Unlikely Encounters: The Healing of Naaman

Unlikely Encounters—

As we head into summer we wanted to do something a bit different. We wanted to touch on weird stories that are in the Bible. So we took a survey from all of us and out of that survey we had more than enough passages to take us into September. If you have ever read through the entire Bible you will have encountered passages that make you titlt your head and wonder why it is there at all.

What do you do when a prophet tells you to take a bath?  What do you say to a fig tree with no figs?  What happens when some young people mock a bald guy?  What is a Nephilim?  Is the witch of Endor a Star Wars character?  

These are some of the things we’ll be looking at in the coming weeks.

Today we are looking at a story that is full of unlikely encounters.

Ever had an unlikely encounter?

Holiday to the Island: Headless Seal

We’ve all had unexpected encounters.

We’ve all been in situations where things did not go as planned.

In ancient Israel things did not always go as planned.

At that time the nation was known as the people of the one true God. That was their national identity and they were proud of it and expected to be blessed because of it. When the nation was newly formed this is the commitment they made with God.

Deuteronomy 26:16–19 NIV

16 The Lord your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17 You have declared this day that the Lord is your God and that you will walk in obedience to him, that you will keep his decrees, commands and laws—that you will listen to him. 18 And the Lord has declared this day that you are his people, his treasured possession as he promised, and that you are to keep all his commands. 19 He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the Lord your God, as he promised.

In the story we are looking at today the nation of Israel had remembered that they were a treasure but had forgotten the commitment they made to be the treasure.

They had lost their identity because of their desire to be like the nations around them, rather than be distinct in the nations around them.

When we look at the ancient nation of Israel we see a tragic history. As a unite people they only had three kings reign over them. Then the kingdom was split in two with Israel in the North and Judah in the South. Israel in the North never again had a king who followed God. Judah had a mix of good kings and bad kings. When the books of 1 and 2 Kings were written both groups were removed from the the land God had promised them and they were in exile. These books were written has an historical account of the Kings and how the people of God had found themselves in exile. Something they never dreamed would happen to them. It was unexpected. And they wondered where God was.

We share that story sometimes don’t we? We forget that as followers of Jesus, we are God’s representatives on the earth, we are his children. We are God’s people. When we forget that and all that comes with it we find ourselves in unexpected situations and wonder where God is. Especially if we don’t mature in our faith as individuals and a church.

In there is an unexpected story of a man named Naaman. It is unexpected because Naaman was a Syrian army general who had accomplished a lot for his King, especially against Israel. But he had a problem.

What is so strange about this story? It is a record of a non-Jew a pagan, a heathen, encountering the one true God and choosing to follow him faithfully. In my limited reading of other religions, I have not encountered stories of the enemy encountering God and becoming a faithful follower that puts the chosen ones to shame. But the Bible does.

It’s almost like the author is saying, look, this guy from an enemy country encounters our God and does things right, is more faithful than those of us in exile.

Lets read about it in . And explore how these unexpected encounters speak to us today.

2 Kings 5:1–3 NIV

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 of raiders 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.”

2 Kings 5:1–6 NIV

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 of raiders 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.”

Unexpected Encounter #1

Naaman and the Jewish slave girl

You have this amazing guy Naaman. An Aramean, or in the Greek language a Syrian as the people of Aram came to be called. This wasn’t a major world power like Babylon or Assyria. These were more like a unified group of states who engaged in raiding surrounding people in order to gain wealth.

In charge of this groups army is Naaman. His King thinks he is awesome, and the people consider him to be one of the top individuals of their people. He was a hero. Just one problem Leprosy.

Leprosy was one of the worst diseases of that day. Today it is called Hansen’s disease and impacts around 12 people per year in Canada. But with a six month to two year treatment it is cured. In Naaman’s time there was no treatment and it could cause deformities, skin damage, nerve damage, organ damage, and left people as outcasts in their family and culture. People assumed it was very transmittable and stayed away from folks with the disease. So with all of his success he was an outcast an untouchable.

In an unlikely encounter a little girl who was ripped from her country and placed into slavery shows a depth of compassion to a man who she could view as her enemy. Why would she be willing to share this hope with someone who changed her life forever.

The New American Commentary: 1, 2 Kings (5) Elisha Heals Naaman (5:1–27)

She is an Israelite, he is an Aramean; she is a “little maiden” (naʿărâ qětannâ), he a “great man” (ʾîš gādôl); she is a captive servant, he a commander; he has fame in the king’s estimation, … she has none, for she simply “waited upon” … Naaman’s wife (cf. Deut 1:38; 1 Sam 19:7).46

She sees someone who is suffering and has compassion on him. She sees the ravages of a disease that makes someone a pariah and grieves for him. She wants him healed and in her concern for him shares a possible path.

