Introduction:

I know everyone likes stories. JK Rowling has said “There’s always room for a story that can transport people to another place.”¹ So I invite you to go with me this morning to the magical land of the Old Testament prophets. 2 Kings 5 is where we are going to be if you want to turn there, this is one of my favorite Old Testament stories if you can believe it.

While you are turning there, I’ll say this: a few years ago I got really interested in understanding Islam. While I was studying, I found out that there is a pretty wide-spread legend in the Islamic world about Neil Armstrong.² The author that was reporting this said he kept hearing his Muslim friends talk about how powerful the Qur’an was. They would use this story as an example: they said Neil Armstrong actually heard the call to prayer while he was in outer space, and he felt such strong emotion that when he came back to Earth, he immediately converted to Islam. The author said he heard this story so many times that he decided to do some research to see if it was true. He said, it turns out Neil Armstrong did take a trip to the Middle East when he got back from space. He was asked by an Arab reporter what he thought of the call to prayer and his response was “it sounds spacey.” From that little interview, newspapers all over the Muslim world started printing this story that Neil Armstrong had heard the call to prayer in space and had obviously been converted because of it.

Well, Neil Armstrong explicitly denied this story, so it’s not true. But, the famous quote that he is known for is true, and I bet every one of you knows it. “That’s one small step for _______, one giant leap for __________.”

Well, that quote, as cliché as it is, could almost be the tagline for this story. Naaman, the main character of our story today, had a big problem, and because of the kindness of the Lord he was given the chance to make one small decision that would have major implications for his life. What I hope by looking at this story today is that we will see ourselves in Naaman. After all, our lives are more shaped, I would argue, by a thousand small decisions that we make that have big implications than by a few dramatic events that happen to us. However, we have a problem in that we are often hardened by sin, but God steps in to be our helper. So, this morning, I just want to go through this story with you, giving you some commentary along the way, and then I want to draw out three things that I believe are major themes here: the one big problem Naaman had, the one small step he took, and the one great God he met.

Reading the Story:

So, a little context here before we start. This story is set in the middle of an Israel that was falling apart. The kingdom was divided, the kings were evil and/or incompetent, the people were making treaties with other nations to protect them instead of leaning on God for help, and we are only scenes away from all-out exile.

Despite this rebellion, God continues to send prophets to speak his word and do miracles. God’s intent to bless Israel and the nations will not be thwarted, even by their rebellion.

It is in the middle of all this that our main character steps into Israel, and he will become a board on which God will write a loud statement about his grace, even in the middle of absolute chaos.

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. (Victory over whom, by the way? Israel.)
He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. (Huge but…*explain leprosy*)
²Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. ³She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (This little girl is amazing.)
⁴So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” ⁵And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels^[^b^] of gold, and ten changes of clothing. (Massive riches)
⁶And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ⁷And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.” (He thinks Syria is looking for an excuse for war).

⁸But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.”
(Elisha saw that there was a bigger purpose to Naaman’s visit than what was going on on the surface)
⁹So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. ¹⁰And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
(- Elisha’s house couldn’t be that big
- Wasn’t impressed by Naaman’s power or money)
¹¹But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. ¹²Are not Abana^[^c^] and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.
(- Naaman is mad; expected theatrics
- Jordan not impressive; embarrassing [political move – Vladimer Putin on playground])
¹³But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”
- Servant speaks wisdom (simple request; Naaman prepared to pay)
- ¹⁴So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (This had to have been a scene to watch.)

¹⁵Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said,
(First time talking to Elisha. What would you expect him to say? Thanks?)
“Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.” ¹⁶But he said, “As the Lord lives, before whom I stand, I will receive none.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
(- Would be tempting to take
- Elisha didn’t want Naaman/men getting confused; grace)
¹⁷Then Naaman said, “If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the Lord. ¹⁸In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the Lord pardon your servant in this matter.” ¹⁹He said to him,“Go in peace.”
(Elisha showing patience with new believer)

3 Big Themes:

I. One Big Problem

Naaman had a big problem… and it wasn’t leprosy. Naaman’s problem was that he didn’t know God. I believe the disease was an outward sign of an inward reality—that Naaman was sick with sin. The Bible uses the imagery of sin being like sickness. When hanging with sinners, Jesus says it’s the sick that need a doctor and he is therefore referred to as the great physician.

Here’s what’s amazing in this story: God gives Naaman a sickness that will send him looking for a cure, but God’s ultimate purpose was to cure a bigger problem that Naaman wasn’t even acknowledging he had, and to do it in such a way that—in comparison—his physical healing was not worth mentioning!

