Henegar, Amy Bost

English

Pepperdine Digital Commons

This sermon was preached on May 8th at the early morning worship of the 2014 Pepperdine UniversityLectures.Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor withhis master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mightywarrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a younggirl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naamans wife. She said to her mistress, If onlymy lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy. (2 Kings 5.13,NRSV)In the fifth chapter of 2 Kings we meet a man named Naaman. He is the commander of the army for the kingof Aram, and his life is filled with great achievements, promotions, wealth and power. The scripture callsNaaman a mighty man of valor. The scripture is then quick to add one important fact: Naaman has leprosy.We learn in that short phrase that despite Naamans impressive accomplishments, his unparalleled success, hisgreat power, that he has a chronic, debilitating disease that is wreaking havoc on his body. In just one verse wehear Naamans story, and we can relate to him.Naaman is someone who knows what he can controland he can control a lot in his world. Hes a verypowerful man with a lot of resources. But he is painfully aware of what he cannot control. We relate to that.There is a lot we can control. We can control our lives with education, with physical strength, and withmoneybut we know that there are certain things money cant buy. There are certain things that hard workcannot accomplish. Naaman is a great and powerful man, but he has a problem that he is unable to solve, andwe certainly have every indication that he has tried and been unsuccessful.In the next verse we meet another person. The second person we meet in 2 Kings chapter 5 is a girl. Wedont know her name but we quickly learn some important things about her. Shes a Hebrew servant girl. Shehad been captured and taken as a slave when Naamans army attacked Israel, and now she lives in his homeas his wifes servant.If you compare and contrast Naaman with this girl, their differences are significant. He has great powerand prestige in the society; she has nothingno social power and very little access to resources. But scripturetells us that this girl with no power, no status, no name even in our record, reaches out toward this powerfulman with a faithful compassion that is striking and poignant. She tells her mistress, If only your husband couldmeet the prophet who is in Samaria, he would be healed of his leprosy (v. 3). She believes in Yahweh, theGod of Israel, and that he is a God who heals.Do you know what its like to be sick? To seek healing in place after place, doctor after doctor, treatmentafter treatment, only to be disappointed over and over again? Some of us know what its like, because thatsbeen our story. Or it is your story still today. Some of us know because weve walked the road of illness withsomeone we love, desperately hoping that our loved one will find healing, and having our hearts broken asTheres a Fountain Free: The Story ofNaamanAMY BOST HENEGARBAPTISM, THE LORDS SUPPER & EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY LEAVEN  217hopes are dashed again and again. There is a point at which you will do anything to be healed. We tryalternative medicine and clinical trials and anti-inflammatory diets and search the Internet for answers, lookingfor anything that might work.I think this is where Naaman is. Hes tried everything and hes willing to try anything to get rid of thishorrible disease. So he listens to the servant girl from Israel.So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the kingof Aram said, Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets ofgarments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, When this letter reaches you,know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy. When theking of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, Am I God, to give death or life, that thisman sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick aquarrel with me. But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes,he sent a message to the king, Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he maylearn that there is a prophet in Israel. (2 Kings 5.48)Naaman goes to his boss, the king, and tells him what the girl has said, and what happens next is fascinating.The scripture paints a picture of two powerful men talking to each other about the one thing neither of themhave power over. Neither of them have any power over Naamans leprosy. And this disease, if it continues toprogress, will eventually make him completely useless to either of them.When Naaman tells the king about the prophet of God, what is the kings response? Ill get you in thedoor. The king promises to get Naaman an appointment with this prophet of God. Isnt this how our worldworks? We look for our connections, we get our letters of recommendation, we hold out our resumes, and wesay, Pay attention to me. Im important. Look at who I am. Look at what Ive done. Look at who my friendsare. Im worth something and you should notice me. This is how the world works.So the king writes a letter of recommendation for Naaman to bring to the king of Israel and Naaman setsoff with his letter of recommendation. But not only his letter of recommendationhe also takes servants, andhorses, and chariots, and 750 pounds of silver, and 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes! Then Naamanand his entourage set off to meet the king of Israel.Initially the king of Israel is insulted. He says (v. 7), Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this mansends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? He assumes that the king of Aram must have politicalmotives. Theres something fishy going on here because I cant heal anyone of leprosy!But the prophet Elisha hears whats going on and says (v. 8), Let him come now to me, that he may knowthat there is a prophet in Israel. So Naaman, and his horses, and his chariots, and his gold, and his silver, andhis impressive resume, and his letter of recommendationand his incurable diseasego to Elishas house.So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elishas house. Elishasent a messenger to him, saying, Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall berestored and you shall be clean. But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, I