The Neighbor Right in Front of Us - 2 Kings 5:1-14; Luke 10; 1-11, 16-20
There are plenty of exercises to help a preacher begin to unpack the assigned readings for a sermon. My go-to is to dream cast the film version of the biblical stories. This is especially handy with Old Testament narratives, like this morning’s story about Naaman. In my movie, Naaman is definitely played by an action star like Arnold Schwarzenegger. Someone who could portray daring acts of bravery but is also a tortured soul, because Naaman is certainly a mighty warrior, but like all of us, he has his demons.
The story opens by revealing to us that Naaman, prize of King Aram’s army, has leprosy. A little side note: in the Hebrew Bible, physical maladies and spiritual maladies go hand in hand. Illness or injury is often depicted as punishment for bad behavior, and a cure for a physical ailment often cures a hardened heart, as well. So since the text makes a point to tell us about Naaman’s leprosy, we can assume he’s got some inner work to do.
Meanwhile, although Naaman is famous and privileged and feared and important, it is through a seemingly insignificant character that he receives his salvation. Naaman’s wife has an enslaved girl from Israel. She was captured during one of Naaman’s military campaigns. She tells Naaman and his wife about a prophet back home in Israel who could cure Naaman’s leprosy.
Of course, this young woman could have any number of reasons for sharing this information with her captors. It’s a fairly safe bet that as a person with no rights and no options, she could have been acting solely with her own security in mind. But whatever her reason, she chooses to help save a man who has fought against her people, and who will continue to do so if he is healed. In case you were wondering, this brave young girl is played by Zendaya, largely because I cast her in every single story.
Although the Israelites and the Arameans are social and political enemies, Naaman is desperate, and he takes the matter to King Aram. King Aram is also clearly desperate not to lose Naaman, because he is willing to humble himself and ask a favor of a rival king. Now the Israelite king is the most sensible character in this drama so far. He has absolutely no intention of aiding the man who is personally responsible for the destruction of his people. This is the kind of wisdom and protection we expect from our leaders!
But again, a seemingly insignificant character steps in from the sidelines. Elisha pleads to the Israelite King. Someone is coming to me and to our God for help. Let them see what God can do and who God is. We cannot know why, but thankfully for Naaman, the Israelite king concedes. So Elisha sends word to Naaman that all he has to do is take a quick swim in the river Jordan and his leprosy will be healed.
In his response to Elisha, we finally get a glimpse of Naaman’s darker side, that spiritual sickness we suspected might accompany his physical ailment. He’s reached his limit with this whole debacle. It is all very embarrassing for him, and he is infuriated by Elisha’s lack of deference and respect. Arnold Schwarzenegger would never have to put up with this. And to add insult to injury, apparently his mystical cure will come from the puny river of a land he’s already conquered. Needless to say, he requires some convincing, but he eventually comes around, and we are all witness to the fruits of his leap of faith.
There are so many places in this story where things could have, and perhaps should have, gone differently. The young woman enslaved by Naaman and his wife offered aid even though Naaman’s salvation could very well mean the devastation of her people. King Aram set aside the typical code of conduct between warring nations at the risk of his own status and the safety of his best general. The Israelite king and Elisha both help Naaman knowing that the cost could be further military defeat. Naaman himself had to set aside his pride, his reputation, and even his safety to seek help.
If almost anyone in this story had decided to stick to their principles, to weigh potential lives lost against Naaman’s, or simply to follow the rules of land, Naaman would not have been healed. So why didn’t they? How exactly is God at work in the lives of these people? Why is this story told this way in Holy Scripture?
Like the characters in Naaman’s story, we live our lives caught between tough choices, between competing goods. Think about how often new parents have to choose between the habits they were determined to keep and an opportunity for five more minutes of sleep. Do we choose what’s best for the environment or what’s best for our budget when planning a family trip? How do we choose when what’s best for our family is at odds with what’s best for our career?
A faithful life is certainly one of discernment. Today’s readings are all about discerning how to love our neighbor. How can we respond faithfully when competing goods involve other people? What we learn from the story of Naaman, and also from Jesus’ instructions to his disciples this morning, is that when it comes to loving our neighbors, sometimes what’s most important is the relationship right in front of us.
As Jesus sends his disciples out on their mission, he tells them to enter a house, accept their hospitality, heal anyone who needs it, and proclaim the gospel. Don’t worry about the rest of the town, the rest of the community, the rest of the system, just focus on the home you’re in, the relationships right in front of you. And if the first house you enter doesn’t want you there, just keep going until you find one that does.
Likewise, the young girl in our Old Testament story likely had her home, her family, and the whole nation of Israel on her mind. But right in front of her was a man in need whom she had the power to help, and she did. The same is true for King Aram, the Israelite king, and Elisha. There were all kinds of standards in place to protect their two communities, but those standards were set aside in order to show God’s love to the person in need at their door.
This is the harvest that needs laborers.There will always be government leaders, politicians, and community organizers doing their jobs. This morning, both Jesus and the characters in Naaman’s story tell us that our job, the job of every follower of Christ, is to enter into relationship with the people nearest to us, and proclaim the gospel to them faithfully.
The labor for this harvest is really, really, difficult work. There is almost always someone right in front of us who has a need of some kind: the harvest is plenty after all. Learning how to respond without wearing ourselves down is no easy task. Plus, we crave structure in our lives to keep us safe. We like laws against crime, rules of the road, even socially agreed upon good manners. It is a challenge to set these structures aside for a neighbor. But our scriptures today are clear: there will be times when the faithful response to the world around us is to set aside our rules and our principles and show God’s love to the neighbor right in front of us.
I’m open to suggestions for who could play the roles of King Aram, Elisha, Jesus, and everyone else in today’s readings, so hit me up after church. But I hope you can find yourselves in these stories. When have you been grateful that someone chose you and your wellbeing over social convention? Where can we find opportunities to set the world aside and start developing relationships with the people we come in contact with every day? This is our work, our labor, as Christians, and the world needs it. Amen.