Readings
2 Kings 5:1-3, 7-15c
Psalm 111
2 Timothy 2:8-15
Luke 17:11-19
Today we have a story from the Hebrew Scriptures about a man named Naaman from the country of Aram. He was a commander in the army and clearly an important man and a man of means. He also, unfortunately was afflicted with leprosy and could find no cure. This was a source of pain and concern for both him and his wife. Until they were given hope by an Israelite slave who told them that Naaman could be healed if he went to see the prophet in her homeland.
Long story short, after arriving in Israel Naaman is called by the prophet Elisha. When Naaman arrives, he is told that all he need do is go and wash in the river Jordan seven times and he will be healed. But Naaman was incredulous to the instruction. We can almost hear him saying “is that all? Well, I could have taken a bath in the rivers back home if that’s all that is required. I thought there would be more!”
Nonetheless, after some coaxing by his servants, Naaman goes down and washes in the river Jordan as instructed and he is healed.
All Naaman had to do is wash himself in the Jordan seven times and he was healed. Despite his protestations it really was that simple. He went expecting a complex and demanding response by the prophet and instead he gets a simple and compelling response.
Which begs the question “are we any different than Naaman?” How often do we expect the things in our life to be complex and demanding? I know I do.
I have struggled with my weight for over 30 years. I have tried a variety of diets and programs hoping to lose weight and keep it off. But you know what? While nutrition may require a bit more work, weight loss is not all that complex. The simple truth is that to lose you simply need to eat fewer calories than you burn and the weight will come off. And every time I remember that simple truth the weight comes off.
Or, as another example, many people find it difficult to save money. And, there are a whole host of experts and programs out there to help you with that task. But, again, the truth is that saving money is quite simple. If you spend less than you make then you will save money.
Now I am not suggesting that either of these things are easy. It wasn’t easy for Naaman to swallow his pride and do what Elisha had commanded. But easy or not, many of the things in this life are actually far more simple than we make them.
Our life of faith is no exception to this rule. As Christians we commit ourselves to following Jesus and to being participants in the Kingdom of God.
The temptation which occurs again and again is to make that more complex than it is. We assume that in order to do that effectively we have to be Bible experts, or we have to have a profound spiritual life, or most impossible of all that we have to be near perfect in our morality. In the midst of that temptation, we put our clergy on a pedestal and look to them to be experts in this complex task.
But like weight loss or financial savings, to be a follower of Jesus is actually quite simple. Jesus himself told us how we are to do it … by loving God with all our heart, soul, and mind; and by loving our neighbor as ourselves. To be a follower of Jesus is really that simple: love God, love neighbor.
Now while I am saying that it is simple, I am not saying that it is easy. It is easy to embrace the idea of loving our neighbor in the abstract. But, what about the neighbor who is annoying, or the person we see in the parking lot who is scary, or the person who is easy for us to judge? We too are called to love them.
The challenge for us is not to simply love the way we love our family members, but to love in a way that seeks to serve Christ in all persons; a love that respects the dignity of every human being.
And the way we do that is to set aside our fears. Our fears of what others think about us. Our fears about our inabilities and our limitations. Or as a wise person once said to me about this very thing “what someone else thinks about me is none of my business.”
We are called like Naaman to live into the simplicity of our life in this world and our life in Christ. As followers of Jesus, we are called to love; love God and love our neighbor. By doing this we live no longer for ourselves alone, but join God’s renewal of creation, that all might flourish.
May we have the courage and conviction of Naaman. May we live into the simplicity of the world in which we live and in our life in Christ. As we are filled with life and transformation by doing so, may we be agents of healing and transformation for all we meet.