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Sunday thoughts 2 Kings 5: 1-15
Naaman gets the spotlight in the story of his healing, but none of it would have been possible without a young girl who was taken from her homeland, but remained faithful to her God. We know nothing about her except that she was part of the spoils of war.
But she knew one thing—that there was a prophet of God in Israel. Her simple sentence was a strong testimony of faith. She knew that where God was, there was always hope. And she dared to think that God cared for Syrians as well as Israelites.
Naaman is a warrior, a commander, even the Lord’s chosen victor. But the facet of Naaman’s character that most defines him is straightforward and totally devastating. Naaman is a leper. In the light of that one fact, it seems not to matter that Naaman, whose very name means charm or pleasantness, is triumphing over Israel with the Lord’s support.
The entire story of Naaman’s cure is possible because of servants. A servant tells him about Elisha, a servant tells him what to do for a cure, and Naaman’s servants convince him to follow through with the instructions. To wash himself in the Jordan River 7 times and his skin will be restored. Almost everyone in this story is a servant to someone: Naaman to his king, a young girl to her mistress, Elisha to the Lord God. And in the end, Naaman becomes a servant to the true God.
Naaman learned a hard lesson: ... Believing that ... “Not your way, Lord, but mine”. The prophet gave Naaman instructions that didn’t suit him, to wash himself seven times in the river and be made whole. Instead of immersing ourselves in the waters of life we’d rather God outline some foolish rigmarole that we might mistake for guidance from God. Prefer some secure series of ups and downs that if performed in the right order would draw down God’s gift of salvation and healing. Is it so easy to repent and be made whole we just can’t believe it! We have no excuse. So offer no excuse. Just as we are, Lord, we come into your presence. Amen.
Let the presence of His spirit cause you to dance. You know it’s hard to dance with the devil on your back.
Pastor Dorothy Hotchkiss of Webster’s Crossing UMC and Groveland Federated Parish.
dhotch2@frontiernet.net 585/406-7030 cell/text
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