What would your reaction be if someone were to say that to you? My first reaction would probably be shock and embarrassment, then I’d do a quick sniff of my armpits lol. That seems to be the first place we sniff or the hand over the mouth breath test. Can I get an amen? No one likes to be embarrassed, especially in public, but if those words came from a well meaning friend you’d probably take it better than if say, it came from a stranger. Today we will look at the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. Let’s read together.
“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. Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. “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. 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.” 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!” 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.” So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha’s house. 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.” 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. 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. 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’!” 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 5:1-14 NIV
This is a very fascinating story. But it speaks to the human condition of pride. This man had what was considered at the time an incurable disease. A disease that caused the infected persons to be ostracized by society. During Jesus’ day they had to cry out “unclean” if they were in an area where others were. He was a great warrior but he had a bigger problem. I don’t know the extent of his infection since leprosy takes on different forms, but it is apparent that it was known that his was visible for all to see. His introduction tells of his prowess but ends with a caveat; “but he was a leper.” A captured, and enslaved Jewish teenager, working as a maid to his wife, called out his condition but offered a solution. See-it’s one thing to be told you stink! It’s quite another to be offered a solution.
The world always tends to believe that everything can be bought. This is why most struggle with the concept of a “free” salvation. God is so wise. He offers us a cure for our disease but gives us a receipt stamped “paid in full.” We like the idea of being able to say “I bought that, I earned that, no one gave that to me, I struggled years to get where I am.” That’s nice but I’ve always said keeping it is another story. You’ll need to apply the same struggles. With a free gift, the Giver gets all the glory, but you receive the benefits the free gift provides. That’s God’s way of salvation. We stink, but He offers us the bath; The blood of Jesus. Still, we say we’d rather pay.
Naaman showed up with all the goodies to purchase his healing. He wanted it his way. The young slave said, “go see the prophet” he goes to the king. Elisha, bless his heart, a discerning man, wouldn’t go anywhere near the stench, he sent the Cure by a messenger, “GO DIP!” Naaman wanted magic, after all he was an important man with a letter from the king, with enough money to buy his healing, why is this “prophet underling” sending him to go dipping in the dirty Jordan River, when he has cleaner rivers where he came from! Well! He’s probably been in what the world considers clean, but still came out a leper. Pride and his twin brother arrogance, will keep you stinking, humility will remove the stench.
It took another servant to get his attention. He basically asked “what have you got to lose?” I’m asking the same question of folks who are refusing to accept God’s plan of salvation. What are your options? Stinky or dip and be cleansed. Naaman had to dip seven times for his deliverance, you only need to dip once and be made whole, spirit, soul and body. Such a deal! You don’t even need a letter of commendation. No one needs to be the middle man. You just come, Jesus paid it all. We owed a debt we couldn’t pay, He paid a debt He did not owe. ‘O the overwhelming never ending reckless love of God!
The text today reminds us of the obstacles we place in our own way through pride, smelly stinky pride! He was angry because he wanted the cure his way. We are dying lost today, because we want salvation our way. Jesus offers the solution just as Elisha was offering it to Naaman. Do you want your healing? Our souls are mired in leprosy, the scars of sin run deep. We do not have the cure, but like the little Jewish maid, the Jewish Messiah is saying, “ if only My people would come and be washed in my cleansing blood, if only they would stop striving to come up with their own cures, IF ONLY.” Pride almost kept Naaman from total healing. I’m being that servant’s voice today, I’m asking, “if the Lord had asked you to do some penance to earn your free salvation would you have done it?” Why strive when all you need to do is humble yourself and go dip? Isaiah says these words:
“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 1:18-20 NIV
Don’t walk around stinky a day longer. Come to Jesus and be made clean. Be His fragrance, a sweet smelling aroma. Jesus wasn’t afraid to touch the lepers, He knew that they’d receive cleansing from Him -not the other way around. Elisha knew he couldn’t go near Naaman so he sent the message, Jesus is the Messenger and the Cure. Let Him wash you and make you clean. Jesus said these words:
“I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed—only Naaman the Syrian.” Luke 4:25-27
Many but ONE. Why? Because as long as you want it your way, you’ll miss out. The eyes of the Lord run throughout the whole earth, looking for “A” man on whose behalf He May demonstrate His goodness. 2 Chronicles 16:9 (paraphrased) Are you that ONE?
Heavenly Father in the Name of Jesus,
I come recognizing that without the cleansing blood of Jesus I’m a stench in Your nostrils. I choose today to remove my leperous clothing and allow You to clothe me in Your righteousness. I will not allow the sin of pride to hold me back from my total deliverance. Wash me and make me forever clean, help me be a true fragrance of Christ. In Jesus Name. Amen
What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus 🎼
Written by permission of the Holy Spirit
W. Tennant