1 Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2 Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
4 Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. 5 "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. 6 The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."
7 As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"
8 When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
11 But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
13 Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" 14 So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
In an abandoned Detroit warehouse the image was shocking; two denim-clad, lifeless legs poking up through trash-choked ice. It took three calls to 911 before anyone bothered to respond. Some guys had been playing hockey in the frozen and flooded warehouse when they discovered the body. This may be a low point for Detroit facing political corruption, financial troubles, and high unemployment. A local woman said, “When you hear somebody say it’s a dead body near a train station you say ‘and?” In a city called the “murder capital” this neglected, frozen, and anonymous body has become a symbol for victims forgotten. For indifferent people who’ve become desensitized to death. Investigators are working on finding out his identity, his story, and how exactly he died. It does look like a murder case.
This news story brings to mind the Parable of the Good Samaritan. And what would have happened if the Samaritan had not come along. If out of compassion, the stranger had not scooped up the bloodied victim who had been left for dead. The unidentified frozen body found in the Detroit warehouse symbolizes so many victims, both alive and dead, who have been bypassed, ignored, or just forgotten.
In ancient times, a man suffering from leprosy was a dead man walking. Lepers were required to call out, “Unclean, unclean” when they encountered others. A Roman Catholic missionary named Joseph Damien worked in a Hawaiian leper colony in the 1800’s in Hawaii and he wrote this, “Picture for yourself a collection of huts with 800 lepers. I have baptized more than a hundred with the white robe of baptismal grace. I have also buried many in coffins I myself built. We average one death per day. A corruption of the blood leads to open sores all over the body. I’ve had great difficulty getting accustomed to the atmosphere, the stifling odor, the rancid breath”. Joseph Damien died among the lepers, a victim of leprosy himself.
The account from 2 Kings about Namaan has been called an OT story of baptism. Namaan seems to have it all: military might, economic clout, a man of substance, with access to power and people. BUT, Namaan has leprosy. That may sum up our situation, too. You and I have many good things; normal family, meaningful lives, nice homes, good health, and access to people who know people. BUT, there is always a but. Something is not quite right. This is not where we want it be or a hidden hunger surfaces. We have our own incurable disease that eats away at the soul. It may be revealed in lack of control, boredom at home, financial chaos, some addiction. Whatever we have or don’t have, we’re looking for a cure. Like Namaan we turn to religion. From the story, you get the feeling that Namaan had exhausted all the local experts and options. Because, now the general is listening to a lowly slave girl. Apparently, he is desperate enough to load up a caravan of commodities, put together an entourage to escort, and travel all the way to Israel to meet Elisha. Isn’t that how we try to approach God? In a manner worthy of God, Namaan, us!
Pastor James Howell writes, “Namaan rumbled up to Elisha’s house reigning in his stallion, bearing gifts, and expecting to pay his way to healing, to grease a few palms. Elisha is unimpressed. After all, once you have seen chariots and horses blazing with fire soaring above the clouds (carrying Elijah heavenward), a bunch of steeds pulling a cocky chieftain atop wooden wheels does not raise your pulse.”
When we have to come to God’s house, we have done what we can in the privacy of our own house. When we desperately turn to God in prayer we have most likely tried the help of doctors, therapist, and financial planners. We come to God in a measure of desperation, having exhausted other experts and options. Like Namaan, this is difficult; to be vulnerable, to admit our fear, and to confess our powerlessness.
Today we explore our stewardship of social ministry. What we as a congregation do to reach out to those in need, to support those who cannot support themselves, and witness to the love of Jesus Christ in deed and action. As a church, we are generous with time, energy, & funds to support and sustain many ministries. From our benevolence dollars to volunteers at Martha Mary, to annual mission trips and local Habitat work, to Preschool scholarship & hefty Good Samaritan gifts. Thank you for your generous spirit. When there is a real need, Vinland responds big-time.
