Mighty, Mystical, Mysterious Healing

Naaman, a mighty general of Aram (present day Syria)  is cured of his leprosy by Israel's prophet, Elisha.  That Aram and Israel are enemies makes the story intriguing.  That a slave girl captured from Israel taken into captivity in Aram to serve Naaman's wife is an instigator for Naaman's healing adds to the intrigue.  After misunderstandings between the two kings of Aram and Israel, the healing is effected by Naaman's servants who persuade him to wash in the Jordan River seven times according to invisible Elisha's instructions.  It's a thriller story worthy of our best movie efforts.  It's a story of God's providential care that extends beyond God's chosen people of Israel.  Our God is an inclusive God.  Read the whole story in 2 Kings 5: 1-14.

Jesus heals another leper who doesn't have the status of General Naaman, but who bows before Jesus, confessing his faith in Jesus' power to heal.  The leper says to Jesus, "If you choose to heal me, you can make me clean."  Jesus responds, "I do choose."  With his healing the leper, unable to stop himself, goes forth proclaiming the word about Jesus throughout the countryside.  Read the leper's story in Mark 1: 40-45.

Both Naaman and the leper are cured as they engage with God.  For Naaman, engaging with God was hard work.  Remaining in "conversation", which was threatened at several points by Naaman himself, took perseverance.  The leper recognizes that Jesus has a choice and is humbly on his knees begging, recognizing the healing power of Jesus.  For us to see God at work in mighty, mystical, mysterious ways also takes perseverance, humility, vulnerability, and hard work.  Sometimes we set our expectations so high, that we are blind to the many miracles that come along regularly.  As we engage daily with the person of Jesus and our belief in Jesus, we can move beyond debating the reality or non-reality of mighty, mystical, mysterious miracles and our expectations of what constitutes a miracle to welcoming being invited into Jesus' presence.

Grace and Peace,
Pastor Shelley