Note to the reader: This sermon is based on 2 Kings 5:1-14 and Mark 1:40-45.
+ In the Love of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Naaman is the commander of a great army, a mighty warrior, and a man of influence. Not only does he have the support of the king; apparently he also has the support of the Lord, the God of Israel, who had given him a victory over God's own people! In marked contrast, we don't even know the name of the man in this morning's Gospel. And yet Naaman and the unnamed man have one thing in common: they both have leprosy. Known and unknown, rich and poor, friend and foe, people of faith and people of no faith: disease strikes us all. But how we think about disease makes a big difference in how we deal with it.
Naaman's leprosy doesn't prevent him from commanding armies or leading a normal life, because for the Arameans leprosy was just a disease needing a cure. As long as the action takes place in the kingdom of Aram, everyone talks about curing his leprosy. But when the action moves to the kingdom of Israel, and the prophet Elisha enters the scene, everyone begins to talk about making Naaman clean rather than curing him.
And the reason is this: for the Jews, leprosy wasn't just a disease: it was also a religious calamity and therefore a social calamity as well. In the book of Job, leprosy is called "the firstborn of Death" [Job 18:13], and the Law of Moses devotes two full chapters to leprosy. Here's part of what it says:
"The person who has the leprous disease shall wear torn clothes and let the hair of his head be disheveled; and he shall cover his upper lip and cry out, 'Unclean, unclean.' He shall remain unclean as long as he has the disease; he is unclean. He shall live alone; his dwelling shall be outside the camp"― that is, outside the Jewish community [Leviticus 13:45-46].
The reason the unclean leper has to stay away from other people is because "clean" people who touch "unclean" people become "unclean" themselves. In other words, being "unclean" is contagious [Numbers 19:20a, 22].
When we understand this, we understand why Elisha didn't go out to see Naaman― Elisha didn't want to risk becoming unclean. And we understand why Elisha sent Naaman to the River Jordan to be cleansed, and why it seemed like nonsense to Naaman. And we understand why Naaman wanted to be healed and the unnamed man wanted to be made clean. How we think about disease makes a big difference in how we deal with it.
Now please take up your lectionary inserts and turn to the Gospel [Mark 1:40-45].
"A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, 'If you choose, you can make me clean.'" The word "choose" is an unfortunate translation. It suggests that Jesus has an arbitrary decision to make: will he choose to heal or choose not to heal? In every other translation I know about, the leper says to Jesus, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." What's at stake is not a decision Jesus has to make but his willingness to make the leper clean. It's the same word we find in the Lord's Prayer when we pray, "Your will be done."
"Moved with pity, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing. Be made clean!"
Here we note a great contrast between Jesus and Elisha. Elisha heals Naaman to prove a point― "that there is a prophet in Israel," but won't even go out to see him. But Jesus, "moved with pity," stretches out his hand and touches him. In the story of Naaman and Elisha, Naaman's leprosy is contagious; in the story of the leper and Jesus, Jesus' holiness is contagious. How we think about disease makes a big difference in how we deal with it.
In fact, it's possible to translate this morning's Gospel in two different ways. Without getting into all the technical details, I'll read the alternative translation while you read the version in your lectionary insert:
Note to the reader: Where there is a change in the translation, the first set of parentheses contains the lectionary version, and the second set of parentheses contains the alternative version:
A leper came to him begging him, and kneeling he said to him, "If you are willing, you can make me clean." Moved with (pity) (anger), Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, and said to him, "I am willing. Be made clean!" Immediately the leprosy left him, and he was made clean. After (sternly warning him) (snorting with anger), Jesus (sent him away) (cast him out) at once, saying to him, 'See that you say nothing to anyone. . . ."
In our lectionary version, the focus is on the leper, so Jesus has pity on the leper, makes him clean, and sends him away to see the priest so he can reenter society. In the alternative version, the focus is on the leprosy, so Jesus is angry about the leprosy because it has caused such suffering, and he deals with the leprosy in the same way that he dealt with the unclean spirit in the synagogue in Capernaum, which we read about two weeks ago [Mark 1:21-28.
In fact, there are four parallels between this alternative translation and Mark's earlier stories about Jesus. First, the spirit in Capernaum was an unclean spirit, and the leprosy is unclean. Second, the unclean spirit "left" the man in the synagogue, and even in our lectionary version we read that the leprosy "left" the leper. Third, Jesus commanded the unclean spirit to be silent, and Jesus commands the leprosy to be silent. And finally, the verb translated "sent him away" or "cast him out" is the technical word used for exorcism.
So then, these two stories teach us how to think about disease, and how to deal with it.
First: In addition to their leprosy, Naaman and the unnamed man have something else in common: they do whatever it takes to be healed. Naaman is willing to go into enemy territory and wash in the Jordan (though he needs some persuading!), and the leper is willing to break the Law of Moses in order to get close enough to Jesus to beg for his healing. Like Naaman and the unnamed man, we, too, need to be our own best advocates for our health and healing.
Second: Jesus says, "I am willing." Health and healing is Jesus' will for us, his desire for us, and we can come to him with confidence.
Third: Jesus is moved with pity, stretches out his hand, and touches the leper. His compassion isn't theoretical or abstract; it is personal and tangible. In the same way, whenever we see someone suffering from disease, our response needs to be personal and tangible.
And fourth: Jesus is angry at the leprosy, and treats it like an enemy. Disease is an enemy, and it is right that we attack it with all the resources in our power: vaccinations, medicines, health care professionals, and prayer.
And when we pray, we need to remember four things about God: God is good, God is present, God cares, and God is at work right now.
And so then, let us pray:
Almighty Lord, you are a strong tower to all who put their trust in you, to you all things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth bow and obey: Be now and evermore our sure defense, and make us know and feel that the only name given under heaven for health and salvation is the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
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