A Leper Saved by Faith

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In 2 Kings we read about an encounter between the prophet Elisha and Naaman – a high-ranking military commander in the army of Aram. (Part of modern-day Syria.) Naaman had leprosy.

The encounter is related to us in 2 Kings 5: 1-15.

We read that Naaman’s wife had a servant girl. She was from Israel. She tells Namman’s wife that there is a prophet in Samaria (the old Norther Kingdom of Israel) who “…would cure him (Naaman) of his leprosy.” On hearing of this possible cure Naaman – packs his bags then he and his entourage travels to Samaria to be healed by the prophet.

When Naaman arrives in Samaria - Elisha hears that Naaman has come to see him – to be healed.

Elisha never personally sees Naaman. Instead - he sends his servant – to say to him; “Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

This was not what Naaman expected from a prophet. After all - Naaman is a high-ranking military commander who deserved special hands-on treatment. Scripture records that he thought would happen; “…that he (Elisha) would 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 rivers of Israel.”

But you see - God – or in this case the prophet of God was teaching Naaman something about faith in the power of God to heal. It wasn’t really about the Jordan river - or any other river - it was about obeying and believing in the power of God to heal.

After a disappointed Naaman returns to Aram - one of his servants advises him to go and do what the prophet said to do. So Naaman “…went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times. As the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and he became clean like that of a young boy.”

Notice that Elisha never met Naaman face to face. He gave a simple instruction; “Go wash yourself seven times in the Jordan…” After Naaman obeyed Elisha’s instructions his skin and flesh were restored to be better than it was as an adult - like that of a young boy.”

There are some similarities between this Old Testament encounter between Elisha and Naaman and the encounter between Jesus and the ten lepers in our gospel reading this morning.

Luke tells us that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and our salvation through the cross. He is traveling along the border between Galilee and Samaria when ten lepers – standing at a distance see him and call out to him; “Jesus Master, have mercy on us.” They stood at a distance because a leper was required to keep their distance from everyone else.

Like Elisha - Jesus doesn’t go over to them – he doesn’t touch them nor mix his saliva with mud and cover the spots with it – nor does he pray to his Father and wave his hand over them. Jesus instructs them to; “Go show yourselves to the priest.” - and they go.

Now they must have heard about of Jesus’s miraculous healings and must have believed they would be healed by whatever Jesus said or did. So when he said to go and show yourselves to the priest, they believed they would be healed. Therefore, they left to see a priest; “And as they went they were cleansed.” I’m sure that when they saw they were healed and knew it was because of Jesus. We can imagine how they were overcome with joy.

If it were any of us who were healed - we too would be overcome with joy!

Going to show the priest that you were healed fulfilled an Old Testament requirement from Leviticus where God tells Moses; “These are the regulations for any diseased person at the time of their ceremonial cleansing, when they are brought to the priest.” As Jews they would have known this Old Testament regulations about leprosy. In their mind they believed they were healed when Jesus said to go show yourselves to the priest. Their faith in Jesus’s power to heal them was without question.

The ten immediately obeyed what Jesus said to do. They got up and went – no curious looks - no hesitation – no questions about why – just obey and do as Jesus said. They believed that they would be healed and they were healed. As Luke says; “…as they went, they were cleansed.” When we see that we are miraculously healed of some disease or injury our first response should be to thank God – but nine of the ten did not.

Now what happen next would have been shocking to the Disciples and the Jews. – One of the ten returned to thank Jesus. Luke says; “One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. 16 He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.” Then Jesus says to him: “Rise and go; your faith has made you well.” Faith to believe without doubt – without questioning the reason why or the how.

This foreign Samaritan was exceedingly thankful and grateful for what Jesus had done for him and he praised God “…in a loud voice.” He humbled himself before Jesus by “..throwing himself at Jesus’s feet…”

When I get into heaven - by the skin of my teeth – the very first thing I will do – is - to throw myself down at the feet of JESUS and thank him and praise him. Then I will know how deep is his love for fallen sinful people like me.

The Samaritan believed and obeyed knowing from his heart that it was Jesus who healed him. There was nothing he or the others had to do except have faith in Jesus.

Samaritan.

At the time of Jesus Jews did not get along with Samaritans. The hostility between them was such that the Jews would avoid any contact or association with them. --- It’s sad that such prejudices still inhabit the human heart today.

