Naaman's Truth II: II Kings 5:1-14 (II)

The king doesn't find Elisha; Elisha just "shows up." He seems to know more of what is happening in the king's life than the king does of him. The text says that Elijah heard that the king had torn his clothes. Can't you just imagine the story spreading? The king receives the letter from his counterpart in Aram. Consternation grows on his face as he reads it. He tears his garments, probably a symbol that he is afraid that his life and kingdom will likewise be torn up. No one, perhaps, is privy to the message of the letter, but someone has seen the king tear his clothes. Someone tells someone else, "The king has torn his clothes." This is big news. It spreads like wild fire, like the news that "Midas has ass's ears" whispered into the hole dug by the servant in that Greek myth. The story then reaches Elisha's ears.

We are not told what Elisha is doing when he gets the word. Roman history had stories of ancient worthies tilling their fields when news came to them that the Republic was under attack; the text only says that Elisha heard the news. And he writes a letter to the king of Israel. Well, the king has not had good experience with letters, so we wonder whether he opened it with trepidation or expectation. Prophets tended to bring trouble to the kings in ancient Israel. Thus, when someone delivered Elisha's letter to the king he probably rolled his eyes and thought that he was having a really, really bad day. But the letter gives hope, and it explains that Elisha would be happy to see this person in need. But Elisha words his letter in such a way that we know that he is deadly serious about the meeting. It is not for him to "size up" the opposition; it is to teach this foreign general a lesson--that there is, after all, a God in Israel.

The king is now simply a pawn. He has to yield to Elisha's suggestion because he has no resources to deal with the request of the king of Aram on his own. But note that it will be Naaman coming to Elisha and not the other way around. The one "with the goods," so to speak, is visited by the one seeking the "goods." Those who dispense favors and grace can do it from home or from their office; the others need to travel to them. Naaman, being a man of the world, shows up with his worldy accoutrements--chariots and horses. He then dismounted and stood outside Elisha's house. He has done everything he needs to do, he thinks. Now the ball is in Elisha's court.

A power negotiation is underway here. Naaman will recognize Elisha's power by coming to his house. But when he stands outside (rather perhaps than knocking at the door or sending a servant to do his work), he puts the ball in Elisha's court. Elisha has to act. Will he act as a "servant" of the great man? Everyone else probably does. But Elisha does a very interesting thing. Instead of coming outside his house, he "disrespects" the general by sending a servant to him. Then, to top it off, he has the servant tell Naaman what to do! And, the requirement is a basic one--one that simply does not "fit" the pomp and grandeur of the general. He is simply to go wash in the Jordan seven times and he will become clean.

Surely this would make the headlines! Can't you imagine? "Aramaean General Takes Seven-fold Dip in Jordan at Prophet's Behest"--or something like that. He sure would look ridiculous doing that, don't you think? Why wouldn't one washing be sufficient? Ok, maybe two. But seven? No way. Naaman must think that Elisha is mocking him. First, he sends out the servant to deal with him, and now he is telling him to perform a humiliating duty. This explains why Naaman is angry in v. 11. He wanted the prophet himself to do his dramatic "prophet thing" and then pronounce him cured. Naaman had a picture in his mind of how the healing had to take place, and this simply wasn't the way he imagined it. Isn't that true to life? We imagine the ways that wonderful things will come to us, but they almost always happen in ways we couldn't haven imagined.

So Naaman is angry. He wanted a cure that corresponded to his dignity. He is great; he wanted a great man (Elisha) to call upon a great power (God) in a great way (waving things around; calling upon the God). That is the way that healings are supposed to happen, isn't it? Naaman was so mad he even planned to take his marbles and go home, so to speak. The text says literaly that "he got angry and he walked..." We don't know where he walked or went. He could have started down the road, hoping that someone would come and talk to him. In any case, Naaman has had enough of these prophetic games. Healing will happen on his terms, or it will not happen at all. He says dramatic words in v. 12--that the rivers of Damascus are just as good as the rivers in Israel. He just can't understand what he is asked to do. His mind and his pride get in the way of his healing.

But then, servants intervene again. Just as the servant girl's message got things started in v. 2, so the servants of Naaman are the instruments for him to get over his hurt pride and anger. They do so by reframing Naaman's words and experience. Rather than looking at it as he did--as an expression of an indignity visited upon him by the prophet--the servants construe it as an "easy" thing to do. Just as Naaman would certainly have done something "difficult" if the prophet had commanded it, such as climbing a mountain, or something else, surely he should be willing to do something "easy." Servants reframe narratives here, and they become the instrument of salvation. Naaman sees their point and washes in the river, becoming healed just as Elisha had said.

Conclusion

The story has so much to teach us--about where we expect "saving" words to come, about the way we rush to interpretive possibilities that aren't life-giving for us, about how we close off joy and meaning because we can only see things one way, about how we limit life by our own expectations, about how the "little people" really may have the key to life for us. The story is endlessly challenging and entertaining. Once again, the Bible repays our effort in studying it.

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Pentecost + 6--July 8, 2007 Pentecost + 20--October 14, 2007

Pentecost + 6--July 8, 2007
Pentecost + 20--October 14, 2007