:6a; cf. Psalm 56:9b). ‘If God be for us, who can be against us?’ (cf. Romans 8:31).

“I will not fear: what can man do unto me?” (PSALM 118:6b; cf. Psalm 56:11; Hebrews 13:6).

“The LORD taketh my part with them that help me” (PSALM 118:7a). Of course, the LORD is my principal helper, but He is also with those who take the part of His own (cf. Psalm 54:4).

Therefore I shall (literally) “look upon” them that hate me (PSALM 118:7b).

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man” (PSALM 118:8). Some say, ‘It is better to trust in the Word of the LORD’ – who is Jesus. Certainly, no mere man is so totally reliable as our Lord.

The man who trusts in man ‘maketh flesh his arm,’ and his heart ‘departeth from the LORD’ (cf. Jeremiah 17:5).

“It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes” (PSALM 118:9; cf. Psalm 146:3). Some of the foreign princes with whom Israel made alliances proved to be but ‘broken reeds’ (cf. Isaiah 36:6). However, the LORD said to Joshua, ‘I will be with thee: I will not fail thee nor forsake thee’ (cf. Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5).

And Jesus said, ‘Lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen’ (cf. Matthew 28:20).

B). NAAMAN THE SYRIAN.

2 Kings 5:9-16.

It must have been quite a commotion: Naaman and his entourage, horses and chariot and all, turning up at the door of the house of Elisha (2 KINGS 5:9). Naaman was a mighty man, but he was afflicted by some form of leprosy (cf. 2 Kings 5:1). The prophet sent a messenger to say, “Go and wash in Jordan…” (2 KINGS 5:10). How rude: did Elisha not realise how important this dignitary was?

The means the LORD used for Naaman’s healing is neither what he expected (2 KINGS 5:11), nor what he wanted (2 KINGS 5:12). Naaman, as commander of the Syrian army, was a “great” man (cf. 2 Kings 5:1), and came expecting “great” things (2 KINGS 5:13). The way of salvation may seem so simple as to be insulting: ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved’ (cf. Acts 16:31).

Naaman had to look down his chain of command to find sound advice. This was not the first time (cf. 2 Kings 5:2-3). It is a mark of true leadership to be willing to take advice from those whom we lead.

The commander’s indentured servants effectively argued, “If the man says, ‘Wash and be clean’ why not try it?” (2 KINGS 5:13). Naaman immersed himself seven times in the River Jordan, as instructed, and the great and mighty Naaman’s diseased flesh became renewed, “like that of a little boy” (2 KINGS 5:14).

The holistic nature of Naaman’s healing is seen in his subsequent confession of faith: “I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel” (2 KINGS 5:15).

Elisha categorically refused to take any kind of payment for this advice (2 KINGS 5:16). After all, it was the LORD who had healed Naaman, not Elisha. Similarly, despite being entitled to support (cf. 1 Corinthians 9:14), the Apostle Paul used to preach for free (cf. 1 Thessalonians 2:9).