thoughtthat for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, andwould wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers ofDamascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean? He turnedand went away in a rage. (2 Kings 5.912)What happened was astonishing! Naaman left the king of Israel and went to Elishas house, and Elisha didnteven come to the door. How could this be? Didnt he know that this is a great man? Did he have any idea howimportant Naaman is? And he didnt even come to the door? Rather he sent a messenger to the door saying,Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.218  LEAVEN Fourth Quarter 2014Well, Naaman thinks this is ridiculous! Now hes the one thats insulted. He came for a miraculous healing.I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, andwave his hand over the place and cure the disease!Who does this Hebrew prophet think he is, that he doesnt even come to the door to greet me! Furthermore,Naaman thinks Elishas instructions are a big joke designed to make him look foolish. Dip in the Jordan River seventimes? What in the world is he talking about? Thats not going to do anythingits just water! Anyone can do that!!!You dont even have to know how to swim to immerse yourself in the Jordan River!!! We have rivers at home andthey are a lot nicer than this measly little Jordan River. Are you kidding me? And so he gets ready to leave.What was he thinking, following the advice of that Hebrew servant girl? What a fool he was to listen toher! Hes not going to make a fool of himself. Hes a great man. Hes a mighty man of valor. He will notwash, seven times, in the Jordan River. Hes already humbled himself way beyond his comfort level by askingfor help. Hes going to save his last shred of dignity and go home now! Hes not desperate! Or is he?But his servants approached and said to him, Father, if the prophet had commanded you to dosomething difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was,Wash, and be clean? So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan,according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, andhe was clean.Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him andsaid, Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present fromyour servant. But he said, As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing! He urged himto accept, but he refused (2 Kings 5.1316).Just before he gathers his entourage to go home, his servants intervene. If Elisha had given Naaman animpressive healing challenge in which he would have to cross the desert, climb a mountain, retrieve the goldenring from the mouth of a sleeping bear and return it unscathed, he would have been up for the challenge. Ofcourse. So why not dip in the Jordan? Its so simple. Why not give it a try?What does Naaman really want? Think about the inner dynamics of whats going on here. Naamandesperately wants to buy his cure. He wants to earn his healing. He doesnt want to owe anyone anything.Naaman is a great man. He wants to hold on to his greatness. To his pride. To his dignity.But Jesus said, If you want to be truly great, become humble, like a little child.Thats Naamans greatest fearhumility. He cannot humble himself and receive healing as a gift. Hesalmost more afraid of losing his power, losing his status, losing his position in the world, than he is of hisleprosy. Almost.But his servants get his attention. He remembers his illness. He remembers his desperate need. Heremembers that all of his money, all of his power, all of his accomplishments, mean nothing if his body is goingto be eaten alive by leprosy.So he does the hardest thing he can imagine. He takes off his robe and begins the long walk down to thebank of the Jordan River, and he dips seven times in the Jordan River, just as the prophet instructed. And thescripture tells us that his flesh was restored like the flesh of a baby, and he was clean.Naaman was made new. He was given new life. He returns to Elisha and believes in Yahweh, the God ofIsrael. Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel! He knows hes been healed. Hehas been given life, by a God hes just met.But he cant let go of his overwhelming desire to pay. He doesn't want to be in debt to anyone. So he triesagain. He asks Elisha, What do you want? Ill give you anything! What do you wantLaker tickets, aFerrari? Ive got friendsI can get you something really good! Theres got to be something! You name it and Ican give it to you! There has got to be a way that I can pay for this!But Elisha answers, As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing! Because healing, truehealing, only comes as a gift from a loving and gracious God. Naamans deepest need, my deepest need, yourBAPTISM, THE LORDS SUPPER & EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY LEAVEN  219deepest need, cannot be bought, cannot be earned. Our souls deepest needs can only be met through thegrace of God. Naaman leaves, goes back to his homeland, healed and owing his life to Yahweh, the God whohealed him.So I ask, whats in your entourage? Where are the areas of your life where you have lined up yourresume, and your letters of recommendation, and your silver, and your gold, and your horses and your chariots,and youre relying on human wisdom and worldly currency, hoping to buy your way to peace, to healing, tosalvation. You cannot buy what your soul really needs. You cannot earn the healing for which your souldesperately longs.Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. So we humble ourselves before the throne of grace,we humble ourselves in the healing waters of baptism, and we say, Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to thycross I cling; / Naked, come to thee for dress; helpless, look to thee for grace; / Vile, I to the fountain fly;wash me, Savior, or I die.1AMY BOST HENEGAR IS THE ASSOCIATE MINISTER FOR FAMILY LIFE AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION AT THEMANHATTAN CHURCH OF CHRIST IN NEW YORK CITY. SHE IS A BOARD-CERTIFIED CHAPLAIN BUT HAS BEEN INCONGREGATIONAL MINISTRY SINCE 2001. SHE LIVES IN MOUNT VERNON, NEW YORK, WITH HER HUSBAND, MATT, ANDTHEIR FIVE CHILDREN (AMY@MANHATTANCHURCH.ORG).

There\u27s a Fountain Free: The Story of
Naaman

https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2319&amp;context=leaven

There\u27s a Fountain Free: The Story of Naaman

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