Biblical Text: 2 Kings 5: 1-14
Psalm 30: 11
1 Now 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. 2 And the Syrians had gone out by companies, and had brought away captive out of the land of Israel a little maid; and she waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 And she said unto her mistress, Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy. 4 And one went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maid that is of the land of Israel. 5 And the king of Syria said, Go to, go, and I will send a letter unto the king of Israel. And he departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand pieces of gold, and ten changes of raiment. 6 And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. 7 And it came to pass, when the king of Israel had read the letter, that he rent his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me. 8 And it was so, when Elisha the man of God had heard that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel. 9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. 11 BUT Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, AND stand, AND call on the name of the LORD his God, AND strike his hand over the place, AND recover the leper. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, AND be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, IF the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
Psalm 30: 11-12
Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness
Life is filled with IF’S, ANDS and BUTS…
IF only I had made a different choice…
IF only I had been lucky in love…
IF only I had been given a chance, AND won the lottery, AND picked a better husband or wife.
I would have gone to college, BUT
I would have enjoyed staying home and taking care of my children, BUT
I would tithe, BUT
I would have gone straight home from work, BUT
It’s the IF’S, AND’s and BUTS in life that get us. It almost got Naaman! The story of Naaman is a story of pride, self-centeredness, obedience, confession and conversion. It has caused all those who have heard the story to reflect deeply about their own level of faith.
Naaman was the captain of a Syrian host. He was a commander of thousands of soldiers. Some would say that Naaman HAD IT ALL. He was well-respected, if not feared, for the very power that he wielded. Naaman was, after all, no common ordinary soldier. Today we would liken him to a Major General, or a Base Commander. He had no doubt worked hard to achieve his rank, and he was proud of it. The scripture says, Naaman “was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper.” There’s always a BUT in every fortune.
Like so many who spend a lifetime pursuing life’s lofty goals, Naaman was troubled…because Naaman was not WELL. He had been stricken with leprosy, a disease that would ultimately cost him his job, his money, and his life. It was a disease that, once discovered by his superiors, would earn him a place in a cave on the outskirts of the city, where he would be permitted NO CONTACT with the world.
Some of you have been where Naaman was. You felt like you had it all….new car….new position….great home in a great neighborhood…and then BAM! Some tragedy or great challenge hits you like a ton of bricks. Maybe you got word from the doctor that you needed surgery, or had contracted some debilitating disease. Maybe your employer decided to file bankruptcy or move out of the state. Maybe your child found himself on the other side of the law. Maybe the levies in your New Orleans neighborhood broke under the weight of torrential rains and turned your neighborhood into a giant lake. Have you ever felt like you were on top of the world, only to have something happen that stingingly reminds you of how fragile life can be?
You can imagine how Naaman felt. He was on top of the world until he developed leprosy. Now the job, the authority, and the wealth had lost its enticement. All Naaman could think about was SICKNESS and DEATH. IF only he could be healed of this leprosy!
Now, God never leaves us alone in our distress. He always sends a messenger with good news. The trouble is that pride and self-centeredness often keep us from hearing God’s message. In the case of Naaman, God planted a young Israelite girl…a captive….in his household, to bring the message of hope.
Men can sometimes be hardheaded when it comes to God. So God used the backdoor approach. He had the young girl tell Naaman’s wife about a prophet who would heal Naaman of his leprosy. Naaman asked the King for permission to take a leave of absence and go see about this prophet and his powers. The king, who had the utmost love and respect for Naaman, followed kingly protocol and sent a letter to the king of Israel, along with an impressive bribe, to request a healing from their prophet for his friend.
Now Israel had been conquered by Syria. So when the king of Israel received the letter from the King of Syria, he was full of fear. How could this man lay such a heavy charge on him? Did he expect God to heal every Tom, Dick and Harry who presented themselves before him? Would the king face the gallows if he failed? The King of Israel was filled with fear as well as indignation. He was thinking….This must be a trap! And in complete fear, he rent his clothes and prayed for deliverance from his enemy, Syria.
Elisha heard about Naaman’s visit and the king’s fearful reaction, so he sent an offer to help the king in his distress. In somewhat rebuking manner, Elisha encouraged the king to send Naaman to him; and he would prove there was a true prophet in Israel, a prophet who could call upon the LORD to heal this Syrian commander.
