8/1/10 - 2 Kings 5:15-19 - Elisha 5

CARRY YOUR FAITH WITH YOU

There was a war going on between Aram and Israel during the time of Elisha. Minor battles and off-and-on scuffles along the northern border of the Promised Land were commonplace for a number of years. But during one of these violent skirmishes that was started by a raiding party of Arameans, an unfortunate little Israelite girl was ripped away from her parents by the enemy, taken back to a strange place among a strange people who spoke a strange language, and was forced to serve the wife of Aram’s army commander, Naaman. And there she lived, away from her family, away from her home town, and away from the temple of her Lord. But as the story continues we notice that there is apparently no animosity in this little girl. She doesn’t hold a grudge or wish the worst on her captors. Instead, when she finds out that Naaman has leprosy she tells him to go to Israel so that Elisha the prophet could heal him. She wanted her master to be healthy. She wanted him to know the one true God. And it’s a heart-warming story, isn’t it? It is an inspiring tale of a bold and evangelical little girl who without hesitation shared her faith with someone who rightly could have been considered her worst enemy.
This story about the little girl in 2 Kings 5 has long been used and preached on as a story that exemplifies the evangelical spirit of a Christian. It is a story that has been utilized in Sunday school classrooms and Bible class lessons to demonstrate that even a young child can share her faith with others. But the lessons we learn about evangelism and outreach in this story usually stop right there – with the little girl. She is set up as the only example, as the sole protagonist of a story that is all about showing one’s faith to others. But I don’t want to stop with her today. I don’t want to overlook what she did, but I don’t want to only look at what she did either. Because she is not the only one in this story that showed an incredible display of faith. She is not the only one that boldly and confidently professed her trust in the Lord to everyone else around her. She is not the only one who carried her faith with her to an unbelieving people. So did Naaman.
Not at first, of course. He wasn’t even a believer at first. He was a worshiper of the Aramean god, Rimmon, and a skeptic of the God of Israel. But then that very God of Israel miraculously cured his leprosy through that prophet of Israel and Naaman was convinced that there was only one God, and it was the Lord. And the faith that the Lord worked in Naaman’s heart through these events was nothing Naaman was going to hide. Listen again to the somewhat forgotten part of the end of this well-known story:
Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, "Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. Please accept now a gift from your servant." The prophet answered, "As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing." And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. "If you will not," said Naaman, "please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I bow there also—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this." "Go in peace," Elisha said.
Do you see why this story isn’t just about the little Israelite girl’s confession of faith but also about Naaman’s? He did a bold and gutsy thing! He left his home country as a loyal subject; he came back promoting the religion of their arch rival. He left with the idea that the rivers of Damascus were far better than any waters of Israel; he came back hauling loads of dirt from that despised land because he wouldn’t worship on anything else. He left with the attitude of a powerful commander; he came back with the attitude of an indebted servant. And this from a man who was a brand-new convert to Christianity! He didn’t know all of the ins and outs of the religion he was now involved with. He didn’t understand every detail in the history of the Israelite nation. He probably wasn’t even aware of half the things that God had done. But it didn’t matter! He knew his Lord! And he knew what his Lord could do! And so he was not ashamed or hesitant or reluctant to visibly show his faith in the one he believed.
We have such an advantage over a man like Naaman. Because for most of us, we have known the ins and outs of Christianity for years – if not for our entire lives. We have read and have heard and have been taught the many teachings of Scripture over and over again. We have been aware of the many things our Lord has done throughout the history of this world for as long as we can remember. Not to mention: we have instant access to God’s Word whenever we want; Naaman didn’t. We are surrounded by Christians every day who can support and encourage us in our faith; Naaman wasn’t. We have thousands of Christians that have gone before us that we can look to as examples and role models for our own lives; Naaman didn’t. He had a king who bowed down to a false god. He was from a country that rejected the Lord. And he lived in a place that was far away from the temple of Jerusalem and the synagogues throughout Israel that housed the written words of Scripture at that time. We have a tremendous advantage over Naaman as far as our faith is concerned. But we are half as bold with it.
Rarely do we proudly display our faith to unbelievers like Naaman did. We might carry our faith around with us, we might hint at it if the situation arises, but many times we hope that no one will bring it up. We don’t always want unbelievers to know what we stand for because we don’t want to have to bother with an uncomfortable conversation. Or we don’t want others to know what we believe because we don’t want to be thought of as “religious zealots” or “Jesus freaks” or “Bible bangers.” It is in our minds that we don’t want to shove Christianity in someone’s face; but then we use that as an excuse not to bring it up at all! We don’t want to turn anyone off, but that doesn’t mean we should never try to turn anyone on to the light of the gospel! There are thousands of chances to demonstrate our faith in this life. Some of those opportunities will turn out well. Others won’t. But it’s certainly wrong to let those opportunities pass by without at least making the effort.
