Foolishness
In the past, God has asked His people to do some…pretty strange things - for instance, the story of Noah and the Ark. The fact that God asked a man over 500 years old to build a huge boat in the middle of the desert when it had never rained there before - that's a little odd. God asked Joshua and the people of Israel to march around a city seven times while blowing trumpets in order to knock down their walls – that sounds a little foolish. - Doesn't seem to make a lot of sense.
In both cases, men were told to do some rather odd things by God. And in both cases, they were faithful – they did what God asked, even though it sounded a little crazy. This morning, I'd like to look at another story where God asked someone to do something that didn't sound very rational. It's the story of…
I. A man named Naaman
This is from the Old Testament while God's prophet Elisha was serving Israel. But this story starts outside of Israel. So let's pick up the story in 2 Kings 5:1-10 (NIV)...
Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy. (2) Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. (3) She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."
(4) Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. (5) "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold and ten sets of clothing. (6) The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy." (7) As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God?
Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!" (8) When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." (9) So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house.
(10) Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."
So here we have Naaman - who is a gentile, not an Israelite, but a man who hears about a prophet of God who can heal him, and he believes it - enough to plan this journey to another country. But we also see the King of Israel who panics because he apparently doesn't have faith in God's prophet. And we see that God, through His prophet, gave some simple but…
A. Specific instructions
And if we jump ahead to vs. 11, we see what happened after God's specific instructions.
2 Kings 5:11-14 (NIV)
But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. (12) Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.
(13) Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" (14) So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.
Initially, Naaman was furious! He'd travelled over a hundred miles, he'd crossed several rivers – including the Jordan River, miles before – and Elisha wouldn't even speak to him but sent a messenger with the instructions. Naaman listed several other rivers that he thought would have been much better, and then he left. But, his servants convinced him to at least try Elisha's instructions - and reluctantly...
B. Naaman obeyed
Notice here - Naaman originally had enough faith to leave his country. But when the instructions didn't make sense to him - his pride almost got in the way of a miracle. However, even when Naaman doubted - even when he didn't feel like it, even when it didn't make sense - he still obeyed. His actions were more important than his attitude. He humbled himself, he listened to the advice of his servants - something a man of his stature wouldn't have been expected to do - and He was miraculously cured. So despite everything...
II. It worked
Naaman had leprosy - some type of incurable skin condition - before he dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, and then after - he didn't. Simply put - a miracle! And we continue in the story in 2 Kings 5:15-16 (NIV)...
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." (16) 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.
Naaman had his attendants as witnesses - he was healed. Because he was a public figure - if this story didn't happen as it's recorded here, there would have been plenty of people who could have come forward and stated otherwise. But that wasn't the case. No one at that time questioned the 'unbelievable' story. But...why did it work?
A. Because God wanted it to
Some have come up with theories about the particular pH level of the Jordan River during a possible algae bloom. And I suppose there's nothing wrong with trying to learn how God works. But as long as He knows why it worked - I really don't need to know. It says this in Genesis 1:3 (NIV)...
And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light.
Genesis 1:6 (NIV)
And God said, "Let there be an expanse between the waters to separate water from water."
Genesis 1:9 (NIV)
And God said, "Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear." And it was so
Genesis 1:11 (NIV)
Then God said, "Let the land produce vegetation…"
Notice "God said"? God spoke things into existence. According to the Bible - God willed them into being. Since God can speak things into existence, I'm sure it's not a real chore for Him to cure a skin condition. Why did it work? That's not nearly as important as the fact that it did work – because God wanted it to. But there's another factor here as well, it worked because of…
B. Obedience
Since the text doesn't tell us the exact 'why' of how it worked, I'm kinda wandering into the territory of opinion. But my guess is that God could have instructed Naaman to do 'anything' and he would have been healed. God could have asked him to spin around in circles seven times or do seven jumping jacks. The actual miracle may have had nothing to do with the method of dipping seven times in the Jordan River.
It may simply have been that God wanted to see if Naaman would obey, even when it didn't make sense. Perhaps, it was more about stepping out in faith than in the power of the river. God honors faith. God honors obedience. Doing things God's way always works best! Notice that Elisha didn't ask Naaman what river he thought would be best. God didn't negotiate – He simply gave instructions and expected them to be followed. - God doesn't need our advice, He wants our obedience.
