#DailyDevotion If You’re Looking For A Show Then Church Is The Wrong Place To Look

2 Kings 5:9-15 ⁹Naaman came with his horses and his chariot and stopped at the door of Elisha’s home. ¹⁰Elisha sent a messenger to him. “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan,” he said, “and your flesh will be healthy again and clean.” ¹¹But Naaman became angry and left”Here I thought,” he said, “he will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy. ¹²Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, Abana and Pharpar, better than all the waters of Israel? Couldn’t I wash in them and be clean?” So he turned around and left in a rage. ¹³ But his servants came to him and talked to him: “My father, if the prophet had asked you to do something big, wouldn’t you have done it? How much more when he tells you, ‘Wash and be clean?!” ¹⁴So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times as the man of God told him, and his flesh became clean again like that of a little child. ¹⁵Then he and all his company returned to the man of God. He came and stood before him: “Now I know there’s no god in all the world except the God of Israel,” he said. “So please, take a present from your servant.”

God’s miracles are impressive but not particularly entertaining. This reading follows last week’s reading from the Gospel of John where Jesus turns 108 plus gallons of water into 108 plus gallons of fine wine. There’s no show, just the words, “fill up those jars with water,” and “take some to the manager of the feast.” Jesus didn’t wave his hands over the water or even say, “water turn to fine wine.” So while Naaman has enough faith to travel to the king of Israel and then to Elisha’s house to be healed by Elisha he’s living in a world where if something great and marvelous to do or watch isn’t done, well it just isn’t worth anything.

Elisha doesn’t even come out of his house to address Naaman when he arrives. He just sends his servant with the message, “Go and wash seven times in the Jordan and your flesh will be healthy again and clean.” Naaman spent a lot of time and effort and maybe some capital with his king to get there. That’s it!? Good thing for Naaman his servants had better heads on their shoulders then Naaman. They convince him to do just what Elisha’s servant conveyed to him to do. So he does and when he comes up out of the river his flesh is a clean and pure as a baby’s. By this sign, which is most impressive even if it wasn’t very showy, Naaman confesses his faith in the God of Israel. With this faith he follows it up with a gift to the prophet.

Now people today haven’t changed. They want some sort of a show. Some pastors and congregations give it to them. They through a great show manipulation the feelings of those there and entertain the people who come. They confuse their feelings with faith and the presence of God. If a pastor’s service and sermon don’t stir up all sorts of emotional highs then they think he didn’t do his job. If a pastor doesn’t demand they do things in their lives that appear hard and difficult then what’s the point? Yet, Sunday after Sunday and worship service after worship service for the last 6000+ years, God’s servants haven’t been putting on a show. They tell us, “You want to do something? Obey the ten commandments in everything you think, say and do. Love your neighbor as yourself.” We hear them like, “That’s it?!” They baptize us, preach to us, absolve us, give us the Lord’s Supper. Not much of show. But in those actions our sins are forgiven and we are made children of God.

Almighty God and Father, through the command of Elisha you granted faith to Naaman. Now through the ministry of your pastors grant us faith in Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.