The Syrian soldier who went for a swim
2 Kings 5:1-14
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High above the city of Sheffield in northern England is a lonely mountain plateau. In the middle of nowhere, there is a pile of rocks. Look on the map and the place is called ‘Lost Lad’ – a century ago a young man got lost in the mist and they found his body near these rocks – the name is his lasting memorial. Being lost is a terrifying business.
Jesus said that the human race is lost, we are wandering ‘round in the mist not sure where to go. He said that there are only two ways to live; there’s your way and there’s God’s way. God has marked out a clear way through the mist and it is the only way we are going to survive. Each of us has a decision to make; whose life-path am I going to follow? Here’s a story from the Bible that will help us make that decision. You will find it in 2 Kings 5:1-14.
The characters…
First, meet the Syrian commander with leprosy . Namaan was a powerful and effective general with an infectious, disfiguring, and incurable disease. People would have avoided contact with him; they saw him as being under a curse. He kept his job as the Syrian general because he was good at it… very good at it.
Second, meet the kidnapped Israeli girl. The Syrian soldiers had probably arrived in the night; they rounded up her father and brothers and killed them. Then she was taken into captivity with her sisters and sold like a piece of meat. She was bought by a Syrian noblewoman, the wife of the man who led the raid. She was put to work in his household. Now, given the circumstances, you would expect her to be resentful. The fact that her mistress’ husband had leprosy would be some comfort; obviously the disease was a justly deserved punishment for being an enemy of God's people.
What happened next was entirely the result of this slave-girl behaving in an unexpected way. She showed compassion instead of vindictiveness. Everything else in this wonderful story becomes possible because of this.
Third, meet Elisha the man of God… he was Israel’s most mysterious and powerful prophet. “Man of God” – means someone who represents God and speaks for him.
The choice… “Will I go God’s way or my own way?”
Think about the slave-girl first. How do you respond when people mess up your life? Most of us would make sure that we get the chance to mess up theirs and rejoice at their downfall.
Some years ago British Telecom took an airline pilot to court over a phone bill of around £40,000. The pilot explained the size of the bill – he had left for a tour of duty having had a blazing row with his girlfriend. Before leaving the pilot’s flat for good she ‘phoned the speaking clock in New York and left the ‘phone off the hook, and then she slammed the door behind her! The resulting bill reflected the cost of a two-week transatlantic ‘phone call, that was her revenge.
We naturally want to get revenge, make life as hard as possible for the enemy. That's man's way. But you must realise that man's way leads to certain consequences. We all know someone whose life had been scarred by bitterness. There is an alternative; the slave-girl in the story chose to live God’s way.
She didn't know about the teaching of Jesus, who lived 700 years after these events, but she is a good example of that teaching. In doing things God's way she achieved two things. First, she put the bitterness and passion for revenge behind her. That was good in itself! But secondly, she created an opening for something quite wonderful to happen. When you do things God's way you never know how things will turn out, but I can guarantee one thing, it will always be a more healing process than your way.
Now think about Naaman, the Syrian commander. He must have been desperate, because he decided to visit an enemy country in search of a cure. Yet he was as proud as he was desperate. He was a very important bloke, and used to getting the best. When men like him turn up at a restaurant the manager turfs other people out to get them a table, even if they haven’t made a reservation! But Naaman’s proud bubble was about to burst. Elisha didn’t even come to the door, but sent his lackey (a greasy little character called Gehazi) to tell the Syrian general to dip himself in the Jordan River seven times.
Naaman was furious (10-12).
That was what the man of God expected. He had delivered a calculated insult on God’s behalf, and his demand that Naaman wash in the Jordan was a calculated challenge. God wanted to deal with Naaman’s pride.
When we do things our way, our top priority is to keep our pride intact, to remain in control and keep up appearances. Pride is one of the most corrosive, soul-rotting, forces in our lives and God wants us to recognise it for what it is and get rid of it. He wants us to lose our pride.
(You may find these comments about pride helpful - follow this link)
Instead, Naaman lost his temper! He threw his dummy out of the pram and stomped off. That is how people respond when their pride is challenged; they get angry and go into denial. You do it, I have done it; we all do it!
Then it was the turn of Naaman's servant to dispense some wisdom (13). Have you noticed that two of the key people in this story are servants? Many of us have a problem with resentment because we have to take orders and do as we are told. We think that this is beneath us; we want more status, more power. God wants to deal with this; maybe we are more use to God as an employee than we would be as the boss?
So Naaman went to dip himself seven times in the Jordan. He had to do this God's way not his. He changed his mind and was healed. This is one of the wonderful things about God; you get to change your mind… you get a second chance. Please take it.
Over to you!
Well now, it’s your turn to make a decision – the listener, the reader, you are part of the story, and you have a choice to make.
I was reading some glossy magazines recently and came across two celebrity interviews. Here’s a little piece of each one:
"I've always had a plan and being on a top-rated prime time television show was part of that plan. I want the best things that life has to offer me - the beautiful houses, the cars, the 10.000 thread count Egyptian sheets. What's more, I'm going to get them. I'm going to work my butt off and get everything I can."
Eva Longhoria , aka Gabrielle Solis of Desperate Housewives
"God is first. That's the breath of life. For me, that's why I'm here. I've been blessed with these abilities. I believe that it's not what you're given, it's what you do with what you have. I learned that from the Bible. What are you doing with what you have? Everybody has gifts to give. Who did you lift today? Who did you make better today?"
Denzel Washington
Now here’s a question, which of these two do you think will have the happier life? Now here’s a choice… which way are you going to live? Before you make the choice, you need to know about someone else.
The ultimate man of God
Now, the ultimate man of God - is Jesus. In fact, the Bible says that God became human and lived on earth – that is who Jesus really is. Listen to his words in Mark 1:14-15 - That's the Christian message in a nutshell!
The advice that the servant gave Naaman was brilliant. We would do well to listen to it. God is not asking very much… take the second chance he gives (repent) and put your hand in his (believe)
· Repent – really means to stop living by my own set of rules and start living by God’s
· Believe – really means to trust Jesus with my life – it is the beginning of a relationship
Maybe you want it your way, but God wants it his way. My way will put an end to any possibility of change, and certainly feed my pride. Eventually it will destroy me.
The good news is that you get a second chance… take it and you will find that, like Naaman, your life begins again!