But then there's even more to the story. After Naaman, the gentile, wasn't allowed to even give a gift as thanks for the miracle - Elisha's servant, Gehazi, thought Naaman got off too easy. He apparently didn't think God's gift of grace should be freely offered to this man, so he took it upon himself to go after Naaman and asked for silver and two sets of clothing. Then we see in 2 Kings 5:25-27 (NIV)...
Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. "Where have you been, Gehazi?" Elisha asked. "Your servant didn't go anywhere," Gehazi answered. (26) But Elisha said to him, "Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money, or to accept clothes, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants?
(27) Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever." Then Gehazi went from Elisha's presence and he was leprous, as white as snow.
Gehazi - one of God's chosen people - a servant to the prophet Elisha - didn't trust God enough to let God do what He wanted, the way He wanted. Being 'one of God's people' doesn't exempt anyone from obedience - no matter what we think the situation should be...
- Many people look at the Bible and its values and morals and see them as outdated. Today, if you take too firm a stand for Biblical morality – if you try to obey God's Word; follow His values – you're seen as ignorant and naïve. If you stand up for the sanctity of marriage or human life, if you talk about God's design for men and women and the family; His call for purity in our lives – you're just holding onto archaic beliefs.
But Jesus says, "If you love me, you will obey what I command." God wants us to obey! He doesn't need us to update His Word to make it sound more reasonable or logical. God doesn't ask us to 'redo' His moral code so it will feel more modern or appealing – God calls us to obey! God calls us to follow His Son! And here's something else that doesn't seem to make a lot of logical sense…
III. The Cross
For those of us in the Church – the cross is a symbol of hope. It hangs on our wall; we sing about it in our songs, we wear it as jewelry. But the cross was not always that way...
The Roman Philosopher Cicero described crucifixion as "a most cruel and disgusting punishment", and suggested that "the very mention of the cross should be far removed not only from a Roman citizen's body, but from his mind, his eyes, his ears".
We understand the cross and the role it plays in the Gospel message. We picture the image of Jesus crucified and it conjures a completely different feeling for one who believes. Without the cross – we have no hope of peace or eternal life! Without the cross – we have no hope of a reunion with those in the faith who have gone before us! Without the cross of Christ, we have no hope!
Our hope is in Jesus who died on a cross! But to many who don't believe – that doesn't look like hope, that looks like failure. The cross doesn't make sense.
I heard one preacher put it this way – "Take the successful American business man with a nice job and a big house and a cool car. And take the free thinking American woman who thrives on her independence from everything including God. Take them both outside to a city dump where in a back alley a man is hanging by nails on a cross covered in blood.
And then you tell them 'your only hope in life is believing that this man is God and your eternity is dependent on submitting to Him as your judge, your master, and your Lord'. That man and that woman will laugh, roll their eyes, at most feel sorry for this man in this awful condition and walk away.
Why do so many people in the world look at the cross and see folly while you and I look at the cross and see forgiveness? You see power in the cross of Christ only because of the mercy of God who has called your name."
1 Corinthians 1:18-21 (NIV)
For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (19) For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate." (20) Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
(21) For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Yes, the cross doesn't necessarily make sense! But we know that Jesus didn't stay dead; it didn't end with the cross! If the cross was all there is – it is a tragedy and it is foolishness. But God's power doesn't depend on logic or reason or sense!
- God told Naaman to dip in the Jordan seven times; something that didn't make sense. But God expected Naaman to obey. God hasn't called us to jump in the Jordan – but He has called us to something that equally requires a leap of faith. He's called us to share the message of Christ crucified! He's called us to tell others about Jesus.
1 Peter 3:15-16 (NIV)
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, (16) keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.
In today's culture, it seems that we're not supposed to talk to others about God or Jesus. The tolerant thing is to not to push your 'religion' on anyone. But it's not about 'religion', it's about getting God's Word, God's truth out to lost and hurting people. I'm certainly not talking about beating people over the head with the Bible until they give in, but graciously speaking up and sharing the Gospel message that Jesus Christ is THE way to Heaven! And then people have a choice whether to follow or not...
So What?
The hope that we have is a crazy hope as far as the world is concerned. It's foolishness. It doesn't make sense. But it's not our job to make it make sense. Our job is to present the truth, the crazy, absurd truth that God in the flesh would die on a cross so that you and I can have eternal life – the crazy, absurd truth that Jesus rose from the dead! It's not about logic or reason – it's about faith!
Does God have to make complete sense to you - for you to follow Him, or will you trust Him and follow where He leads? I promise you that if you take that step, He will do something amazing! God honors faith and obedience!