Sometimes, we believe that if a religious experience isn’t mystical, it isn’t really religious... that it has to be accompanied by spiritual goose bumps. Sometimes, the goose bumps are there, but it’s plain old common sense that gets you to that point. Just ask Naaman.
Soldiers pounded on Elisha’s door. Elisha didn’t come out. He sent a Son of the Prophets to tell Naaman to wash in the Jordan River. Truth is, the Jordan is a small stream the size of Bear Creek, and a good deal muddier.
I have tried this week to stay at least 15 feet away from Pastor Steve and his bad case of the flu. In the office, we made him shout, “Unclean! Influenza!” so we know when he’s coming. Poor guy has probably felt like a leper all week.
Some people are victims of their own success. Their stability becomes too small. Their victories become wearisome. Something about them has to crash if their lives are to move from big and phony to small and real. Consider Naaman. He’s a big shot.
The story of Naaman the leper deals with several issues simultaneously. First, Naaman was a gentile—not a Jew. Naaman was also a leper—so he was a loser on two counts. The Jews of Jesus’ day would have been just as happy if all gentiles were lepers.
How do we know when someone has grown up? I remember being 15 years old and wanting desperately to be 16 so that I could drive. But growing up must be more than just celebrating birthdays. What about maturity?
The prophet Elijah is carried to heaven in a whirlwind, transported by a fiery chariot with fiery horses! This breath taking scene may cause us to overlook what else takes place in today’s first reading. There is a lot going on, much of it far from obvious.
Our text for today inspired some of the great spirituals that are still beloved by people of many races. One of my favorites is: “Swing Low Sweet Chariot / Coming for to carry me home."
Now Naaman, captain of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him Yahweh had given victory to Syria: he was also a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper.
His servant said, "Should I set twenty loaves before a hundred men?" But he said, "Thus says Yahweh, 'They will eat, and will have some left over.'" So he set it before them, and they ate, and left some of it, according to the word of Yahweh.