THIRD SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY
25 January Anno + Domini 2009
"The Word Is Enoughâ€
Matt. 8:1-13 (2 Kings 5:1-15a; Rom. 1:8-17)
In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
It sounded utterly ridiculous. Go and wash in the Jordan seven times? How absurd! Like that's going to get rid of leprosy. Naaman wasn't buying that nonsense. What a waste of time he thought it was going to see this so-called prophet, Elisha. The guy didn't even come to the door himself, but sent a messenger. How rude! Didn't he know who Naaman was? He was commander of the army of the king of Syria, for crying out loud. He deserved better than this. What a slap in the face that Elisha didn't come out to greet him. And then, on top of that insult, he sends his messenger out with the silly prescription to wash in the Jordan seven times? The stinking, filthy Jordan? If he needed a bath, he could think of far better and cleaner rivers than the Jordan. But, he didn't need a bath; he needed healing. He needed a miracle. He needed the prophet to come out and call upon the name of the Lord his God and wave his hands over him. He needed a powerful demonstration of the Lord's saving power, one that he could see and experience. So, Naaman went away angry. He would not put up with being mocked, even by a supposed prophet.
In this way, Naaman serves as the example par excellance of all those who refuse to trust in the Word of the Lord, believing that the Word of the Lord must conform to their own sinful human reason and faulty expectations. The Word of the Lord is not enough for the Naamans of the world; they want more. If the Lord is doing work among them, they expect to see it, to feel it, to experience it. The Lord promises that He will work mightily through His prescribed means of grace - through Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and His Holy Supper. But, that's not enough for the Naamans of the world - there has to be more to it than that! Simple water, the words of a sinful pastor, and ordinary bread and wine can't be all there is. There simply has to be more than that.
So, the Naamans of the world work hard at supplementing the Lord's means of grace with their own means, which make far more sense to them. They turn worship into an "hour of power,†filled with fast-paced, entertaining, people-pleasing music and testimonials. They work hard at getting people worked up into a frenzy, for if they can get them to wave their hands in the air and move their bodies to the beat, maybe, just maybe, they will leave that day, having felt like they were part of something special. That's the whole point for them. They want people to feel the supernatural power of the Lord coursing through their veins, to experience the Lord's mighty work among them. They're not satisfied with the Lord sending His messenger to speak His Word to them and point them to the places where He provides healing. They want the Holy Spirit Himself to descend into their midst in a mighty way, in a flashy way, so that they can see and feel His power at work among them.
Truth be told, there's a little Naaman lurking in all of us. There are times when the Lord's means of grace don't seem to be enough for us, either. We want more. His ways can become a little mundane for us, a little boring and worn out, at times. We find it hard to sit through the same liturgy week in and week out and sometimes find ourselves wondering, "What good is all this stuff, anyway?†As the called and ordained messenger of the Lord in this place, I stand in this pulpit each week to proclaim the Word of the Lord to you. As I do this, I can see you. I sometimes wonder if people realize that. For the most part, I see a people attentive to what I'm saying. You look like you're listening. But, maybe you're not. Maybe you're thinking about the day or week ahead of you. Maybe you're thinking about something that happened the night before. You look like you're listening, but I have no way of knowing whether you are or not. Then, there are times when I'm quite certain some of you have checked out, or, at least, that's the appearance you give as you sit in the pew reading something and carrying on conversations with others, or maybe it's just the glossed over look on your face that says, "How much longer is this sermon, anyway?†The point is that we've all got a little Naaman in us, who views the messenger the Lord sends into our midst like Naaman viewed the messenger Elisha sent to the door. We're all guilty of wanting more at times, of wishing there was something more tangible than preaching and Sacraments, of longing for some miraculous sign we could see, feel, and touch. Repent!
There is something more, dear friends, but that something more is reserved for later. For now, the Lord works through the specific means He Himself provides. They're not flashy; they're not extraordinary to the naked eye, but they are powerful and miraculous, nonetheless. Naaman learned this well, for after his initial rejection of the Lord's Word, his servants kept urging him to heed that Word, and he finally agreed. He went to the Jordan - to that stinking, filthy river - and dipped himself in it seven times, as the Lord had commanded. And he came out clean. He received his miracle after all. The leprosy left him and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child. It wasn't the water of the Jordan that did this. It was the Word of promise the Lord attached to that water.
And this, dear friends, is a picture, a foreshadowing, of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. How can simple water cleanse you from the leprosy of sin, fill you with the Holy Spirit, and make you a child of God? It can't, but the Word of the Lord attached to that water - it can and does. And, so it is with the other blessed means of grace our Lord provides, as well. How can the word of a sinful man absolve you of your sins. His word can't, but the Word of the Lord spoken through him to you - it can and does. How can the words that same man proclaims to you from the pulpit do you any good? Again, his words can't, but the Word of the Lord spoken through him - it can and does. And finally, how can simple bread and wine forgive your sins and strengthen and preserve you in the faith. Simple bread and wine can't, but the Body and Blood of the Word Incarnate attached to that simple bread and wine - it can and does.
Would that we would be like the centurion in the Gospel lesson. There's a man of faith, declares our Lord. Why? Because that centurion needs only the Word of Jesus. He believes that Jesus' Word is all that is needed to heal his servant. He doesn't need more. He doesn't need flashy signs, hands waving in the air, in some dramatic supernatural demonstration. He doesn't even need Jesus to physically come into his house and touch his servant. Jesus' Word is all the power he needs.
So it is with us to this day. We need nothing more than Jesus' Word. "The righteous shall live by faith,†St. Paul declares. Living by faith, dear friends, is knowing and believing that the Lord's Word, the Gospel, is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.†The Word is enough, for the Word Himself came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man. The Word Incarnate came and lived the perfect, sinless life you can't live, and went to the cross and died for all your sins, that you, believing this, would receive forgiveness, life, and everlasting salvation.
Jesus is all you need, dear friends. He entered your life through the water and Word of Holy Baptism, and He continues to remain in fellowship with you through His Word proclaimed by the messenger He sends, and through His very Body and Blood in the Holy Supper. That is enough. And, if you have eyes and ears of faith to see and hear, there is nothing more miraculous than the way in which Jesus continues to come into your presence. You need nothing more - His means of grace are sufficient, delivering the powerful Gospel unto you, that you may remain righteous in God's sight, living by the faith bestowed upon you through these same means of grace. Naaman came to realize this. The centurion knew it well. May the same be said of you, now and forever, until the day when you receive the more - the glorious more - that awaits you in Christ's Eternal Kingdom. In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name. Amen.
Now the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, unto life everlasting. Amen.