Bring the Gift of Trust - Message #1

2 Kings 5:1–15 (NRSV)

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.”

INTRODUCTION

IT IS THIS QUINTESSENTIAL QUESTION OF ADVENT AND THE CHRISTMAS SEASON THAT WILL GUIDE US THESE

1st

3 SUNDAYS OF NOVEMBER.... “WHAT SHALL WE GIVE?” IT’S EASY FOR US TO IMAGINE THE WISE MEN ASKING IT

BEFORE BRINGING AND BEARING THEIR GIFTS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF THE BABY JESUS......AND WHAT DID

THEY BRING BELOVEDS? OHHH, THEY BROUGHT ONLY THEIR BEST.....WHAT DID THEY BRING, BELOVEDS, THEY

BROUGHT GIFTS WITH MEANING AND SIGNIFICANCE AND PLENTY OF SHINE.......WHEN WE HEAR FROM ST.

MATTHEW IT IS RECORDED THIS WAY IN MATTHEW 2:10-11

Matthew 2:10–11 NRSV

When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Gold in the Bible is symbolic of God.  It represents the most precious of metals and is extremely rare in its

purest form.  The intrinsic value of gold has been established since ancient times and gold was used to honor

kings.

The gift of frankincense, given by one of the wise men, pointed to the work of Jesus as a Priest of God,

who ministered for three and one half years to the people. Frankincense is an aromatic, clear resin obtained

from trees in northern India and Arabia (Isaiah 60:6; Jeremiah 6:20).  It is used in incense and perfumes, and

was treasured for its aroma and healing properties.

Myrrh was a spice used for medicine, cosmetics, and anointing oil.  It was mixed into the oil that was used to

anoint prophets for the divinely appointed work of revealing God and communicating His will and words to

His people.  Jesus came to the nation of Israel (Matthew 15:24) and He came as a Prophet. Myrrh was

presented to Jesus at His birth pointing to His life as a Prophet and it was used at His death to anoint His

body for the grave.

THE WISE MEN BROUGHT JESUS THEIR BEST.........AND WHEN WE RECEIVE THIS BEAUTIFUL STORY OF THE GREAT

MILITARY LEADER NAAMAN WE FIND SOMEONE WHO BROUGHT HIS BEST GIFTS TOO.........AND IT IS THE WILL

NAAMAN HAD THAT WE WANT YOU TO BRING TO THIS FIRST SUNDAY OF OUR STEWARDSHIP EFFORT FOR

2023........IT IS THE DESIRE HE HAD FOR HEALING AND WHOLENESS THAT WE BRING TODAY FOR YOUR

CONSIDERATION AND REFLECTION.....

NAAMAN’S GREAT GIFT TO US

ONE COMMENTATOR ON OUR TEXT FOR THIS MORNING WROTE THAT:

The story of the healing of Naaman is about entitlement, power, and pride.

It is about the shame attached to a chronic and visible bodily abnormality. And it is about divine power that

flows through humble channels rather than through the pomp and power that humans esteem.

NAAMAN was an honorable, valiant man but the scripture tells us he was a leper in need of healing. AND ON

ONE

HAND WE MIGHT THINK IT WAS THE DISEASE, THE LEPROSY THAT WAS NAAMAN’S PROBLEM IN THE

STORY......AFTER ALL, HE WAS A MIGHTY WARRIOR WITH AN ABUNDANT AMOUNT OF CHARISMA.......

BUT GOD’S HEALING ISN’T JUST FOR THOSE WHOSE DISEASE IS EVIDENT AND OUT FRONT LIKE NAAMAN’S.....

GOD’S HEALING POWER CAN FLOW THROUGH WHOMEVER GOD CHOOSES.....IT IS GOD’S HEALING POWER WE SEEK

AS WE COME TO THE COMMUNION TABLE TOGETHER THIS MORNING. IT’S GOD’S DIVINE HEALING POWER WE SEEK

AS THE ELECTION DAY COMES THIS WEEK AFTER SUCH A DIFFICULT AND DAUNTING AMOUNT OF CHAOS IN OUR

CULTURE SINCE LAST ELECTION DAY.......AND IT IS GOD’S HEALING THAT WE NEED TO GUIDE US INTO THE COMING

CALENDAR YEAR OF 2023........THE KIND OF DIVINE POWER THAT IS POWERFUL ENOUGH FOR FAITH TO FLOURISH

WHEN GOD’S GOODNESS IS MADE KNOWN......FOR AFTER NAAMAN FINALLY DID IMMERSE HIMSELF 7 TIMES IN THE

JORDAN AND HE WAS MADE CLEAN VERSE 2 Kings 5:15 HIS FAITH WAS SURE & HE SAID:

2 Kings 5:15 NRSV

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.”

