Just Do the Thing

Naaman’s Conundrum

A decorated warrior

In with Aram’s king

But he has leprosy

Aram

*** Map, Aram and Israel

2 Kings 5:2–3 NRSV

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.”

Perspectives

Naaman: Honored yet confined to the margins because of disease; willing to grasp at any hope

2 Kings 5:4 NRSV

So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said.

The young girl from Israel: Your husband doesn’t have to suffer

2 Kings 5:3 NRSV

She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

The king of Aram: Let’s give it a shot

2 Kings 5:5 NRSV

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.

The king of Israel: They’re looking for an excuse to pick a fight with us and raid us some more!

2 Kings 5:7 NRSV

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.”

Elisha: He will know there’s a prophet of God in Israel

2 Kings 5:8 NRSV

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.”

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...”

Naaman Almost Missed It

The life-changing answer was simple, too simple

It involved no ritualistic spectacle, no riddles to be solved, not even a face-to-face conversation with the prophet Elisha

Naaman’s Pride

2 Kings 5:11–12 NRSV

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.

Good Advice

2 Kings 5:13 NRSV

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’?”

Jesus’s Words

John 10:10 NRSV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

What keeps us from this?

Pride

Habits that hold us back

Outright sin

Neglecting to give God his rightful place

Not heeding our conscience

Conscience

What is the most important thing you could do that would move you toward healing, abundant life, and true godly living?

*** Graphic: Question mark

NS: It may seem too simple

It may not be glamorous

It may not be profound

2 Kings 5:14 NRSV

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.

Just do the thing

NS: And if it’s God who has placed the thing in your heart, you will find healing and joy