2541AFC101025 – The Ol’ Switcheroo ← PODCAST LINK 😀
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2 Kings 5:14 – 14 So he [Naaman] went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
2 Timothy 2:11-13 – 11 The saying is sure:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he will also deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful —
for he cannot deny himself.
Luke 17:15-19 – 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. 16 He prostrated himself at Jesus’feet and thanked him. And he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten made clean? But the other nine, where are they? 18 Was none of them found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 Then he said to him, “Get up and go on your way; your faith has made you well.”
May Peace always be with you and may God bless you, Belovéd! What a wonderful set of readings we have this weekend, and how timely they are for what’s going on in the world today! Let’s take a look at each of them and as we go through that, we can talk about what God did for us that some folks find surprising.
This is an artist’s idea of what Naaman (naamahn’) looked like. He was the commanding general for the King of Aram (present day Syria), and allegedly drew his bow on a dare, and the arrow he launched mortally wounded Ahab, King of Israel. Naaman was very popular in his nation, and had won many important victories for his King. He was also a character who was arrogant, vain, and pushy. He was famous, and liked it enough to dislike anyone who didn’t seem to recognize what a fine specimen of humanity he was. His life was filled with fame, and glory, and honors, and probably wealth as well. He did have one little problem with his health – a skin disease of some sort called at the time leprosy.
In Aram, people with leprosy were not socially ostracized as they were in Israel, but still it was considered an unpleasant disease in Aram. In a raid on Israelite forces, a young girl was captured and given to Naaman’s wife as a servant. The child told her mistress that if Naaman would go to the Israelite Prophet Elisha, he could be cured. Naaman spoke to his King about it, and the King wrote a letter of introduction and sent many fine gifts along with Naaman and his retinue. When they pulled up to Elisha’s abode, Naaman expected a grandiose welcome and flash-bang miracles – something befitting his fame and reputation. Instead Elisha sent out a servant named Gehazi (more about him shortly) who told the General, in effect, “Elisha says all you have to do it go down to the river Jordan and submerge yourself seven times and you will be cleansed.” Naaman was furious! He got snubbed by the greatest Prophet in Israel and was told he needed a bath in the Jordan. There were rivers in Aram that were just as wet and just as useful as the Jordan! His retinue eventually calmed him down and convinced him to at least try it. After the seventh dunk, Naaman’s skin was “like a little child’s.”
He pounded back to Elisha’s place and offered a tremendous reward. Elisha declined it and said, “It was God’s doing, not mine.” Naaman requested about 12 bushels (2 kor) of soil from Israel so he could set up an altar to Elisha’s God in Aram. At that time, most people believed that the gods of a particular region or nation could only be worshipped on that region’s soil. But here’s the ol’ switcheroo. Gehazi had a Greed Attack.
Gehazi was flabbergasted that Elisha had turned down the chance to get some sort of compensation for getting Naaman cured. When Naaman had gone just a short distance away, Gehazi took off running after him. Naaman ordered the chariot driver to stop, jumped down and ran toward Gehazi, “Is something wrong?” Naaman asked. “Ah, no, Great One! Sire, it’s just that two young Prophets have come to visit, and my master asks if you could donate two talents of silver and two changes of wardrobe for them.” Naaman gladly handed over the requested items and left. Gehazi went off and hid the ill-gotten gain and went back to the dwelling of Elisha who asked him, (paraphrasing here)
“Where have you been, and what did you do?”
“Oh, just out. Nothing special. Can I get you anything?”
“Oh! Gehazi! Don’t you know I followed you in spirit and saw the whole thing! You have stolen and you have lied. Because of this, Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you for the rest of your life!”
I’m sure you have heard this before: THERE ARE NO INCONSEQUENTIAL ACTS. Consider Naaman’s switcheroo. Quite the shocker, I’m sure.
Naaman originally was insulted. “Is that all there is to it? Baloney!” However, Elisha had told him, “Here’s the process. Do this and you’ll be fine.” Naaman wasn’t fine until he tried the process. That inclined him to trust the process. Most of us won’t trust the process until we try the APP. The Process – in the Beginning – is REPENT AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL, BE BAPTIZED AND RECEIVE THE SPIRIT. The second part of that is dependent on the first part, and generally happens only once. The first part can – and probably should – happen every day. That’s the GRAND switcheroo! We, who are outcasts in sin become cleansed by Jesus’ one Word: Done!
That’s how God works – consistently. He told us, “I have an everlasting Love for you.” In that passage (See Jeremiah 31:3), the word for everlasting is olam as in El Shaddai-Olam, Almighty-Everliving God. Did you know God also has a YOLO-F? The difference between his and ours is that his has no beginning but ours does. Because of that everlasting Love, he is always faithful to his promises. Here, where we say “faithful,” the Hebrew word reads as goodness, kindness, lovingkindness; he is always right where we left him, waiting for us to come back so he can once again embrace and bless us. We need only repent and believe the Gospel. It’s just that simple, and there’s no “house limit” on how often that happens. Why is that?