She points a lost man toward God.

Am I willing to show that same level of compassion to the people in my life? Especially those who are my enemies?

We need people in our lives like this little girl. Someone who has courage to speak up and who love us enough to look past our position or influence, who can speak to the core of who we are and walk with us toward God. We need people who will speak the truth in love to us. And we need to be those people to others.

Am I willing to point people to God. Even if they are my enemy? Honestly there are people, that on this side of eternity I do not want to share heaven with them. On that side of eternity I am excited to see how God will

How many times had Naaman prayed to his god in the Temple of Rimmon. How many times did he try to do great things in an attempt to earn healing. How much money did he throw away on religious cures.

Instead he hears from a little girl and is asked to trust.

TRUST

What other hope does he have?

He is at the end of his rope, the disease would just progress.

Not wanting to cause a diplomatic problem with Israel Naaman approaches his king.

2 Kings 5:4–6 NIV

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.”

2 Kings 5:4-

The king is favorable towards Naaman and gives him permission to go. So like any person seeking the favor of the gods, Naaman loads up with silver gold and clothes to offer as payment for healing.

2 Kings 5:7-

2 Kings 5:7 NIV

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!”

Unlikely Encounter #2

Naaman and the King of Israel

What is unexpected? The King’s of Israel, together with the priests where called on to lead the people in following God. Instead o inviting Naaman in and remembering all that God had done for Israel, the king panics and assumes this is just a set-up to invade his kingdom.

In the book of Kings the last recorded interaction between Israel and Aram was the death of King Ahab of Israel. The current king of Israel King Joran, does not want a repeat of that event.

2 kings 5:8-

2 Kings 5:1–19 NIV

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 of raiders 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 all 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. 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. 17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.” 19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,

Instead of living out of the vision that God had for Israel, Joram forgot God.

This is what God promised to do through Israel in a promise made to Abraham through whom Israel would come:

Genesis 28:14 NIV

14 Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring.

What should have been a leader pointing Naaman to God, was a man who had forgotten God and replaced him with worthless idols who he knew could not heal Naaman.

Naaman went to the right place but found the wrong person.

What can I take away from this unexpected encounter:

Does my life point people to Jesus?

In my own life I have come to realize that I want people to find a safe place in me, I want them to find God’s grace in me. Because I will never point people to God perfectly, it will always be flawed, but God works through the Holy Spirit in another person’s life with my limited attempts, and that makes it worth it. Early on when talking with people who are knew to faith it usually gets said, “I really appreciate your wisdom and insight.” to which, I reply, “Give it time. I’ll disappoint you at some point. But don’t give up on me, I want your best and I want God’s best in your life.”

So Naaman does not find what he needs from the King. Fortunately there is still a prophet in Israel who knows God, and he gets involved.

2 Kings 5:8–10 NIV

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.”

Unlikely Encounter #3

Naaman and Elisha

The kings of Northern Israel were not on good terms with real prophets. Prior to this event with Naaman there had been a systematic killing of prophet’s who followed God.

To send a message to the king was risky for Elisha. He would have to reveal himself to again to King Joram. So Naaman goes to visit the prophet who doesn’t even come out of his house to talk with him. Instead, through a messenger he tells Naaman to go take a bath.

Not the reaction Naaman was looking for. Elisha didn’t even come out to meet him. A general from a powerful nation, seeking out a poor prophet in a third rate country. Show him some respect Elisha.

Naaman was on a quest to being whole. He wanted healing for something that made him untouchable. He had his ideas of what that looked like.

How often have we been seeking wholeness or love or healing only to be let down by believers around you. Was it them, or did you have a preconceived idea of how things should be? In my life, Go does not usually send his message through the people I want or the means I want. More often, God chooses someone who is humble and not great.

How do I receive messages from those who are not prominent but approach me in humility and with respect.

So Naaman replied like many of us do.

2 Kings 5:

2 Kings 5:11–12 NIV

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 all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be cleansed?” So he turned and went off in a rage.

2 Kings 5:

So often, we want things done the way we think they should be done don’t we?

Naaman wanted a magnificent display of the Lord’s power. Instead who is asked to trust the word of a messenger.

Pharapar

The rivers of Abana and Pharapar were clean running rivers. Pharpar was fed by melt water from Mount Hermon in Syria. The Pharpar was the source of clean water for the entire city of Damascus and a system of water distribution fed the water into every household.

The Jordan was and is a small river. It has a high silt content and for parts of the year runs brown.

What was Naaman being asked to do? Trust. At least his servants were there for him.

TRUST

How easily do I trust God in the little things? Most of life is not a series of awesome encounters of God’s power. Most of life is simply trusting God in the day to day.

