THOSE WHO THINK THEMSELVES SPECIAL!

Tuesday, June 23, 2020

An Old Testament “Classic”

THOSE WHO THINK THEMSELVES SPECIAL!

2 Kings 5:9-12

9 So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha.

10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.

12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.

           The story of Naaman the leper is almost comic in its ridiculousness. Here is a guy who has a terrible and terminal disease. He comes to the prophet with all his horses and his chariot. Now, you need to know that this is not simply his mode of transportation but a statement of his importance! This is why people pay $50,000 for a Humvee and it doesn’t even come with a machine gun! They drive such a thing so that you will know they can afford the payments – even if they can’t. 

           Naaman is given a command and a cure that consists of only EIGHT WORDS: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times.” His response reminds me of some church members I have known! The cure was too humble for him. He was special! It must be some grand thing and extravagant. His feelings were hurt, and he flew into an indignant rage! He had it all planned out in his mind how this thing should go down! The prophet would come out in his vestments and finery and would wave his hand magically over the disease. A few magic words would be chanted, and a trumpet would be sounded and the disease would be gone. He went away in a rage. He was special and God had refused to recognize it.

           I know church members who get their fur in a fluff and decide that they don’t have to abide by certain church rules. They don’t have to attend the Sunday school class they should rightfully belong to because something is not done to their liking. They don’t like the teacher, or they don’t like the classroom or they don’t like the topic chosen for discussion so they wander off to another class or they simply don’t attend at all. They are special, don’t you see, and nobody has recognized it. They are in a self manufactured rage over nothing of consequence.

           God allowed Naaman to spend himself in his little hissy fit but in the end the leprosy remained until he did the one thing he loathed to do – obey! I rather think the stink that rests on us remains until we surrender our self importance and recognize the majesty and simplicity of Almighty God.

Luke 18:11-14

11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.

12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.

13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Dear Lord, I am not worthy of the least of thy blessings. Help me to humbly submit to your leadership. AMEN