Elisha doesn’t do anything dramatic or particularly religious when he tells Namaan to go wash in the muddy old Jordan. This is a prescription not just for ridding him of leprosy but healing his soul, his whole person. After hesitating (faith seems to often be a crumbling of pride), Namaan plunges into the water. He emerges from the river more than repaired. 2 Kings, “His flesh was restored like a little child’s”.
Social ministry is more than handing out food and writing a check. Social ministry is meeting hurting people at a vulnerable time. Requires more care & less counsel.
The Kitsap Sun had an article entitled, “Christians often perceived as Unchristian” Times were hard for a single mother and her four-year old son. So she did what hurting people often do- she joined a church for solace and support. But there was a problem that drove her right back out of the pews. When interviewed, the young mom said, “Everyone told me what to do as a parent, but no one bothered to help”. She was not turned off by the Christian message or that she was new to the church.
The fact is she felt that the Christians she had met had not been very “Christian” in their treatment of her. Her encounter emphasized the findings of a study of 18-29 year olds by a well-recognized church institute. The researchers summed it up, “Christians are primarily perceived for what they stand against. We have become famous for what we oppose rather than what we are for.” On one hand, we can’t take a poll and then modify the message to create a user-friendly faith. This is what Jesus did not do. But, the 18-29 year-olds and below are beyond skeptical to just not interested. Studies say the church must take such critics & criticisms seriously.
On one hand, anyone who joins a church expecting to be part of a happy, healthy, harmonious gathering of put-together people sooner or later is in for a big letdown. Outsiders observe our slow and erratic growth or lack of, and wonder why we bother.
We’re here because God loves us & the commandment says to love your neighbor. Not a suggestion, recommendation, or option. This is where I believe we need to hear what that single mother is saying to us. Hurting people who come for healing are vulnerable. Its a risky venture to come to church, admit your need, ask for help. Our struggle with social ministry is not that we don’t deliver enough money, food, or whatever. Let’s be honest, there are many fine and more efficient organizations that can deliver help & meet needs. What healing the church has to offer a hurting world is grace. Forgiveness through the gospel. Relationship with God thru Jesus Christ. The how-to for wholeness for the whole person is found nowhere else.
“People can’t accept the fact that there are other people who just want to be nice”, said a HS senior who founded her school’s Random Acts of Kindness Club. That is why the senior, Kelsey Hertel, founded the club in Eugene in the first place. After a few meetings she had thirty-something students involved. The Random Act team moved into community and offered free leaf-raking. They ran into resistance from suspicious neighbors. One woman said, “Go practice your random acts of kindness somewhere else”. Another woman thought they’re trying to burglarize her house. The students responded, “No, we’re from the Random Acts of Kindness Club; we just want to rake your leaves”. The woman wasn’t convinced so she called the Eugene police calling the would-be do-gooders as “suspicious subjects”. Next students tried to help at the mall on “Black Friday” by handing out cards that said, “Have a nice day” and “You’re awesome” with mints attached. Soon security got word of the subversive students’ activities and they were quickly evicted by the mall police. The founder/student said, “Our culture is so based on greed that people don’t believe goodness is real. But, if we keep it up, they’ll realize there’s love in the world”. The next covert activity will be a downtown Hot Chocolate giveaway.
The bad news is we live in a world that’s suspicious about generosity and grounded in a culture of scarcity. The good news is that God is ridiculous about generosity & commands us to share in abundance. The healing that Namaan receives surpasses his expectations. He is humbled as well as healed, resurrected as well as restored.
This OT baptism story teaches us, we are children of God. The surprise is in the waters and before the cross, we are whole. Without romanticizing childhood, we may recognize its blessings; vulnerability, the way children show their treasures, weep in the open, are easily amazed, implied demand for justice, and an easy acceptance of grace and gift. Robert Jensen says, “The main difference between a living God and a dead one (an idol) is that a real, living God can still surprise you.”
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