Blessed and Muddy Waters
Scripture lesson:
2 Kings 5.1-14
“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?” said Naaman.
2 Kings 5.12 (New Revised Standard Version)
Over the years I have known people who traveled to some of the world’s most glorious attractions, only to report later that they were disappointed by what they had seen. The mountains were not as tall as the brochures depicted, nor the villages as quaint as promised. Disillusioned by the gap between expectation and fact, they missed the glory of what was there, however humble or unspectacular it may have seemed.
When Naaman journeyed to Israel in search of healing for his leprous skin, he thought a prophet would make this ‘visit to the doctor’ a public event. But Elisha did not even address the commander in person; he simply instructed Naaman to wash seven times in the Jordan River, and emerge with healthy skin. Naaman was disappointed by this simplistic approach and initially refused to take part in such an unceremonious process. Fortunately for him, his servants helped him to exchange his pride for a bathing suit, and his dunking in the Jordan cured him of his leprosy.
Naaman dismissed the Jordan as an insignificant river; Elisha saw it as powerful medicine. One person sees a few loaves and some fish; Jesus sees food for thousands. Faith in God invites us to look at the common things of life and to recognize their incredible potential for healing and nourishment.
Prayer: O God of health and wisdom, help us to see your power at work in the things of the world; the ordinary and the spectacular, the polished and the unrefined. And may we, though fragile and sometimes wounded, show forth your glory in our lives; in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Leave a Reply