Naaman

Lord, today you spoke to me through the Kings. 2 Kings, with a man named Naaman. I don't know how long you have been wanting me to hear this message, but for some reason, today it jumped out at me. For what seems like eons I have heard of Jesus, how he came to serve, not to be served. How Jesus, Your son, gave up His royal throne and came to earth to be a human, and how You let him do so. How this Son, who was in the highest of high positions with You, gave it up to come and wash the feet of tax collectors and dine with prostitutes. Today You impressed upon me the similar nature of a man named Naaman.

He was pretty high up in the scheme of things also. Strong, the commander of an army. But not a little army, a big one. And the king's right hand man. He was probably brave. Certainly had some sort of cunning and cleverness to him. This guy was in charge of a whole lot of folks. Naaman didn't have to worry about where his next meal would come from, nor whether or not he would have to make it. There were servants for that. I'm pretty sure that Naaman would have been sitting pretty well. There was only one problem....

On a pause, how many people do I know like that, Lord? How many people do I look at from the outside and think that they have it pretty good? Big house, lots (or not) of kids, nice cars, vacations, they probably even have their own automatic dishwasher - I have one of those too, but he doesn't like it when I call him that....the people I am thinking of really seem to have it together....and I confess that I am more than a little jealous.

Back to Naaman. He had a problem that for most people was probably easy to see. He was a leper. All those things he had, servants, foods, horses, military command, prestige, money...couldn't hide the fact that he also had a disease. LORD, why do you do this? Only to bring glory to you! For you are the healer. So a servant of the king had heard about Elisha, a prophet, who could probably heal Naaman. So Naaman packs up and brings a whole boatload - or mule load- of silver, gold and clothing to go visit Elisha. He is directed there by the king of Isreal who thinks he has to solve Naaman's problem himself....How often do I do that, Lord, think that I have to be the one to solve someone's problem???? How much easier to direct them to YOU? So this is what the King of Isreal does, send Naaman off to find Elisha.
At this point Elisha tells Naaman to go wash in the Jordan river 7 times.

Did I mention that Naaman was a pretty important guy? For him to take the time to wash in a muddy river would be ridiculous! Insulting even. A waste of time. He had come from Aram, and the rivers there were clean. The Jordan was dirty. He was an important person, someone who could kill people. Someone who could capture whole cities! Someone who had thousands at his beck and call. To be told that he ought to go wash, not once, but 7 times, in a moving mud puddle was absurd. So he didn't. He got mad instead. How often do I do that, Lord? You offer me a simple solution and I can't swallow my pride long enough to follow Your will? I can't sacrifice the story, I can't let go of the "impressive-ness" of some big adventure to follow a simple directive that will solve my deepest wound. I would imagine that Naaman's pride was sufficient to sustain him through battle, his machismo was built as a protective wall around the deepest injury he had ever sustained. Here was this really important man, and yet he was unclean. He could strike terror into the hearts of those he captured, but was it because of his skill or his disease? How deep rooted was his insecurity? How haughty his spirit? How deep is my insecurity? How haughty my spirit? What must I give up to answer Your simple call, O my Lord?
It was through his own servant that Naaman heard the Lord. When he was unwilling to go into the Jordan river, his servant looked at him and asked if he wouldn't have been more willing to do something grand, instead how easy to do something so small. His servant cut to the heart of the matter, Naaman, why does it have to be a big thing? Yes, you would be willing to kill a lion, to slay a bear, to capture cities and plunder villages, but the Lord isn't asking that, instead, He, through his servant Elisha, is asking you to bathe. To, both literally and physically, get clean. When Naaman realizes his mistake and condescends enough to go bath, he is indeed cleansed. He is so grateful that he approaches Elisha and bows down as his servant. Not only in action, but he actually calls himself Elisha's servant and proclaims that there is no God but the Lord in Isreal. Again, the servant rules. And while it is not a big, grand, gripping adventure, it makes a pretty good tale.

Lord, I ask that you would open my eyes to see. Please, Lord, help me to not complicate things, or make them bigger than they are. Lord, I pray that I, like Naaman, would be able to see that you have a simple plan for my life, and if I am willing to do as you tell me, I will be healed. Then, when I have obeyed and followed your will, I ask that I proclaim you as King, and give you the Glory.