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July 4, 2010 |
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2 Kings 5: 1-8
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.
Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”
So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”
He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”
But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.”
Luke 10: 1-9
After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house!’ And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the laborer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God has come near to you.’”
God’s Test’s
I firmly believe that God wants the absolute best for us. God knows the potential of each of us, and through the courses of our lives, opportunities for growth and betterment are given to us. I call these God-given opportunities “tests”.
Usually when we think of tests, we think of tests of strength and endurance, or tests of intellect. There are, however, multitudes of tests; tests of loyalty and devotion, tests of character and humility, tests of obedience and patience. Each test/experience contributes to the pool of our experiences, which then informs and strengthens our faith, and directs our service. As God is present in every moment, guiding, protecting, and providing, we can grow ever closer to achieving the potential intended for us by God. God’s tests accomplish several things; they enable us to face our fallacies, they empower us to handle our hardships, and they transform us into willing witnesses.
Naaman was great and powerful in the eyes of nations, but his leprosy had him in constant suffering and shame. The story tells of how Elisha’s messenger conveyed the prophet’s order for Naaman to dip himself seven times in the Jordan River. His pride and arrogance (and denial) caused him to initially refuse, but his attendants convinced him the path of humility would bring him the healing he needed. His physical sickness made his spiritual sickness more apparent. Naaman, once haughty and sickly, was transformed by humility into a witness that “there is a prophet in Israel.” God’s testing for Naaman lead him to wholeness, peace, and service, making him a mighty witness to God’s presence and power.
In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus proclaims, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” God is hoping to get each of us to a place in our personal spiritual journey where we can boldly proclaim the good news about the kingdom of God in our midst.
The seventy disciples that were sent out to the villages and towns by Jesus had been equipped for their mission. Jesus had tried and tested them to the point that he knew they were ready for the task. They would not be capable witnesses to the kingdom of God if they were not already citizens. We are not specifically aware of what tests these early disciples endured such that Jesus had the confidence to send them out. But as we consider the tests we encounter in our daily lives, we realize that every test has “witness potential.” By God’s power, every trial, every test, every challenge that would burden us down, hold us back, or magnify our inadequacies can become radiant examples of God’s deliverance. James 1: 2ff states, “Count it all joy when you meet various trials, for the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (RSV)
