This week’s theme: Quiet Grace
2 Kings 5:1-14
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.
What an incredible story! I’m pretty sure that if I’d been in Naaman’s place, I’d’ve been very skeptical and hesitant to follow the instruction of Elisha, and likely put out by the mild rebuke of the servant. Neither of these people really had any influence in Naaman’s world, and the instruction were so….unexpected…so mundane!
And yet….they worked!! By the grace of God, Naaman was healed. Cleansed. Made new.
Because God’s grace often comes in ways we don’t expect: in unexpected places, in quiet ways and through surprising voices. God’s grace also doesn’t measure the strength and depth of our faith to decide whether or not we are worthy. And it certainly doesn’t question if we have earned it. It is just freely given.
Questions to consider while reading this passage:
- How does this story challenge our preconceived ideas about how God chooses and works with people to teach us about grace?
- How does this story speak to you about humility and obedience in faith?
- How does this story foreshadow the universality of the Gospel message and the grace that Christ offers to all?
- Try and recall if you’ve ever been in a situation like Naaman, where you had to humble yourself to experience God’s blessing.
Bulletin for this week: