Today we turn to the Hebrew scriptures to hear another healing story involving a foreigner (see 2 Kings 5:1-19). But this time, it is not only a foreigner but a general from a nation that has been actively hostile to Israel. But this does not stop God from healing.
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As we consider our text this morning, you may have noticed a few familiar things going on that are similar to our story last week where Jesus healed the ten men suffering from a skin disease, commonly translated as leprosy. In that story, after realizing they were healed, one of the men, a Samaritan and foreigner, returned to give thanks to Jesus, praising God as he did.
In today’s story from the Hebrew scriptures, we have another foreigner who is central to the storyline. Naaman is described as a great man and a highly regarded general from the kingdom of Aram. We learn that God has just given this man a victory in battle. He is a mighty warrior for his king, but he has a skin disease. This is the same skin condition that the ten men we heard about last week suffered from. And in this time it would normally lead to the same results - being cast out and marked as unclean.
No matter that Naaman was a mighty warrior. No matter that he is a general in the king’s army. No matter that he is highly regarded. This skin condition, once it is widely known, will cause him to become an outcast as surely as any other.
This is where the story takes an interesting turn. It seems that his wife has a young servant girl from Israel. She had been taken captive during a raid and given to Naaman’s wife. We can assume that this raiding party had been invading Israel’s lands, though that is not said directly. However her presence came to pass, this girl suggests that Naaman should go see the prophet in Samaria, which at that time was still part of Israel. This is before the break between the Hebrews and the Samaritans that figures into many of Jesus’ stories when Samaria was one of the provinces of Israel and they were still united in belief and faith.
So Naaman goes to his king and requests permission to go seek healing. Obviously highly regarded indeed, the king of Aram writes a letter to Israel’s king on Naaman’s behalf requesting healing for his servant, the mighty warrior and general. He sends along generous gifts as well.
Of course, the king of Israel is in a state when the group arrives at the palace. Israel is relatively weak and has already lost battles to Aram. We can assume that the border raids have been a part of ongoing hostilities. And now the commander of the king’s army shows up with a large group carrying treasures and a letter from his own king demanding that Naaman be healed of his condition. The letter makes no mention of the prophet that the girl had mentioned. So the king of Israel is in a bit of distress. He thinks this is some sort of trick. When he fails to heal the general, the king of Aram will see it as a further sign of weakness and order an attack.
But the prophet Elisha hears of the situation, he sends word to the king that Naaman should come to him. Probably grateful to have the general and his servants away from the palace, the king does as Elisha had instructed. But when Naaman arrives, Elisha does not come out to see him. He sends out one of his own servants with instructions that Naaman should go wash seven times in the Jordan River.
Naaman gets angry at what he sees as a rebuff. Are not the waters of his own lands just as worthy if not more so? Surely he could be cleansed in any of those waters if it were that easy. He storms away in his anger.
But his servants persuade him. If the task had been difficult, surely he would have done it. Why won’t he just do the simple task? Naaman relents and does as instructed, and his skin is restored. He is healed and clean once again.
Now I know I am going to date myself just a little here. As I considered this story, I was reminded of the movie Doc Hollywood. This was a comedy starring Michael J. Fox that came out in 1991. In this movie, Fox plays a surgeon who has been working in a hospital in Washington, DC, who is now on his way to Beverly Hills, CA. He has decided he can make more money as a plastic surgeon than as an Emergency Room doctor. During a detour, he swerves to miss a cow in the road and runs over a fence. It turns out that the owner of the fence is the local judge, and he sentences the young doctor to community service in the local clinic rather than allowing him to pay a fine and be on his way.
The town already has a doctor, an older man who is a bit of a curmudgeon. But he rarely comes into the clinic, doing much of his work over the phone or via house calls.
During a particular incident, a young boy is brought into the clinic. His skin has a bluish tint and his heartbeat seems elevated. The young doctor diagnoses a critical heart condition that will require open heart surgery and is preparing to have him airlifted out to a surgical center. The older doctor insists that the boy should be given a Coca-Cola and sent on his way. Fox’s character blows up saying that severe medical conditions can’t be treated with soda and he’s going to save the boy’s life. The older doctor shows up as they are preparing to get the boy loaded on the helicopter. After a few questions, it comes out that the boy had gotten into his father’s chewing tobacco again and gotten an upset stomach. His mother then gave him too much bismuth subnitrate as an antacid. It was the antacid that had caused the discoloration. The carbonation in the soda would help to counteract the symptoms.