Take a look at what The Apostle Paul said to Timothy. Everything Jesus did was exactly what his Father told him to do, and Jesus us taught his Disciples to do everything he told them, and they told us everything we needed to know so we could also do what he says (yes, present tense). We can live with and in him, and if we die with, for, and in him, we will live with him eternally. That’s The APP – again. Look closer at verse 13 up there: 13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful — for he cannot deny himself. Of course this is true and we know it. Can our fickle infidelity abolish God’s Everlasting Love – his faithfulness? (See Romans 3:3. Read in full now to get the context)
Thank God for allowing that dying with him by dying to self and living to Life with Christ brings us to the faithful Promise of God’s APP for Salvation. The Greek word for dying in this passage – apothnḗskō carries the connotation of an endpoint that brings a separation from “now” to “then” in the future.Whatever we were, are, have, or did, all of that dies when it dies with him, and none of it is raised up when it is raised with him. He already was lifted up for us. That, Belovéd, is the quintessence of Love. The way The Apostle Paul expresses it is as beautiful as a Love song, however, there is a severe warning in this passage that relates to God’s Immutable Justice. The Apostle Paul is cautioning Timothy – and the Church over which he presides – that when we are unfaithful, that is when we deny the Will and Word of God, God will remain faithful to his Nature and condemn those who persist in faithlessness, in rebellious unbelief. How’s that for a big ol’ switcheroo?!
Somewhere in the music section of my Memory Vault there’s a song lyric that goes something like “All I need is a love song and someone to sing to.” I think The Apostle Paul would phrase it like, “All I need is the Gospel and someone to witness to.” (↔ Music Link) Belovéd, the Gospel is a Love Song – the most beautiful Love Song ever conceived! “Oh, who’s the one that I’m in Love with only? It’s You, it’s You, It’s You!” No wonder St. Francis sang the Praises of God! (↔ Music Link) And look at this: Hebrews 10:24-25 – 24 And let us consider how to provoke* one another to love and good deeds, 25 not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (*paroxusmos (par-ox-oos-mos’) – stimulate, incite, instigate so as to encourage, poke to elicit a reaction) Jesus certainly gave St Francis a poke when he told him “Rebuild my Church.” The endpoint of that command is that the Church is required to meet together in community as God is In Community.
Even though he lived in crushing poverty, St Francis also lived in sparkling JOY. The Apostle Paul understood that JOY and expressed how it characterized every day despite the pain and hardship he endured constantly: Philippians 4:11-13 – 11 Not that I am referring to being in need; for I have learned to be content with whatever I have. 12 I know what it is to have little, and I know what it is to have plenty. In any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of being well-fed and of going hungry, of having plenty and of being in need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me. That “all things” included praise and thanks because he knew the Works of God were Life and Light. The Apostle Paul and St Francis knew how and why to thank God. Some do not know that. Consider the story of the ten lepers. Unlike Naaman, most of them did not return to give thanks.
Those ten cried out to Jesus, “Jesus, Master! Have pity on us!” Jesus simply said to them, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” He knew the Priests would examine the men and see their disease was gone – as prescribed by Mosaic Law. Because they Trusted the APP – they trusted and obeyed – they were cured. Only one turned back to find and thank Jesus. Jesus commented on the irony of a single foreigner returning to give thanks and then told that man (who was kneeling at his feet and loudly praising God,) “Stand up and go; your faith has saved you.” Wow! Think back to that moment when God had blessed us beyond all expectations and try to recall if we went back to the Throne, got on our knees, and sang praises to God. Now we need to ask if perhaps we should be doing that more often because, you see, that is part of the Process of Praise, (↔ Learning Link), Adoration, and Thanksgiving, The one who returned trusted the process from beginning to end. The Apostle Paul and St Francis returned God’s faithfulness by living Psalm 26:3 – 3 for I have always been mindful of your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on your faithfulness. [1] Can I, can you, can we say the same; do we always, always remember his Faithfulness and Love? Take a look at Psalm 138:1-3. (↔ Learning Link) Would we consent to meet death as Christ did for the Love of “Our Father, who art in Heaven?” That’s what our Savior did.
A Savior will restore us into the presence of God. And why did God make such a beautifully Perfect Promise that required such a brilliant plan? His plan is Anchored in Love (← Check it out!) – love for all of his Creation – and he wants to restore the Love we had together with him before sin shattered that perfection. Belovéd, we are also part of that plan, that covenant of Love, and that means God has given us gifts to use to help complete that restoration of Perfect Love. If we want more,, will God give us more?
We can answer that with a YES if we Trust the APP. It’s not “one-and-done.” With God, it’s “One-and-what’s next?” When we confront evil, should we try to appease it, or shall we ask, “Is that all you’ve got?” Remember that Elisha gave no deference to fame or might. He followed The APP and gained for God Praise, Adoration, and Thanksgiving from a pagan. Jesus calls us. Will we go and be changed by the going? (↔ Music Link) Will we turn around and go back in joy for forgiveness or healing or blessing? Shall we turn around and go back in sorrow and penitence when forgiven? Will we witness to the World what it means to live with him, die with him, rise with him, know God with him, and Trust the APP in, with, for and until HIM?
I have one last passage that I will ask you to go read. It’s only four verses, but they pack Power in every word. Please use this link: John 17:20-23 – (↔ Click Link) Jesus is asking God to share his Glory in us. Please stop now and read that passage. Jesus is praying to his Father just a few hours before his betrayal, asking his Father to bring all of us to Oneness with the Trinity. This is another and very beautiful way to express YOLO-F. In my heart at this very moment, I am giving Praise, Adoration, and Thanksgiving that my YOLO-F includes you. Our God is SO GOOD! Will you walk this long stretch of the Road Home with all of us? I AM is calling us. Shall we go then? (↔ Music Link) It’s part of Trusting The Process, the Absolutely Perfect Plan, too.
So is this:
It’s ALL in the APP, even the Ol’ Switcheroo!
Whatever, whenever, wherever, whoever, however, if ever, forever —
at your service, Belovéd!
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Unless otherwise indicated, all scripture passages are from the New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE) New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Biblical languages inserts from Bible Hub (Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages) Visit at http://biblehub.com
Aloha Friday Messages by Charles O. Todd, III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License
[1] New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide
