Beyond Your Control The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany (12 February 2012)
2 Kings 5:1-14
Dearly beloved, Naaman was a military officer—the commander of the army of the
King of Syria. He was a go-getter, a man in control. He gave orders and got
things done. He yelled “Jump!” and those under his command replied “How
high?” But sometimes life throws things at you that seem insurmountable. As
strong and powerful and in control as Naaman was, he quickly learned what it
meant to be helpless and hopeless. Naaman, you see, had leprosy—a dreaded
disease that eats away at the nervous system and disfigures skin and bones. Once
strong and powerful, Naaman now faced circumstances well beyond his control.
Have you ever been there? Have you ever faced circumstances well beyond your
control? A layoff. Debt. Family or marital problems. Sickness or disease. The
death of a loved one. Whatever trials and tribulations come your way, each and
every one of you knows what it’s like to face circumstances beyond your control.
Things don’t always work out in this fallen world the way you plan. You can have
a positive attitude, you can be a visionary planner, you can even have a great work
ethic … yet, there are still some things in life that are well beyond your control.
The question becomes: How do you deal with those circumstances?
When Naaman heard there was a prophet in Israel who could heal, he bridled his
horses, packed up his chariots with rich rewards, and headed for Israel. What a
surprise it must have been, then, when Naaman wasn’t even greeted by the man of
God, but instead was told by Elisha’s messenger: “Go and wash in the Jordan
seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”
This did not sit well with Naaman. He had other expectations. “Behold, I
thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the
name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the
leper.” Expecting a religious show, all Naaman got was the Word of God via a
messenger, pointing him to a washing of water by the Word in the dirty Jordan
River. So he turned around and went away in a rage, muttering: “Are not Abana
and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?
Could I not wash in them and be clean?”
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12 February 2012
Human reason is a funny thing, isn’t it. Naaman knew what the Jordan River was
like. He has crossed it to get to the king and eventually to Elisha’s house. The
Jordan is muddy, dirty, filthy. It empties into the Dead Sea, the lowest point below
sea level on the face of this earth. In contrast, the rivers in Naaman’s hometown of
Damascus were clean and clear. So he reasoned: Why not just go home and wash
in them and be clean? Let me ask you: Would it have worked? If Naaman would
have gone home and washed in the Abana or Pharpar, would he have been
cleansed? No. Though those rivers were indeed cleaner and clearer than the
Jordan, there was no promise attached to them. God’s promise, given by Elisha
through his messenger, was attached to the waters of the Jordan. Thus, only in the
waters of the Jordan would Naaman find healing.
Whether you realize it or not, you’ve pulled a Naaman before. There have been
times when you followed your will and your thoughts and your desires rather than
God’s word of promise. It probably happens a lot more often than you realize.
This is so because the devil—your great enemy—dupes you into believing, time
and time again, that you know better than God.
Consider how easily he leads you into temptation.
Consider how easily he entices you to covet what is not yours, to gossip about
others, to hold a grudge, to use your eyes and your imagination to satisfy the lust in
your heart.
Consider how easily he tempts you to become bored with God’s Word, to skip
Bible study and move on to more important things, to think that doctrine is only for
pastors, to be turned off by confessing your sin.
Make no mistake about it. You’ve pulled a Naaman before. We all have. And far
too often. Repent. Put to death that sinful nature which has duped you into
believing that you know better than God, that the things of this world are more
important than His Word and Sacraments, that you can live life on your own terms
rather than from the gracious gifts Christ so abundantly gives.
Thanks be to God Naaman’s servants were given ears to hear and hearts to believe
and mouths to confess the good news spoken by Elisha’s messenger. “My father,
it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he
actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” And then comes some beautiful
Gospel, some good news, some healing from that water connected with God’s
word of promise. Naaman went down and dipped himself seven times in the
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12 February 2012
Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like
the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
When God cleans a person, he’s clean. This cleansing caused Naaman to return to
Elisha’s house and make the faithful confession: “Behold, I know that there is no
God in all the earth but in Israel.”
By God’s grace, You know this as well. For the Triune God has washed you clean,
cured the leprosy of your sin, and wrapped the perfect righteousness of His Son
around you in Holy Baptism. You can be sure of this because God has attached
His word of promise to that washing of the water with His Word!
Naaman eventually headed back home, cured of his leprosy, seemingly strong and
powerful and in control again. But don’t kid yourself. Naaman was still flesh and
blood. He was still assaulted by the devil, the world, his own sinful flesh, and
various other circumstances beyond his control.
That’s where you are today. You walked in here this morning carrying your own
burdens, your own aches and pains, your own trials and tribulations. Some of you
might even be facing circumstances well beyond your control. More importantly,
every one of you walked in here this morning bearing your sins of thought, word,
and deed. So here is your Gospel, your good news. The same Lord who healed
Naaman heals you as well. He forgives you freely and fully. Not because you
deserve it, but simply because that is who He is. Gracious and merciful.
So when the devil dupes you into believing that you know better than God, when
he tempts you to become bored with God’s Word, when he entices you to place
more value on the things of this world than the things of God, listen to God’s
servant as he calls you away from yourself and leads you back to Christ. Your
Lord desires to wash you, to create in you a clean heart and renew in you a right
spirit, day after day after day. His forgiveness is greater than your sin!
So cling to Christ in your time of need. Do not rely on your own merit, but take
shelter in the arms of His mercy. Sometimes it takes circumstances beyond your
control to be reminded of that. As Saint Paul writes: “When I am weak, then I
am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).
Yes, dear friends, Christ is your strength. Even when the world comes crashing
down on you. In His Word and in His body and blood, He fills you with Himself,
His forgiveness, His love, and therein becomes your refuge and strength, your very
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present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1). Are things beyond your control? Yes! But
nothing is impossible with your Lord. He promises to work all things to your
eternal good and gives you the strength in Word and Supper to endure. Thanks be
to God!
In the name of the Father and of the ✠ Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds
through faith in Jesus Christ unto life everlasting.
Rev. Paul G. Mumme
Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church
Bolingbrook, Illinois
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version, copyright ©
2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The Sixth Sunday after the Epiphany, Series B
12 February 2012