God’s Way-Naaman
2 Kings 5:1-5:14
I. There was a man in old Testament times, mind you, who lived and thought in the same optional
way that we in the modern times think.
1. He was exceedingly powerful, rich, famous, and popular.
a.If you had all that going for you, no matter what era you lived in, a world of options would
be open to you and you would find it quite easy to “have it your way.”
b. He may not have had all the fancy gadgets that we have, but he had servants to carry out
his every wish.
2. His name was Naaman.
a. He was a general and commander of the army of a kingdom known as Aram which was to
the north of Israel
b. And as a commander , Naaman served with distinction: praised by his people and lauded
by his king.
c. From a worldly point view, General Naaman had everything. Everything except good health,
that is.
3. It would seem that man can have everything he’s ever wanted;
4. He can have a life overflowing with options, but all of those options can be taken away from
him by just one thing: his own mortality.
A. The prospects of a terminal illness and the death that inevitably follows have a way of limiting
ones options down to nothing.
B. There will always come that point in everyone’s life when nothing more can be done.
C. It was in this position that our man Naaman found himself, for he had leprosy; that dreaded
disease of ancient times.
What made the disease so horrible is that it would first shut down the blood vessels in your extremities and then with slow and steady cadence it would march towards your vital organs and eventually take your life.
This was one battle that the proud general could not win.
II. But all was not truly lost.
1. For in his household was a young servant girl from Israel who had been captured and put
service of Naaman’s wife.
2. This slight little slave could not contain herself. To her mistress she said “If only my master
would go and see the prophet who is in Samaria! he would cure him of his leprosy.”
3. The utter certainty with which she talked, coupled with the fact that Naaman had no other
choices, convinced him to check it out.
4. The Prophet in Samaria of whom the young girl had spoken was Elisha, the representative of
the one true God: the God who created the the earth and all the people in it.
III. The meeting of Naaman with Elisha is almost exactly like a Modern American meeting Christ
Jesus.
A. It was a classic confrontation: “Powerful Option Man versus Entirely Specific God.” It must
have really been a sight to behold!
1. Naaman should have come to the Lord’s Prophet on his knees, but he didn’t.
2. He came with all the glory and power that he could muster.
3. He used his political clout. He had his king write the king of Israel.
4. Bringing with him 7501lbs of Silver and 150lbs of gold, he used monetary power. And of
course he also used his military power.
B. When he arrived at the house of Elisha, it was in full military counterpart to a motorcade with
motorcycle escort.
1. His chariot was probably all tricked-out with all manner of elite doo-hickies that would befit
one of his stature.
2. If this were to happen in our day, he would pull up in a Humvee, with generals flags attached
to the fender; crisply snapping in the breeze.
3. You might say that Naaman “had it all going on.”
C. And what does Elisha do?
1. Is he wowed by this display? Not really.
2. He doesn’t even come out to meet him! Elisha was not being rude, he was actually saying
something.
3. The Lord’s prophets usually communicated with words, but they would also sometimes
communicate with their actions.
4. And here he was communicating to Naaman that the Creator of all things and Lord of the
universe was not impressed.
That is really the first step for anyone who wishes to be helped by the Lord:
1. Admitting that he is greater than you
2. admitting that what he says goes and not what you say.
3. The only posture that is acceptable when approaching your creator is humility. Not pride,
not personal glory, but humility.
4. And this message was reinforced by what Naaman was
told .
C. Elisha didn’t come out, but he sent his messenger out who tells the general to go wash in the
Jordan River seven times.
1. As you might expect, the general didn’t take it too well.
2. “What kind of nonsense is this!” Said Naaman “I wanted him to come out and wave his
hands over me, but now he goes and tells me that must wash in that disgusting and
muddy Jordan river!”
3. We’ve got much better rivers back home, why can’t I just wash in them?”
4. Like any proud man, whose accustomed to an optional way of life, he starts rattling off what
he thinks his options should be.
5. He’s angry that the prophet didn’t seem to be taking them into account. In his anger, he was ready to turn around and go home.
I think the same thing happens whenever anyone is pointed to the cross of Christ.
1. The Christian Gospel says, “ If you want help, go to that one who suffers there, with
sorrow and blood flowing down.
2. Confess your sins, believe in him”
3. And many times people don’t react well too it. “That’s gross!” How can this help
me?”
4. “Isn’t there some other way for me to be helped?”
5. “Some great deed I can perform?
6. Some quest I can make?” Because of the optional way that we are trained to think, the
way that God has chosen to help humanity is just not cool enough. For it requires humility.
IV. But in Naaman’s case, His servants, once again stepped up to the plate:
A. “Sir, they said, “If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, you would have done it
without question, but here he’s asked you to do something simple, which is all the more
reason to do it.”
B. With their simple reasoning they convinced him.
1. He went down to the Jordan and dipped himself seven times.
2. And on the Seventh time he came out and it said that his skin was “clean like that of a
young boy.”
In the verses that come directly after our text, we are told that he goes back to Elisha, and that this time Elisha actually comes out to see him.
V. I think the General had been humbled by his healing. And Naaman says, and I quote: “Now I
know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” (2kings 5:15) Wow!
The Man confesses faith in the one and only Real God! This is the real healing. As great as his
healing from leprosy was, this was even greater! A lost soul meeting his true creator and
Lord and acknowledging him as
such.
A similar thing happens when the people in our time come to faith. Like the Prophet Elisha, the
words of Jesus are simple, but very specific.
He says things like “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and
believes in me, will never die.” (John 11:25)
Instead of bowing to a world of options, we must stand for the specific message that God saves people by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
How do we do that? It’s not so difficult.
If a young servant girl in Naaman’s house could do it, so can we. And what did she do?
She saw her master’s distress, she felt for him, and she couldn’t help but point him to the Lord’s prophet.
Why don’t you do that servant girl thing to them. Point them to the great Prophet Priest and King that is our Savior Jesus to whom every knee shall bow and every tongue confess.
He is “the way, the truth and the life” He is the World’s only option. AMEN
nd I will give you rest.”
2. God’s Way is through FAITH...