NAAMAN’S PRIDE & PLEA

NAAMAN TEACHES US MORE WITH HIS PREPARATION TO VISIT WITH THE KING OF ISRAEL......HE BOLSTERS HIS

STRONG SENSE OF PRIDE WITH GIFTS MAKING A MAGNANIMOUS GESTURE....AMEN? HE THINKS OF HEALING AS

THOUGH IT IS A PAYMENT FOR THE VERY GIFTS HE BRINGS..........

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

BUT THERE IS A BIGGER, BETTER GIFT TO BRING BEFORE THE LORD OUR GOD BEYOND JUST MATERIAL THINGS.......

WHAT IF INSTEAD OF JUST THE HEALING OF HIS LEPROSY, NAAMAN WENT TO THE LORD OUR GOD SEEKING WHAT

GOD TRULY WANTS FROM EACH OF US AS IT SAYS IN DEUTERONOMY 4:29

Deuteronomy 4:29 NRSV

From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find him if you search after him with all your heart and soul.

NAAMAN THOUGHT HIS PLEA FOR HEALING WOULD BE HEARD BY ELISHA THE PROPHET…PARTLY BECAUSE OF HIS

GIFTS & PARTLY BECAUSE OF HIS PERSONAL SENSE OF HIS OWN IMPORTANCE......BUT GOD SURPRISED NAAMAN

WHO THOUGHT HE COULD ONLY BE HEALED IF ELISHA HIMSELF LAID HIS HANDS ON HIM AND PRAYED OVER HIM

DIRECTLY.......

PART OF NAAMAN’S SURPRISE WAS THE ANSWER TO HIS PLEA INVOLVED HIS OWN EFFORTS, HIS OWN DEVOTION

AND HIS OWN TRUST THAT WHAT HE WAS TOLD TO DO WOULD REALLY WORK......

AND THIS IS THE GIFT WE BRING TO GOD AS WE LINE UP OUR PLEDGES, OUR GIFTS, OUR HOPES AND OUR PLANS

CONCLUSION

IT IS THE GIFT OF TRUST, EVEN THOUGH WE REALIZE THAT THEOLOGIAN & HYMN WRITER ISSAC WATTS WAS

CORRECT WHEN HE WROTE:

Learning to trust is one of life's most difficult tasks.

AND YET, THE GIFT OF TRUSTING GOD WILL HELP US FACE ALL THAT LIES AHEAD IN 2023 AS WE KEEP FIGHTING

THIS PANDEMIC, ALL THE NEW YEAR HOLDS IN FORMING AND RE-FORMING OUR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITY HERE IN

AND AS THE UNITED CHURCH OF MONTBELLO, ALL THAT 2023 HOLDS NEW ROADS AND GIFTS AND GRACES WE’LL

SHARE WITH ALL HUMANITY..........TRUST MEANS SO MUCH IN OUR DAY AND AGE.....

TRUST IS AS BARBARA SMITH SAYS…AN EXPRESSION, A PRIMARY EXPRESSION OF LOVE.....

Trust is to human relationships what faith is to gospel living. It is the beginning place, the foundation upon which more can be built. Where trust is, love can flourish.

NAAMAN FINALLY, HAD TO TRUST THAT IF HE COULD FIND A WAY TO BE FAITHFUL, IF HE COULD OVERCOME HIS

ANGER & RAGE, IF HE COULD ACCEPT THAT THE Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus JUST WOULD NOT DO AND

THAT IT WOULD BE THE JORDAN, AND ONLY THE JORDAN RIVER TO WASH IN TO RELIEVE HIS LEPROSY........

BELOVEDS, I ASK YOU THIS MORNING WHERE CAN YOUR OWN TRUST IN GOD GROW? WILL YOU TAKE CHARGE OF

THE ACTIONS IT WILL TAKE TO GROW THAT TRUST....TO NURTURE THAT TRUST.....AND TO EXPAND THAT TRUST

BEYOND ALL YOU CAN ASK OR IMAGINE....IF YOU CAN DO ALL THAT....YOU’RE ON YOUR WAY....TO BRINGING THE

GIFT OF TRUST BEFORE OUR GOD.....

TO SHOWING GOD THE GREATER GIFT OF TRUST THAT COMES WITH YOUR FAITHFULNESS......

TO PREPARING YOUR HEART FOR ALL THE WAYS GOD WILL DEEPEN AND INCREASE YOUR INTIMACY WITH THE

DIVINE....AND HOW OUR LIVES CAN BECOME OR REMAIN LIVING EXPRESSIONS OF THAT WONDERFUL HYMN OF THE

FAITH THAT SAYS.....AS I CLOSE:

When we walk with the Lord

 In the light of His Word,

What a glory He sheds on our way;

 While we do His good will,

  He abides with us still,

And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey,

For there’s no other way

To be happy in Jesus,

But to trust and obey.