Lepers Can't Be Choosy

Title: Leper’s Can’t Be Choosy

2 Kings 5:1-14

Date: 10 Jun 01

Introduction:

C. S. Johnson shares this family lesson:

"My son, Michael, was four years old the night I found him sobbing uncontrollably in the hallway. Concerned, I knelt next to him and drew him close.

" ’What’s the matter, sweetheart? Are you hurt?’ He shook his head and turned to me, but I was unprepared for his response.

" ’Daddy said a bad word to me!’ he sobbed. I almost laughed out loud. I had known my husband 12 years and had rarely heard him raise his voice. But Michael had heard him say something, and I was curious enough to want to know what it was.

" ’Honey, what bad word did Daddy say?’ And seeing a chance for sympathy, my sensitive four-year-old stopped crying and blurted out--’Obey!’

"I never think of that incident now without asking my Heavenly Father to keep me from believing, as my son did, that ’obey’ is a bad word."

I. Naaman had a problem

A. 1Now Naaman, captain of the host of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given deliverance unto Syria: he was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.

B. He had everything! He had the highest position in the Syrian military, he had a high position with the King of Syria, he was an honorable man among the Syrians because of the major victories he had won in battle, and he had strength in the time of war, he was a mighty man of valor. But there was one thing; he was a leper. This disease no doubt was a thorn In Naaman’s side. He was probably getting to the point where the disease was starting to cripple him, and finally he realized he had a problem.

C. We need to realize we have a problem. WE can have everything in this world, but if we have sin in our lives we will lose the most important treasure of all, and that my friend is our soul. Jesus said it very clearly in Matthew 16:26, “26For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?” We need to realize we have a problem! We need to realize that we need a healing!

D. And one day the Syrians had captured a little Jewish maiden and took her home to Naaman to look after his wife. And notice with me two important characteristics that this young girl possessed:

i. She knew where to direct Naaman to get his healing

1. We need to direct people to Jesus

ii. And she wasn’t afraid of his leprosy because she had compassion for him and she wanted to see him get healed

1. The strict laws of Moses prohibited for people to have anything to do with a leper, because a leper was socially unaccepted and unclean. But this girl knew where this man could get a healing and she had made up her mind that she was going to have compassion for him anyway.

a. Friend, we need to have compassion for the lost! We need to care for those who are hurting and those who are sick and afflicted! Jesus, our role model definitely cared for the sick and those who were diseased. Notice: And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 3And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Honey, I am here to tell you that Jesus will cleanse the Leper; He will heal those with cancer; He will heal those with hart disease; He will heal those migraines; He will heal those who are sick and afflicted! He will save those that are lost! He will remove their burdens! He will take away their sins, and give them a clear conscience! He had compassion for them and so must we!

E. And Naaman got leave to go see the king of Israel. And when he got there the king didn’t receive him very well. Naaman gave him the letter from the king of Syria reading like this: Now when this letter is come unto you, behold, I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy. (Wouldn’t be nice if the hospitals would send us those folks who were incurable? Wouldn’t be nice if they said, we’ve heard that there was something going on down there at this Pentecostal Church?”)

i. Notice how the king was afraid of the situation. He wanted to send him away unhealed.

1. First of all he put the burden on God trying to take him off the hook!