Let’s apply this. I think that the Bible is clear that God gives us afflictions in order to drive us to him. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 12 that God actually let him get harassed by a demon so that he would not become arrogant because of the visions he had seen of heaven. When Paul asked the Lord to make it leave he said, “My grace is sufficient for you and my power is made perfect in my weakness.”

So, let me ask you this: What affliction do you have that might actually be God inviting you to experience him? Maybe you have been deeply hurt or violated by someone you trusted. Maybe you, like Naaman, have an actual physical condition that causes you pain or frustration. Maybe you are in a season where you just can’t seem to have joy and you feel a sense of despair. Would you be willing to consider that maybe that thing you hate so much could be a means that God is using to show you your desperate need for him?

It’s kind of funny, but really sad, but those that have criticized Christianity, one of the things they have pointed out is how obsessed we are with sin. Nietzche—for example—wrote, “Christianity needs sickness… Making sick is the true hidden objective of the Church’s whole system of salvation procedures…One is not ‘converted’ to Christianity—one must be sufficiently sick for it.” We are obsessed with sin because we are obsessed with God, and sin is the barrier that keeps us from him. If this story shows us anything, it’s that we are all sin-sick (contrary to Nietzche), we just ignore it until we are face to face with tragedy.

II. One Small Step

So, Naaman had a big problem, but he also faced with a small decision that would have big implications. Look at verse 9:

⁹So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha's house. ¹⁰And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”

¹¹But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.

Naaman’s decision was whether or not he would do this simple task in faith rather than some impressive feat that would leave him looking awesome.

On this point, Tim Keller writes, “Naaman and the Syrian king believed that religion in Israel functioned the way it worked in virtually all nations at that time, and in many nations today. They believed religion was a form of social control. The operating principle of religion is: If you live a good life, then the gods or God will have to bless you and give you prosperity…’Just wash yourself,’ then, was a command that was hard because it was so easy. To do it, Naaman had to admit he was helpless and weak and had to receive his salvation as a free gift. If you want God’s grace, all you need is need, all you need is nothing. But that kind of spiritual humility is hard to muster. We come to God saying, ‘Look at all I’ve done,’ or maybe ‘Look at all I’ve suffered.’ God, however, wants us to look to him—to just wash.”³

In this weird way, grace is actually more difficult to accept than things we earn. That’s why Christianity is unique among all the religions of the world. Because the God of the Bible does not let us put him into our debt—he is the giver, not us.

This also explains why people who love the rules but not Jesus tend to be the most horrible people to be around—because they are putting themselves in the position of trying to earn from God.

Bill Nettles told me last week that when he was growing up his church had pins for church attendance and it was always the kids with the most pins that acted the worst.

So, when we take small steps of obedience, what we are really doing is sticking our hands out and telling God that we have nothing to offer him. We are simply trusting his promises and throwing ourselves on his mercy. This may make sense in our initial salvation when we repent of our sins and place our faith in him, but it is also the thrust of why we obey every single thing he has told us to do. Giving, for example, is saying, “God, I trust the promises you have given. You have said you would take care of my needs and that you would do so in abundance and you have told me to put your kingdom first, so I am not trying to put you in my debt, I am simply believing what you have promised.”

That’s the difference between manipulation and faith.

III. One Great God

Last, Naaman encountered one great God.

¹⁵Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said,

“Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel; so accept now a present from your servant.”

It has already been said, but let me say it again—no mention of leprosy! Naaman was so entranced by the God he had just experienced that in comparison his disease seemed like child’s play.

This God that Naaman experienced was the God of Israel who created the heavens and the earth. This was the God who called a man out of a pagan land and promised that he would bless the world through him. This was the God who suffered with his people for years of rebellion. This is the God who would take on a human nature and live as one of us. This is the God who would stand up in the synagogue and open up to this story of Naaman and Elisha, and would use it as an indictment against hardened Israelites. And this was the God who would die on a cross, taking the wrath of God that Naaman deserved, exchanging Naaman’s sin for his righteousness. And this was the God who will raise Naaman AND US on the last day with imperishable bodies to live in the new creation and to dwell with God forever.

This morning as we go into our main service and we lift our hands to sing and we take communion THAT is the God Naaman worshipped and it is the God we worship, and he is worth laying it all down for.

1 https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/54870-there-s-always-room-for-a-story-that-can-transport-people

2
J.D. Greear. Breaking the Islam Code: Understanding the Soul Questions of Every Muslim. (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2010). Kindle Edition.

3
Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods: The Empty Promises of Money, Sex, and Power, and the Only Hope that Matters. (New York, NY: Riverhead Books, 2011).

One Big Problem, One Small Step, One Great God