All Out of Options
Good Morning. Today we have 2 lessons about making a Choice to either follow God, or not. …And we like having choices, but we are not always good at actually executing on them. Steph shared a picture of a child’s menu, where all the meals were renamed “I don’t know,” “I don’t care,” or a variation of that. I may have upped her by finding a restaurant with name, IDC Bar and Grill.
The more choices we have, the harder it seems to decide what to do. But we still love having options. This is what really makes Jesus words this morning very unpopular. This morning, Jesus tells us we have to decide. Follow me, or choose anything else, but whatever that anything else is, no matter how “URGENT,” it is a choice against following Jesus. In Our Gospel:…next year
The first man decides to impulsively follow. Jesus tells him, he has to count the cost, and really decide if he wants that kind of life. You can’t follow God, and just decide you want to live any way you want.
The second is a procrastinator, who wants to follow, but do it tomorrow. Coincidentally, that’s when my diet starts. The third man is wavering. He knows it’s the right choice, but he really doesn’t want to decide just yet, he like’s having options. And once you make that choice, options are gone.
This lesson hits hard to those who like options. Not only do we like open options, but we like others to have options. Many don’t like the Jesus of the Bible because says things like I am the way, the truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except by me. Everybody should be able to live as they choose; to do their own thing, right? Finding God should be the same then. The Bible says no.
This is a common discussion I hear. Our first lesson is a help to explain the Gospel not BK, you can’t have it your way. We find there Naaman, a man who like most people of his time, and probably most today, thought different religious beliefs were all of equal value. There were lots of gods in Syria where he lived, so it wasn’t a big deal for him to go to Israel, to find a healing from their God.
From the world’s point of view, Naaman had everything, except good health, because Naaman was a Leper. Leprosy is a rotting disease which numbs the nerves and causes you to not know about injuries, the cancer of it’s age.
In his household was a slave girl he captured in a battle with Israel. When she learned of his leprosy, she said all he had to do was find the prophet of Israel, and Elisha could cure him. With no better options, Naaman asks his King if he can check it out. First understand. Syria was a powerful kingdom, and Israel weak in comparison militarily.
The king of Syria sends gifts worth $4 million and a letter to Israel’s king saying, Please heal my favorite General from leprosy! Trump Dan Razin Caine to Mark Carney to cure his cancer.
King flips out, rips his clothes, Elisha hears and says send Naaman.
The meeting of Naaman and Elisha is perfect for our theme of someone thinking he has choices, with an understanding of how we would approach God if we truly believed He was the only way. Two Mindsets.
If there’s only one God, Naaman should have come on his knees, but he didn’t. Why? Options. He came with all the glory that he could muster to show how worthwhile he was to be healed! He has horses and chariots, the ancient equivalent of a motorcade with Humvees and flags flapping on the hood.
And what does Elisha do? Is he wowed by this display? Nope. He doesn’t even come out to look! And this isn’t just to treat Naaman rudely, it was to teach him and us something as a legacy.
The God who Created the universe is not impressed by how much of that universe you have acquired for yourself. Guess what, He can make more. That’s the first step for anyone who wants to be helped by the Lord: Admitting that God is greater than you; that He knows more than you; that His Word is True. Certainly, it’s truer than your ideas about Him and how He should act and think.
The only acceptable posture when approaching your creator is humility. Not pride, telling him how valuable you can be and puffing yourself up.
When you are sick, when you need help, even when you can’t admit you have a problem, but you know you need help with it anyway, don’t start by telling God and everyone around you all the good you have and can do.
This is reinforced by what Naaman was told to do. Elisha sent his helpers to tell Naaman to go wash in the Jordan River seven times. As you might expect, the general didn’t take it too well.
“What kind of nonsense is this!” said Naaman “I wanted him to come out and wave his hands over me, “Be Healed!” but he passes a note saying I must wash in that disgusting Jordan river! I’ll get dirtier! There are much better rivers back in Syria, why can’t I just wash in them?”
Naaman is angry Elisha didn’t ask him for a task, and in his anger, he was ready to turn around and go home. In the end, Naaman’s servant brings him to his senses, and shows Naaman him how he actually is getting off easy.
But not before, like any proud man, who wants to earn his salvation, …
he starts rattling off what he thinks better ideas are. Today I hear things like: If God wanted us to follow him, why doesn’t he prove to me he exists? What if someone is really sincere? What if they never hear the Gospel? Can’t there be some other way besides the way Jesus says? Lots of interesting questions and thoughts, but all designed to keep us from just saying, “God, you can be God, and I am your creature. I don’t have to completely understand the universe to accept that.”
The Gospel is free, and we have to receive it freely. But to receive it freely, we have to say, “I’m not God, and I can’t do earn it, and I don’t deserve it.” We can’t get it by thinking it, but only by receiving it.
It’s the voice of the enemy that keeps whispering in our ear that our creator needs to explain everything to us before He can be God.
Because of the way we are trained to think, the way that God has chosen to save is just not cool. It’s humiliating. Jesus came in great humility for us. He died for us in great humility. And it requires humility to receive God’s salvation in God’s way, rather than trying to show our worth.
After Naaman is cleansed, he returns to Elisha and says, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.” The Holy Spirit (not like Pentecost, but somehow made this clear) This is the real healing. As great as his healing from leprosy was, this was even greater, to know the true lord as our Lord and savior. The true healing of a lost soul, wanting his options, finds the One True Lord and acknowledges him as such.
