Naaman was a powerful man. A man probably used to getting his way without even trying, a man used to being deferred to. He led the armies of Aram, and gloriously defeated the Israelites in battle, helping to take many people captive. Tradition even suggests that he is the man who singlehandedly killed King Ahab.[1] Regardless of the truth of this sentiment, Naaman was used to running in the powerful circles. His name was most likely recognized on both sides of the Jordan river and one can imagine that he had wealth and prestige to go with that name recognition. I am sure that people stepped aside as he walked by – out of a mixture of fear and respect, sprinkled with a little disgust.
Because despite all these things Naaman was a marked man – literally. What the Old Testament calls leprosy is not what we know as Hansen's Disease today. It referred to a variety of skin marring diseases for whom there was little hope of treatment. Naaman was and continued to be of great use to the Aramean King and his sickness must have been frustrating. So no matter how strong he was, no matter how powerful, rich or influential Naaman was marked as 'other'. True, he clearly wasn't banished or relegated to second tier status, be he was visually separated from his peers, his colleagues, and even his servants.
For all that wealth and power on the outside it is not a stretch to imagine that Naaman was fearful and insecure on the inside. How could he not be? You can almost hear his inner monologue: “How does this happen to someone like me? How do I fix it? This isn't me.” Naaman must have put on a brave face each morning. He is so frustrated and at a loss that he takes the word of a servant girl – a captive foreign slave girl – at face value. And not only that, he takes her suggestions to his king! The king, no doubt imagining his best solider back at full steam, seems completely behind the idea. Thus Naaman, a letter, and a variety of wealth make their way into Israel. The king of Israel sees this presentation as a thinly veiled political move – one designed to provoke more war. He struggles with what to do or say (ironically pointing in the right direction - “Am I God, to give death or life?”) but it is up to the prophet to step in and save the day. It seems that everything is going to be fine – until Naaman gets in the way.
His resentment, his anger and his pretension very nearly get between him and the healing he has so long sought. His very humanness overwhelms him. It is clear from the entourage he drags to Israel that he expected his wealth to buy a solution. When that does not, he expects great fanfare, full of bowing and scraping to his clear awesomeness. Naaman is so caught up in the spectacle, in his grand expectations that he very nearly misses God's promise of healing.
It's like the story of the man in an old joke who is hears that the river is flooding His next door neighbors stop by and offer to drive him out before the waters rise. No, thanks,he says. I know God’s going to save me. The waters rise and he goes up on the roof, where he intends to wait for God to rescue him. Person after person comes by in a rowboat and even a helicopter offering to take him to safety. .No, thanks,he says. I know God’s going to save me. Finally the waters rise over him, and he dies. When he gets to heaven, he complains,I prayed and prayed, but you didn’t save me! And God answers, Are you blind? I sent you a car, rowboats and a helicopter! What more do you want!
The truth is, we are more like Naaman than we'd like to admit, especially as a collective body. As we have spent all weekend (and tomorrow) celebrating the birth of our glorious nation, that's not an easy thing to say. Individually and corporately we are as susceptible to our basest feelings as Naaman. We tend to think that we garner (and deserve) respect – even fear. Our country is a mighty country. It is, in most ways, the mightiest country on earth. We cherish our freedom and our wondrous diversity. Who can match our economic might? Even in a falling market, the wealth of the United States exceeds the wealth of the whole developing world. Our country is also a mighty warrior. According to the Defense Department, we have military bases in 63 other countries. Our troops are now deployed to more locations than in any time in history. Our aircraft carriers sail on every sea; our planes and satellites patrol the globe and all who live on it. The military budget for this year is $396 billion. It’s very hard to wrap your mind around a number like that. But it’s more than the next 25 highest spending countries put together. Do the mighty have anything to learn? Do we need to listen to anybody else in the world?[3]
Lately, it seems that we are mighty enough to say "No" to both questions. In recent years we have refused to sign international agreements to protect the environment-even though we produce more destructive gases than any other nation. We are mighty enough to make up our own rules. We’ve protested the establishment of an international war crimes court unless Americans are given certain exemptions. We name those who agree with us our friends and label all others as our enemies. We imagine ourselves the 'greatest nation' without critical examination of where exactly our disease hides. Because like Naaman, we are diseased. Anyone who looks closely can see it. Our greed, arrogance, disrespect, and violence make are visible for all to see. The world could be a better place if our nation could grasp a vision bigger than our might. Naaman was a mighty warrior, but all his might could not restore him to health.