We often scoff at simple solutions. And truth be told, there are certainly situations where more complex answers are needed. Few if any actual medical situations can be treated with a can of soda. However, in this situation, the older doctor knew his community and knew the people around him. He knew the history of this boy and his family. So he suspected the Coca-Cola was all that was needed. A few questions when he arrived confirmed his suspicions. I think had the answers not matched his expectations, he would have consented to the treatment that the younger doctor had suggested. But his experience and wisdom proved correct in this particular instance.
Naaman had surely sought out other treatments for his skin condition. He knew what would happen if the condition was not cleared, if his unclean condition became known. He would likely have tried all sorts of treatments and cures, none of which had worked. Then he hears there is a man of God in Samaria that can cure him. Maybe he was desperate enough to give it a try. Maybe he was simply grasping at every thread to try to find a cure.
But the prophet doesn’t do what is expected. Likely the king of Israel is somewhat correct in his own reaction. Naaman shows up expecting a certain reception and there is obviously an implied threat in his presence there with so many servants and such extravagant gifts. How many servants would need to come to carry the gifts? How many soldiers would be needed to protect the riches?
And yet, Elisha doesn’t even meet with Naaman. Unlike Jesus in our story last week, we are not even told that Elisha sees Naaman. When the general shows up at his door, he sends out a servant instead. He doesn’t come out and lay hands on Naaman. He doesn’t pray over him. He doesn’t even come out to give him directions himself. He simply sends instructions via a messenger.
It is hard to tell if Naaman is more upset at what he perceives as a lack of acknowledgement of his station or the simplicity of the directions. At any rate, this is definitely not what he expected. He turns and leaves in anger.
But, thankfully, he listens to his servants. This is not the first time, either. He has already listened to his wife’s servant, the girl from Israel that had been captured during a raid. What made him trust her words, we cannot know. We only know that God was at work in this story. So Naaman first listens to her tale and decides to travel to Israel and then into the province of Samaria to seek out this prophet. Then when that does not go as planned, he again listens to his servants as they seek to encourage him to do as the prophet directed.
On the one hand, this seems at odds with the picture that is painted of the proud general who feels stood up. On the other hand, perhaps what makes him a great military leader and a man of such high esteem is his ability to hear and trust those that would normally be beneath him. And so he again steps beyond expectations as he relents in his anger and does as the prophet had directed.
And when he does, his skin condition is cleared up and he is made clean. The knowledge and the wisdom of the prophet proved true. Elisha knew that God could cure the disease. He gave the general such a simple task as an act of faith. The general could have bathed in any number of rivers, but it is only by trusting in the word of this man of God, a foreign prophet of a foreign God, that he is made clean.
It was an easy task he was given, and yet it proved to be a difficult one. Not because the task itself was hard, but because his pride and desire got in the way for a time.
And what of us?
As we think about what it is that God asks of us, the model for life that Jesus has given us to follow, we see that only two things are asked of us - to love the Lord our God with all that we are and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Nothing could be simpler than loving God and loving those we encounter on a daily basis. And yet I would guess that our experience tells us it is far from easy.
Naaman was a foreigner. Not only that he was a commander of a foreign army, an army that had been in conflict with Israel. This did not stop Elisha from aiding him. This did not stop God from healing him. Elisha trusted in God to heal the man regardless of who he was or where he was from.
As we consider those in need, as we consider those that come to us for healing from whatever the cause may be and from wherever they may come, we see that God provides a path for healing.
In today’s story, a young girl taken captive serves as an agent of God to lead someone to healing.
Elisha, a man of God, serves as an agent of God to lead someone to healing.
Unnamed servants serve as agents of God to lead someone to healing.
And in the end, a foreign man, an enemy of Israel in a very real sense, is healed by God. This compassion serves to make God known even to this foreign soldier. And in the end, the general’s life is changed.
God reaches beyond expectations and beyond the borders of the land to work healing in the life of one in need. The king of Israel could see only calamity in the request. His eyes were focused only on what could go wrong. On the one hand, he knew he was not God to be able to work such a miracle. On the other hand, he lost sight of the God who is able to work healing. But God is present. God worked a miracle and a man’s life was changed.
In working a miracle for this outsider, we see that God’s healing and grace is not limited to a single group of people. It’s not even limited to believers.
How are we serving as agents of God to provide healing for those in need regardless of their nationality or their circumstances?
As we consider the simple things that God asks of us, I pray that God will continue to provide us with opportunities to make grace and mercy known in the world that all we encounter may know God’s love.
As we gather at the table to share in the simple meal of bread and cup, I pray that we will continue to do the simple task of loving those around us even when it's not easy.
I pray that, with God's help, we will continue to move beyond expectations and boundaries to do the work of God, to be agents of God that provide a path for God's healing to take place.