That is quite a bold statement for the prophet Elisha to make. He was claiming that the LORD whom he serves is the only living and true God. Elisha saw a unique opportunity to bear strong witness to this commander of the Syrian forces, and even to his own king of Israel. If he could lead Naaman to a saving knowledge of the LORD, the commander would become a strong witness to many throughout Syria, and Israel would regain its trust in God.
Naaman’s arrival at Elisha’s house was an impressive entourage of power and wealth. He obviously rode up in a caravan of chariots with all the pomp and ceremony of a commander, stopping at the very door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha’s response was that of a man unimpressed with worldly glory and display.
In fact, he didn’t even personally go out to meet the commander. Instead, he sent a messenger outside who instructed Naaman to go and wash seven times in the muddy Jordan River, explaining that if Naaman would follow these instructions, he would be healed and cleansed of his leprosy.
Imagine Naaman’s reaction? Its kind of like YOU coming to the church in desperation, seeking some immediate relief for your dilemma, and asking the church secretary if you can see the pastor. “Tell him that everything is going pretty well….I’m working, and the family is OK, BUT I have this serious problem to discuss with him.” The secretary goes into the pastor’s office, comes out and says, “Pastor says, “Go to the homeless shelter and help feed the hungry for seven days, and your problems will be solved”.
Now you can understand Naaman’s disrespectful and arrogant reaction. He was filled with rage, feeling that Elisha had slighted him. He had expected Elisha to personally come out to him, AND stand before him, AND call on the name of the LORD his God, AND strike his hand over the place of leprosy, AND recover the leper in miraculous fashion. BUT now…Naaman thought Elisha was a quack. How could the muddy waters of the Jordan cleanse him? If a simple washing was the solution, wouldn’t it make more sense to wash in the clean rivers of Damascus? So a furious Naaman turned and left in a huff. IF only he had stayed in Syria, he could have avoided this embarrassment and frustration.
But in this case, God was at work in the hearts of both Naaman and his servants, and the commander would still be healed and converted. As soon as Naaman’s servants felt it was safe to approach the commander, they began encouraging him to calm down and to get control of his emotions. Then they began to suggest that he would have paid any price and undertaken any difficult task demanded by the prophet. Why, then, would he not do the simple thing suggested?
Its kind of like the man who wanted to see the pastor….He would have done anything noble that the pastor asked of him. He would have paid his tithes, AND joined the brotherhood. He would have committed to weekly prayer meeting AND bible study. He would have done any noble thing that the pastor asked of him, AND more…if it meant that his emotional pain would be erased. But…feed the homeless for seven days? Come on!
God’s backdoor messages do finally reach the core of a man’s heart. Naaman was finally convinced by his servants to obey Elisha. The prideful and self-centered commander reluctantly obeyed the instructions of Elisha, the man of God. He went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, exactly as Elisha had instructed. And immediately after the seventh dip, he was healed. His flesh became as healthy as that of a child.
Imagine how many people miss their miracle because they refuse to believe God’s power to overcome any circumstance?
Imagine how many people miss their miracle because they refuse to take simple direction from God’s pastors.
God has a cure for our circumstance….BUT…
God has a solution for our suffering….BUT…
God has an assurance for our anguish…BUT…
God has a promise for our pain…BUT…
The parable of Naaman is a parable of God’s power to overcome sin and death.
There was no priest needed for Naaman’s cure.
Christianity has no priests.
There are no external rites by which we gain a fuller portion of God’s grace.
The pastor’s only duty is to bring you to a full understanding of the simplest message….Wash, and be healed!
We deliver the message faithfully.
We ring the message loudly.
We proclaim the truth clearly.
BUT….in the end, the only virtue of the preacher is that people HEAR and UNDERSTAND.
Do you understand that God can resolve the BUTS in your life?
Do you realize the power of God to heal every circumstance?
Do you recognize that the purpose of God is kinship with man?
Do you comprehend the deep and abiding love of the Father for YOU?
Do you understand the totality of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross of Calvary for your redemption?
Do you believe that God can turn your mourning into dancing? (Psalm 30:11)
Then…no IF’S AND’S or BUTS….
Won’t you come to Christ, and be healed?