There is an element of celebrity in being a pastor. But the pastor is called to trust God in the small things just like everyone else. We remember some church icons of history, Martin Luther, Menno Simmons, Constantine, Billy Graham, Bill Hybel’s, and maybe you know some I don’t. But what about the person third row back 4 in. We’ll never know their name and yet they follow God faithfully and trust in him to transform them. Naaman wanted to do a great thing for a great man. Instead he met a messenger of man who rejected greatness and said, go take a bath in a muddy river.

Do I trust God in the little things?

2 Kings 5:13–14 NIV

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.

2 Kings 5:

Unlikely Encounter #4

Naaman and his servants

His servants see the problem right away and in a very difficult situation, humble their master. They put his journey in perspective. What other choice does he have but to submit to the prophets words.

Naaman wanted to be whole. He wanted to be free from the stigma of his disease. He wanted to be touched. Instead he is supposed to dip himself seven times. Can you imagine. Have you ever seen kids jumping in and out of shallow water. It is silly.

Imagine on the sixth dunk coming up and still having leprosy. Feeling like goof in front of your servants.

Sometimes God humbles us in front of others to bring wholeness. It is obvious that Naaman was looked up to by his servants. They wanted what was best for him. They wanted him healed.

I want others to fin wholeness in Christ and when they are humbled I don’t celebrate at their misfortune, I celebrate that God has hold of them. That God is for them. I worry when in response to the humbling that people strive to get out from under it, and miss the work God wants to do.

The result of this humbling? This step of trust? Of obedience? Healing.

Humility / Trust / Obedience

1 Peter 5:5–6 NIV

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

God is able to work in those, who in humility, trust him.

2 Kings 5:15–19 NIV

15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. 17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.” 19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,

2 Kings 5:15-

Unlikely Encounter #4

Naaman and God

In the Old Testament this is one of the great conversion stories. Of an enemy of God, becoming a friend, of a man who was the terror of his enemies, who was great in the eyes of the world but small in his disease.

God got hold of him and changed him forever.

Naaman, wanting to bless the person who was the messenger towards healing brings his treasures. Elisha refuses because representing God as a true prophet was not something to enrich yourself. It is a pattern that true prphets have followed from the Old Testament through to the New Testament and even in the early church. In the early church, prophets were wlecomed into churches to share what God had told them, but they were never to receive money for their work because money gives incentive to give a false message.

Elisha is no different, by accepting money he would be in danger of being like the false prophets and benfiting off of others, instead of representing God.

So Naaman in his understanding of how religion worked in his day asks for some dirt to take home with him. God’s were seen as territorial during the time of Naaman, so taking earth from Israel was a reasonable request to an immature follower of the one true God. Naaman in his statement is saying, there is really one true God above all others and I will follow him.

A foreigner, A general, A wealthy man, A powerful man, A trusted man, A leper, An outcast among his own people, untouchable by those close to him.

Meets God, and finds temporary physical healing, but more importantly finds the one who can heal his whole being.

As he leaves Elisha, he leaves with the knowledge and faith that there is only one true God. Who he commits to worship exclusively.

But he has a problem. The God in the temple back home, whom he knows now to be a false God, but no else does. So he begs for Elisha to extend God’s forgiveness to him when he has to bring his King into the temple and bow down together with him. No that Naaman will be worshiping his King’s god, but that he will bowing together with an old blind man who needs his eyes open to the true God. Is this an endorsement for Naaman to worship two God’s? No? It is the reality of what Naaman, a new follower of God, sees as a very real problem in his new found faith. Elisha isn’t going to return with him and disciple him. He is on his own with this new reality. Maybe the little Jewish servant was able to teach him some of the things she may have learned, but it is him and God.

Elisha, sends him off with the words, “go in peace.” This is the Hebrew word Shalom. There is no English word that fully captures what Shalom means but it includes, peace, harmonious relationships, health, well being, wholeness, and more. Elisha sees the reality of Naaman’s life and extends to him this broad blessing.

Naaman encountered the good news of God and entered into shalom with God. Will you? What is stopping you? In Naaman we see someone who becomes a representative of God in his world, when a whole nation would not.

2 Kings 5:1–19 NIV

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 of raiders 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 all 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. 15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” 16 The prophet answered, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. 17 “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the Lord. 18 But may the Lord forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord forgive your servant for this.” 19 “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance,

As you think about these unlikely encounters this week, remember that the church is the movement through which God is blessing the world today. Regardless of background, ethnicity, class, sickness, health everyone is welcome to enter the Shalom of Jesus.

Jesus said,

Matthew 11:28–30 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

Naaman’s humility, trust and obedience produced just that in his life. Imagine what it can do in ours, and in our church.