Lately, it seems that we are mighty enough to say "No" to both questions. In recent years we have refused to sign international agreements to protect the environment-even though we produce more destructive gases than any other nation. We are mighty enough to make up our own rules. We’ve protested the establishment of an international war crimes court unless Americans are given certain exemptions. We name those who agree with us our friends and label all others as our enemies. We imagine ourselves the 'greatest nation' without critical examination of where exactly our disease hides. Because like Naaman, we are diseased. Anyone who looks closely can see it. Our greed, arrogance, disrespect, and violence make are visible for all to see. The world could be a better place if our nation could grasp a vision bigger than our might. Naaman was a mighty warrior, but all his might could not restore him to health.
Naaman walks away from Elisha, muttering about disrespect, all the while disrespecting Elisha, his God, and his nation. But the unnamed servants raise a clever point, making him stop in his tracks. If this prophet had asked you to do something difficult, you would have relished the challenge. Why not do the simple request? Recognizing their point, Naaman rethought the scenario and ended up in the lowly Jordan dipping seven times. I've always wondered what he was thinking taking those dips. Was he watching closely to see if there was any change after the 2nd, 3rd and 4th dip? Was he skeptical, arguing with himself about the futility of such an act? We will never know. Because when Naaman emerged the 7th time his skin was like new.
It is the small voices that save the day. Naaman would never have been healed if he hadn’t listened to those who had no power.[3] unnamed servant girl and the unnamed slaves. Powerful people like Naaman and the Kings are shown to have no power, their – like the emperor without clothes, weakness laid bare. Those who have no power, no voice, who are counted as property and not worthy of names are the ones who saw God's actions and pointed the narrative forward. The irony that people with little power or wealth perceive God's work when the powerful may not recurs all over the bible.[4] God once again turning the idea of powerful and powerless on its head.
Perhaps this story fundamentally jars "common sensibilities" about borders and boundaries, about who is in and who is out. As we, as a nation of immigrants, argue and debate about which immigrants belong with us and which don't, as we continue to draw more borders and boundaries between ourselves and others we need to be reminded of God's complete disregard for our boundaries. Surely, the boundaries that we place around God's love cannot and will not hold God back.[2]
The irony of Naaman's healing discourages our tendency to look for God's work in terms of our own desires and expectations.[5] The Hebrew word gadol is translated as great in verse 1 and difficult in verse 11. Thus Naaman is said to be a 'big man” and he expected his cure to be a “big deal”. Yet when he follows the advice of a 'little girl' his diseased flesh becomes like the flesh of a little boy.[6] The mighty brought low before the power of God, right order restored - if just for a few moments - in this disordered fallen world.
We like Naaman, as a nation and as individuals, have a tendency to think we are a big deal and to expect big deals in return. God does not view us as better than our fellow humans, but as brothers and sisters that span all our known divisions. Watching HBO rerun the David McCollough John Adams miniseries last night, I was struck by what we are celebrating this weekend - the hundreds of thousands small voices and actions that have led to our freedom and privledge in these United States. From the sacrifices of milita families in the Revolutionary Wars to the sacrifices of military families today, from Rosa Park's firm belief in her unalienable rights to Ted Kennedy's decades long crusade to use his considerable power to provide voice for those without health care, to thousands of unnamed voices today.
God is speaking in small voices throughout the world today. We as Christians are called to pay heed to each other, to listen for those voices and not discount their importance. We are being asked to get out of the way - and not only that, but to work towards God's way, attempting to lay aside our prejudice, ignorance and arrogance and reach out to God for the courage to follow, always looking forward to the kingdom, a kingdom not of our own making, but of God's.
[2]commentary on 2 kings 5:1-14, Samuel Giere, http://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?lect_date=7/4/2010
[3]what the mighty might learn -2 kings 5:1-14. The Rev. Dr. Barbara K. Lundblad, ELCA
Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY, February 16, 2003
Union Theological Seminary, New York, NY, February 16, 2003
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