The Sixth Sunday in Epiphany: Keep it Simple

The Rev. Canon Anne E. Kitch
February 12, 2006
2 Kings 5:1-14

This is one fabulous story, the story of Naaman. It has plot twists, warriors and kings, national pride and a miracle cure. To get the most out of this story, it helps to know the background. It takes place about 850 BCE and involves several different nations. First there are the people of Aram, the Arameans, whose kingdom lies northeast of Israel. Their capital city is Damascus and they are part of the Syrian empire. It helps to know that Syria was Israel’s’ major enemy. But there was an enemy even closer to home because at this time the Hebrew people were divided into two kingdoms: Israel and Judah, the North and the South. After the death of King Solomon, they got into an argument about who should rule; that civil war lasted for more than 200 years, until they each were eventually destroyed by other empires (that’s a story for another sermon).

At any rate, since the people of Israel and Judah were fighting amongst themselves it provided plenty of opportunity for neighboring kingdoms to get into the fray. So Syria and Israel fought each other, then had periods of relative peace, and then fought some more. At the time of this story they were more or less at peace.

Now for the main character, Naaman. He is a great Syrian general who brought victory to the King of Aram. He was well rewarded for his military prowess, both in wealth and status. The only trouble is, he does not have his health. He suffers from some skin disease (it says leprosy in the text, but that term was used for many different skin conditions). Now it turns out that there is a young girl who is a servant in Naaman’s house. As a matter of fact she is a slave, an Israelite slave. She was captured in one of those skirmishes between Israel and Syria and now has to work in Naaman’s house. But she knows something. She tells Naaman’s wife about a great prophet who lives in Samaria; he could certainly heal the general. Well Naaman’s wife tells Naaman, and Naaman tells his king and his king says well by all means go to Israel and seek this prophet. In fact, I’ll send a letter of introduction to the King of Israel.

So Naaman sets off to see the king of Israel with letter in hand and a huge gift as well: silver, gold and garments worth about a million dollars. Now imagine you are the King of Israel. Here comes a celebrated general from the neighboring hostile country, one with which you have a very shaky peace agreement, and he is bringing you a ton of cash and a letter that reads, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman that you may cure him of his leprosy,” warmest regards, the King of Aram. The King of Israel is not pleased. He is in fact scared. “How am I supposed to cure this man, it is impossible! The King of Aram wants to pick a fight with me; if I can’t do this thing, he will say I snubbed him and send in his army to kill us!”

Now enter the story’s hero, the prophet Elisha, the one of great power of whom that young girl spoke. He sends his messenger to the king of Israel saying, “Don’t get all worked up about this. Just send that general to me; I’ll show him what a prophet of Israel can do!” I am sure the King of Israel was relieved (by the way, it is interesting to note that the king and Elisha did not always see eye to eye about things; in fact Elisha led a faction that was critical of the King. Never a dull moments in these stories!) So off the great general Naaman goes with his horses and chariots and tribute to see the great prophet Elisha. He halts at Elisha’s door. Elisha sends a messenger to the door, “My master says you should go and wash in the Jordon seven times and you will be well.” The door closes.

I imagine that for a brief moment, Naaman, still standing in his chariot in all his finery, is speechless. Then he gets really angry. What kind of affront is this? He storms off raging, “I thought for me he would surely come out and he would stand here and call on the name of his God, waive his hand over the spot and cure the leprosy. What’s this sending his messenger stuff about? Where’s the great prophet? Where is the show of power? Where is my miracle? And wash in the Jordon, that muddy trickle? No thank you! Why, if a river was needed, why not a great river of Damascus like the Abana or the Pharpar? They’re better than all the waters in Israel, little desert kingdom that it is!” He gathers up his horses and chariots and tribute and makes ready to leave Elisha and his Jordon river in the dust; except that his servants dare to approach him. “Sir, just think for a minute. If the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, you would have done it, right? So how much easier to do this thing when all he said to you was, ‘Wash and be made clean?’ ” Well, they had him there. I imagine him speechless for a second time. Then he just goes and does it. He immerses himself in the Jordan seven times and is made clean.

It’s a great story. The thing about truly great stories is they are so multidimensional, layers upon layers of meaning. This is why Jesus told so many stories as a teacher. We often try to make his stories seem simple and straight forward, but they are not. So what do we make of this great story? What do you take home with you? I have more than one thought about that, so here are some ideas. You choose what cathes your attention this morning.

First idea: Naaman thought a miracle of healing needed to be complicated. It wasn’t. Sometimes we make things much more complicated than they need to be. Which is easier, to take the simple cure trusting a word or to do the heroic deed and pay the big sum? How much value do we place on things that cost more, in either money, energy, or time? When do we miss opportunities for healing because they seem too easy?

Next thought: Naaman was incensed when Elisha didn’t come to him personally. You can almost here him say, “Doesn’t he know who I am?” Well, chances are Elisha knew exactly who he was: a human being beloved of God. When do we let our need for status mask who we really are?

Third thought: the voices of healing and reason in this story--a young girl who must work in the home of her captors and has no reason to love or offer help to Naaman, and the general’s servants who risk their master’s anger. Why is it the powerless in this story know where to find the true healing power?

Final thought? I leave that up to you. Where will this story take you during the next week? But here is the epilogue. As a result of his healing, Naaman becomes faithful to God. But he still doesn’t know how to keep things simple. He returns to Elisha and twice tries to offer him a huge reward. Elisha refuses. So then Naaman asks for two cartloads of dirt, so he may take it home to Damascus and pray to the one God standing on Israelite soil. So one final thought: even when people receive healing, not everything changes.