2 Kings 5:1-14 for Sunday, July 8, 2007

Translation:
(1) Naaman, chief of the army of the King of Aram, was a great man with his lord, and in high favor because God gave deliverance to Aram. He was a mighty man of valor, [and also] a leper. (2) Aram went out and took captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman's wife. (3) she said to her mistress, "Ah! That my lord were with the prophet in Samaria. He would remove his leprosy." (4) And he went and told his lord saying, "Such and such the servant girl, who is from the land of Israel, spoke. (5) And the king of Aram said "Go and I will send a letter to the king of Israel." He went and took in his hand ten talents of silver, six thousand [pieces] of gold and ten changes of clothes. (6) He brought the letter to the king of Israel saying "Now this letter comes to you, here I sent to you my servant Naaman that you may remove him of his leprosy." (7) And the king of Israel cried out [because of] the letter. He tore his garment and said "Am I god, to kill and to make alive, that he sent this man to me to remove his leprosy? Surely you know him and see him seeking a quarrel against me. (8) Elisha was a man of God and he heard that the king rent his garments and he sent [a message] to the king to say "Why have you rent your garments? Let him come to me that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." (9) And Naaman came on his horse and in his chariot and he stood at the doorway of the house of Elisha. (10) Elisha sent to him a messenger saying "Go wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be restored and you will be clean. (11) Naaman was angry and he left and said "Behold! I thought he would come to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and wave his hand over the place and remove the leprosy. (12) Are not the Amana and Pharpar rivers in Damascas better than all water in Israel? Why can't I wash in them and be clean?" And he turned and went in a rage. (13) His servants drew near and spoke to him, saying "My father, if the prophet told you [to do] a great thing, would you not do it? But he told you to wash and you would be clean." (14) So, he went down and dipped in the Jordan seven times and as the man of God said, his flesh was restored as that of a young boy. He was clean.

Naaman's expectations were not met. He was angry. Here he stood, a respected man in Aram who could not even command the respect of a lowly prophet in the land of Israel, a land his country had conquered! He expected Elisha to treat him with all the respect due to a chief of the army of Israel. But, Elisha is not impressed with his credentials.

Quite a lot was at stake for Naaman. As a trusted, respected and honored military chief, his reputation stood for a lot. Here he stood, at the mercy of a prophet who was about to make him look like a fool. Naaman was expecting the prophet to heal him in the same way prophets heal people in Aram. He was hoping for a prayer, laying on of hands, some hocus pocus and some impressive gestures that would leave him free of his leprosy. None of this happened. Moreover, the prophet wanted him to go bathe in the river! What if this foolish plan didn't work? What if it was just a ploy to make the chief of the army of Aram look foolish? Or worse--what if it was part of a plot against Aram? This whole thing could not only be embarrassing, but potentially harmful.

Thankfully, Naaman's servants talk some sense into him and he does the simple thing and is healed. At the very end of Naaman's story, he converts and worships Elisha's God. This was about more than a simple hocus pocus gesture. It was more than just healing his leprosy.

Elisha's motive was clearly larger than just healing Naaman, or saving the king of Israel from having to concoct something on his own. Elisha says it him self "Let him come to me that he may know there is a prophet in Israel." What difference does it make that there is a prophet in Israel and why would Naaman need to know?

A prophet in the land of Israel (or any land) is a sign that God is at work. Prophets are not fortune tellers or predictors of the future. Prophets speak the word of God. We have prophets around us even today. Great theologians and Bible scholars like Walter Brueggemann are sometimes called prophets. Pastors are sometimes called prophets. They are people who bring the word of God to God's people. That there is a prophet in Israel means that God is active, living, moving through Elisha and through the people of Israel. It is a subtle sign of power.

When Naaman learns that Elisha's prescription worked, he was converted. He knew then that Elisha was indeed a prophet of a living God and Naaman wanted to be part of that. In the beginning of this scripture, we learn that "God gave deliverance to Aram" (5:1). We know that God was active in Aram, but how much more so now that their leading official believes that a living God has healed him. The word is spreading that there is something mysterious, powerful, transforming in Israel.

So, it wasn't what Naaman expected. It was more. There aren't many times in our lives that our expectations are surpassed in such tremendous ways, but when it happens it is an unmistakable act of God.