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Have you ever been at odds with someone. Your neighbor, your ex spouse, your boss, your kids. Imagine for a moment being at odds with your neighbor. Since being neighbors, they have consistently done things to agitate you. They have borrowed things from you which they have never returned. When they rake their leaves it seems they rake them over on to your lawn. Your efforts to keep your lawn free of dandelions is a losing battle because their lawn is dandelion valley. When you are working outside around your house and they see you they don’t even acknowledge your presence.

One day your doorbell rings. Your neighbor is standing in your doorway asking you for help. What do you do?

This is the scenario we have in this morning’s reading from 2 Kings. Naaman is commander of the Syrian army. Syria and Israel are neighbors, neighbors who rarely were on friendly terms. Naaman had led many successful raids on Israel. Each raid was an attempt: to frustrate the people of Israel; to bring political unrest. Israelites were often taken captive and brought back to Syria. Naaman’s servant girl was kidnapped from her family in Israel and brought back to Syria.

Naaman, also was suffering from leprosy. Leprosy was one of the most feared diseases of the time. Some forms were extremely contagious. Many lepers were forced out of their homes to live in quarantine camps. Since Naaman still held his post, he probably had a mild form of the disease, or it was still in the early stages. In either case his life would be shortened by his disease.

As a very successful commander of the Syrian army, he would have had available to him, the best of medical care. But the best of care could not help. Ironically, his only hope of being cured comes from Israel.

"If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

Naaman’s hope was going next door to his neighbor for help.

You are the king of Israel. What do you do?

Would you stomp around your palace saying, "Who does he think he is?" "He’s got some nerve." "He raids my country taking hostages and now he expects me to assist him. Is he crazy?"

You can understand that the king of Israel got very upset.

"When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, ‘Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me."

The king of Israel was angry because his enemy asked for help. He was also upset because he knew he had no control over the situation. He saw the letter from the king of Syria as an attempt to pick a fight.

While that kind of response may be expected, what bothers me about the king’s response is his apparent ignorance of God’s power which was working through Elisha. Instead of calling for Elisha, he tore his clothes in anguish. Fortunately when Elisha heard about the kings agony, he sent word to send Naaman to him.

When Naaman arrived at Elisha’s home. He was met by Elisha’s servant with a message,

"Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean."

Instead of doing what the message said, Naaman became outraged. He was outraged because his pride was hurt. He was a great hero in his land. He was used to people paying him homage. Elisha, however treated him like an ordinary man.

Naaman was also outraged because Elisha told him to go to an ordinary river. The Jordan River was definitely smaller in comparison to the rivers of Damascus. Naaman thought that to wash in the river was beneath his dignity. Naaman left in rage because the cure for his disease seemed too simple. He was a hero. He expected a heroic cure. Full of pride and self will he could not accept the simple cure of faith.

If it wasn’t for his servants’ voice of reason, Naaman would have returned to Syria without being cured.

"If the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean?"

You might think that Naaman’s problem was that, it was too easy. In truth what Elisha was asking Naaman to do was most difficult. In order to be healed he had to humble himself and obey God’s command given to him by Elisha.

Truthfully, Elisha’s response is often no different than ours.

We react to God’s offer of forgiveness, of peace, of salvation in the same way. To just believe in Jesus somehow doesn’t seem significant enough to bring eternal life. To obey God’s commands doesn’t seem heroic.

Yet obedience to God is not so easy. Obedience begins with humility. Obedience begins by believing that His way is better than our own way. Think about some of Jesus’ teachings.

"You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you...If anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also."

"You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have?"

Such teachings are difficult to swallow. What we want conflicts with what God wants. We may not always understand his ways of working, but by humbly obeying, we will receive His blessings. We must remember that God’s ways are best; God wants our obedience, God can use anything to accomplish his purpose.

What Naaman had to do to have his leprosy washed away is similar to what we must do to have our sins, our hurts, our hates, our unforgiveness washed away. We must humble ourselves before God. We must believe His way is better than our way.

amen