Naaman made the effort. And I’m sure Naaman was made fun of and verbally harassed a little bit for doing so. He was probably called quite a few unpleasant names by those in the country of Aram for having a big pile of Israeli dirt in his backyard and for worshiping the God of his enemy! But that did not stop him from carrying his faith with him. That did not stop him from being proud of the one in whom he believed. Regardless of what people would say, regardless of what people would think, he was unashamed to display his faith in a very visible and unmistakable way.
There are times when we don’t have a problem displaying our faith. There are times when we are also visibly proud of who we are and what we believe. But that usually only happens among other Christians, doesn’t it? That usually happens among those who believe in the same things we do – like right here in church or maybe among our families or with our close Christian friends. But when we’re around those who do not believe what we do, when we are in the company of those who are not Christians at all and who may be anti-religion all together, then we aren’t so bold. Then we aren’t so proud. We quiet down. We back off. We take our faith and stuff it down deep into our back pocket and let them say whatever they want to say without telling them everything they need to know. It’s the Peter-in-the-Courtyard Syndrome, the inability to say what you should say and do what you should do out of fear for what might be said about you.
What if your Lord did that? What if Jesus was so concerned about what people would say about him and what people would think about him while he was on this earth that he didn’t say what he needed to say or do what he needed to do? What if he backed down? What if he became silent? If Jesus cared more about his own reputation on this earth than what he had come to accomplish – our salvation would not have been won! Our forgiveness would not have been earned! Our eternal life would not have been secured! And it must have been a strong temptation for Jesus to give into since he was a normal human being. Because think of some of the nasty names that were said about Christ himself while he was here on this earth. He was called a criminal, a blasphemer of the Almighty Lord, a fake, a liar. He was referred to as arrogant, overrated, weak, incapable… And people said these things about him because of who he was and what he stood for. And he stood for us! He stood there with every one of our burdens on his shoulders – and for that he was hated. He stood there with all of the guilt of all of the world on his conscience – and for that he was made fun of. He stood there willing to take all of our requirements, to be condemned by our death sentence, and to undergo our eternal punishment – and for that he was murdered. But he did not care about what was going to happen to him. He did not care about the terrible things people were saying about him. He was going to carry that humiliation, he was going to carry that physical and verbal persecution, he was going to carry that cross on his shoulder to the hill of his crucifixion no matter what. And he was determined to carry that out because your eternal life was more important to Jesus than his own life. Your future joy in heaven was more important to him than any joy he could have experienced on this earth. Jesus was not on this earth so that everyone would like him. He was not on this earth to make friends. He was on this earth to make you his child. And in order to make you his child he had to be treated as if he were the enemy.
That is nothing to be ashamed of. What Jesus has done for you and everything he had to put up with to make you his own is nothing to hide! That is the greatest thing that has ever happened to you! And that is the most important message that anyone else could ever hear! So carry that faith with you. Let people know what Jesus did. Invite them to listen to his love. Bring them see his cross and his tomb and all of the incredible results of his work. Some people might not believe you. Some might not want to listen. And others might even throw it back in your face. But they all need to hear it. They all need to know the God in whom you believe. And this week we have a bunch of opportunities to display that faith. We’ll have dozens and dozens of children here in this room for VBS. We’ll have hundreds more to introduce ourselves to this Thursday. And in the weeks and months afterwards, some of you will be going back to school next year and then on to college. You will meet new people with different ideas; you will run into more and more unbelievers who do not know their Savior. Others of you will soon go into the full time ministry only to meet unbelievers of an entirely different mold. Every one of us here will go back to our homes this week and come across non-Christians in our neighborhoods and our workplaces and among our friends and within our own families. You will talk to people who do not have the faith you have in your God. You will interact with people who, as of right now, will not end up in heaven because they don’t know their God. Don’t hide him behind your back. Don’t pretend that he isn’t even there.
Naaman certainly did not hide his God behind his back. He put his God out front. He made sure that everyone knew who had healed him from his leprosy and whom he now trusted in for everything else. Imagine how many people asked about the true God because of what Naaman did. Imagine how many people Naaman was able to share his faith with because he did not hide his God. Naaman’s God is your God. He is the Lord God, the Savior God. But he doesn’t just want to be your Savior God. He wants to be the Savior God of all those around you too. And so take him out of your pocket and put him on your sleeve. Keep him in your heart but also let him rest on your tongue. Everyone should know exactly where you stand. There should be no mistake about whom you believe. And imagine how many people will ask about the true God when they see what you do and hear the things you say. Imagine how many people you will be able to share your faith with when you do not hide God. What great opportunities you will have! What great connections will be made! What wonderful brand-new excited and enthusiastic brothers and sisters in Christ will be found! Carry your faith with you. It’s not meant to be left at home. It’s not meant to be kept to yourself. It’s meant to be seen and heard and believed. Let them see it. Help them hear it. Pray they believe it.
Amen.

“May the name of our Lord Jesus Christ be glorified in you and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.” - 1 Thess. 1:12