The Samaritans were a mixed bag of nationalities including Jews who had returned to Israel after their captivity by the Assyrians in 732 BC.

They believed in God and followed the teaching of Moses in the Pentateuch – that is Genesis through to Deuteronomy. To the Jews the Samaritans were not a pure race of Jews because of their intermarriage with the non-Jewish people around them.

But what about Jesus’s attitude towards Samaritans or any other nationality. Throughout the gospels Jesus shows that he is the LORD of all people. As Paul says in Romans 1: 16; “…first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” He interacts with other Samaritans – the Roman officer and the Greek woman in the city of Tyre in modern day Lebanon.

And Paul says that Jesus is not just the LORD and Saviour of the Jews but gentiles like us. In Romans 3: 22 - 23 he says: “This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Jews and gentiles.

And later in Romans 10: 11-13 Paul says; “As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Each of us.

And in the Great commission Jesus said; “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” All nations.

Jesus willingly sacrificed his life and his precious blood as punishment for the sins of the whole world. So that we can receive God’s forgiveness.

What about today? Does faith in Jesus heal us of our injuries and diseases or whatever else ails us and impedes us from having an abundant life.

Well – yes! Many people do receive divine healing when all the medical evidence points to a tragic end. And many of us have heard of incidents of what can only be described as divine healing which confound the non-Christian medical staff.

Jesus heals our hurts – emotional and physical – our addictions – our worries – our sorrows and our loneliness. We just have to believe and let him in to do the healing.

As to the other nine lepers, I’m sure they too were grateful that Jesus healed them. Because they got up and went to show themselves to the priests. They believed in Jesus. I’m assuming they didn’t return to thank Jesus because they were so caught up in the joy of being healed.

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As I thought about the ten lepers in this morning’s gospel - I also thought about others whose life or health or circumstances are – well stressed.

Like the street people in every city and town in North America. Their debilitating addictions – the dangerous environment they live in – the physical abuse – living out in the natural environment with the heat of summer and the cold winter – the social isolation and avoidance by everyone else (like us when we avoid eye contact with them)– and the feelings of loneliness and in some of them - utter hopelessness.

I also thought about single moms who chose life for their babies over death by abortion. They make that choice knowing the full weight of the consequences and responsibilities of their decision.

I thought about those facing death in a hospital or hospice – with no one other than the staff to comfort them. No family or friend to share the gift of the love of Jesus and eternal life.

And the millions who face war – conflict – persecution and hunger.

Jesus saw the suffering in this broken sinful world and did something about it. And it is through the retelling of his life by the gospel writers – by Paul – and James and Peter and John that we know about his great love and compassion for all of us.

As Christians – sometime we see and feel the legitimate suffering of people all over the world.

When I see and hear of the terrible things and the suffering of people my heart aches for those people.

And – as Christians – what must we do what can - to relieve suffering and pain – persecution and injustice – inequality and corruption. James says it this way; “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Widows and orphans – street people – single moms – the sick and dying – the persecuted. It’s a list of suffering that has no end.

In reading the gospels we see how Jesus worked outside the norms of society. He went to the marginalized and forgotten people. Many of those who Jesus healed and comforted knew they were hopelessly lost sinners – like all of us. We need to be rescued and saved from our own sin and the sin of the world. Jesus says in Matthew 9:13; “For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners.” As a Christian I know I am a sinner. -- we all know that we are sinners like the Samaritan leper. And like that Samaritan leper we fall down at the feet of Jesus and thank him for the blessings in our lives.

As a member of this congregation, I have been asking myself – Am I doing enough and are we doing enough with our time and our talents. I believe it is something we really have to be asking ourselves and see where God can use our skills and abilities. In other words – can we do more than we are already doing?

Where can we share the love of Christ in us to others - who need what we have to offer. To do the right Godly things.

This is what we heard from Paul in Philippians this morning: “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” I think what Paul meant is that we also do such things.

We know that it is not always easy to live the life God calls to live. Especially in a post-modern secular world with all it’s nice glittery attractions and temptations. But that is what we are called to do. To finish the good race. To do the good work that God had planned for us to do.

Whatever we do – we do it with the help and power of Almighty God.

AMEN

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