The Cured Commander
If you could have seen his office you would have been impressed. On his office door was the sign "Commander of the Army of Aram." And on his grand desk was the nameplate "Commander Naaman". On the walls that made up the room and on the shelves that held his belongings, you would have seen his medals, plaques, awards, trophies, letters and memorabilia that indicated what this man had accomplished.
On the walls and on the shelves were not 2nd and 3rd place prizes; in the framed letters were not signatures one did not recognize. Everything in this man’s office, every piece of paper, every plaque, every polished trophy spoke of his accomplishments, his position, his popularity, his prestige and his power. To walk into his office and to see that which others had surrounded him with was to know that this man had accomplished much as Commander of the Army of Aram.
But - but to see the man. To actually view the man. To lay your eyes on Naaman was to see something that his position, popularity and prestige were unable to have any power over. Naaman had leprosy, a disease that cared not the least bit about his high position, his wide popularity or his immense power. In fact though Naaman had so many other qualities to be known by, qualities that granted him much favor, this one thing, this one condition was all that Naaman was thinking about. He wanted to be cured (4x - v. 3, 6, 7, and 11)
For a person to have accomplished what Naaman did was remarkable. For a person to be in his position while being leprous was almost a miracle. For no diseased and socially dirty person could be in his shoes having the King’s favor if it were not for another factor in his life, the Lord. Though Naaman knew it not, recognized it not, and gave no thought of it, "the Lord" verse 1 tells us "had given victory to Aram." The Lord, like he does with each of us, was at work in his life in ways Naaman never knew and never asked for.
While most saw Naaman as the man who triumphed in war, while most viewed him as the poster boy of accomplishment and hard work, the truth of the matter was, the Lord was behind it all. The Lord had his hand on his life. And even in his leprous condition, though others would not come near him, though he was a social outcast, God’s hand was still there. For God would use this tragedy to transform this mighty man into a man of God, if Naaman was willing.
But this road, this journey would be one foreign to him. Along the way, it would be costly:
Costing him his position.
Stripping him of his possessions and his pride.
Until it was just him - him and his leprosy alone before God and not all the stuff
that made him look better than he really was.
As I have thought about this text all week, there is a bit of Naaman in each of us. Though none here are 5 star generals nor are we on speaking terms with the President, nonetheless we too like Naaman, do our best to downplay our faults, our short comings as we hide behind things that we think give us value and prove our worth. We assert ourselves, looking our best trying to mask the things that eat us up inside. We hide under make-up and fancy hair, behind steering wheels and nice homes. While inside, there are parts of us that need healing, that need cured.
Naaman’s journey toward health began not in his lovely office, not with a visit to one of his doctors, but in his home, with a young female POW - whom he had taken captive in a recent battle in order to be of help to his wife.
We aren’t told her name - only about her belief. This female POW believes that Naaman can be cured. She believes in something that Naaman has been powerless to believe and powerless to achieve on his own.
"There is a prophet. My Master should go and see him. He would cure him of his leprosy." (v. 3b)
And crazily enough, this 5 star general begins to walk on this healing journey by listening to this surprising voice.
Naaman listens to the nameless one.
This powerful man listens to this powerless one.
This desperate man takes orders from this devoted One of God, who points him, steers him, guides him toward God.
If it is true that there is a bit of Naaman in each of us, not only does this mean that we do our best to promote what is good about us and downplay the bad but something else is true as well.
God has put, placed, positioned voices in your life that have caused you to walk towards Him. God has used people; God has spoke through the words of people to you and me. Their words were words that helped us to take a step in God’s direction. These people put you on the path of healing, being cured and being made well.
On your insert - I’d like for you to name these people. Write down the names of the people, the person who has influenced you in your faith journey. This young POW in Naaman’s case remains nameless. I don’t want the people who have touched you to remain that way.
Write down their names.
And if you want to take it a step further, call them, send them a note.
They’d love to know that God used them to steer you toward him.
How did Naaman respond to this young girl’s advice to go and visit the prophet Elisha?
And as crazy as it seems Naaman listened. This one who was used to giving commands was now receiving one. This one who paid no attention to the POW, was now paying close attention. He was desperate to be set free, to be cured.
But in his desperation, he did not listen obediently to the girl. He instead took matters into his own hands, his military and politically experienced hands and went to his King to get a letter to go to Israel’s King where the prophet lived so as to be cured from his leprosy. And to help out in securing for himself this cure he brought some of his resources with him. 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold and a wardrobe of clothes. Naaman thought this battle could be fought, as he was use to, through money, friends in high places, kind of deals. But he would learn otherwise.
Rather than obeying and being pointed directly to his healing, his new beginning, he chose this by-pass way. Rather than going to the Godly Prophet he took the bypass and he went to the earthly King. Rather than going in faith, he went with riches and it almost started a war between his King and the King of Israel.
He was taking with him part of his old self. What he was, what he was trusting in and what was possessing him. But the King would have none of it and neither would the Prophet. The King dismisses Naaman and all his staff. He could care less about it and sent Naaman out of his presence.
And by God’s grace, Elisha hears about this and tells Naaman to come to him.
v. 9, "So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house."
Can you see it? Naaman and his entourage. Elisha doesn’t even come out, he sends a messenger (the 2nd small voice) who tells him to "Go, wash 7 times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed." (v. 10)
And Naaman goes ballistic. Verse 11, he was angry. Verse 12, he went off in a rage.
"I thought that Elisha would surely come out to me, stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy." Naaman wants a magic act.
Naaman - this powerful, prestigious, popular man want Elisha to act in power, to do some hocus pocus- and to call on the name of the Lord his God.
But God is no magic act friends.
He doesn’t have a drive thru window, drive in - order your blessing/your cure and pick it up at the next window.
He will not remain in the background. He wants to be known. He wanted to be Naaman’s God and not just Elisha’s God.
Naaman is furious about this, enraged and angry, this is going to cost him something he wasn’t prepared to give. Himself and his pride.
This is our God friends. He hasn’t changed. On your insert would you go to question 2. What is it that you need to give up, cast off, leave behind in order for god to have you? What is it that you need to surrender?
For Naaman it was his possessions, those 10 sets of clothes didn’t matter.
It was his wealth - the gold and silver were of no use.
It was his pride - he had to come before God on his own. As he was. Alone.
God stripped him of that which Naaman valued.
What do you have, do or say that makes you look good, that you use for brownie points with God?
Write it down ______.
With the help of his servants, Naaman humbles himself before God and after many detours, he finally enters the waters of the Jordan.
He walks into the waters.
He goes under once
Twice
A third - 4th - 5th - 6th - 7th time.
He obeys what God has said, "and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy."
Finally! Naaman is healed. He received his hearts desire. And it cost him all the false things/false idols he was using to make himself look good.
His journey toward health and transformation happened because:
He listened to surprising voices.
He let go of his pride, possessions and other things.
He entered the waters.
That’s what I want to invite you to do.
I have set up a stool with a trashcan. I invite you to throw away, what you wrote for question #2. I invite you to rid yourself of these.
And then I invite you to dip your hand in the water and put some on your head, perhaps make a cross with it on your head or chest.
It is a symbolic way of doing what Naaman did. Getting rid of and being washed clean. Naaman was healed because of the choices he made. Naaman was made well because he choose to trust God - what will you choose to do?
