Sermon Tone Analysis

I stand before you excited,

Excited because today I get to play a very active role in God’s plan,

Today, I will preach the Gospel,

Today I have the opportunity to speak to you about the greatest story ever told,

Today I speak to you about God’s redemptive plan.

I want to start off by saying that; I see that the entire Bible is the story of God’s redemptive work in his creation.

From the garden and the fall,

To the law and wisdom and the message of the prophets

To God amongst us - Jesus and the teaching of Christ,

To the cross- and the resurrection

To the founding of the church at Pentecost and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit

With the book of Acts the only unfinished book of the bible, unfinished because the work continues to this day,

And to the vision of glory, the vision from revelations of the great and glorious uniting of the faithful in the heavenly city

 

In all the Bible, each story is in some way connected to God’s redemptive work in humanity

 

Now the Old Testament reading for today is a story about the healing of Naaman, it is a powerful story, by itself.

It is a story of how a military leader, who is an *enemy* of Israel, comes to seek healing from a foreign prophet,

And leaves *being* so overwhelmed by power of his healing to declare: God as the one and only true God.

They say, "The devil is in the details."

Aram's king, Naaman, and even Israel's king arrogantly assumed Naaman's healing would come in ‘the details’ of their: power, wealth and positions combined with Elisha's elaborate actions.

However, Naaman's simple, humble obedience provided the context for God's healing power…..

It was really God through the details.

Often, we do actions that require difficult, obvious forfeiture of ourselves, our time and our possessions.

We receive accolades for our actions.

But, really, is it what we did?

Rather, God acts through ‘the details’ of our sharing what God has first given us.

For example, in overcoming malaria, it is God's power that heals through little things we give—insecticide, nets or sprays, anti-malarial medications, water treatment projects, etc.

Like Elisha, we can give these little things or details through which God's healing power reveals Christ's light to all nations.

To God be the glory!

India, it is estimated, has about a quarter of the world's lepers, more than any other single country.

The Government is unable to deal adequately with the disease and it is left primarily to Christian missionary groups to deal with the burden and they do so receiving the bulk of their support from abroad

Such outside help came to Mother Teresa in 1975 when she received a gift of nearly million dollars to build a community for lepers on 15 acres of land donated by the Government, on the road to Calcutta.

She was never able to do it because people from nearby villages came out with bows and arrows.

Much of the prejudice is based on a superstition that lepers are being punished by their disease from some offense against God.

India's lepers are literally people who cannot help themselves.

They are held down not only by their disease, but also by the stigma.

No one is lower than a leper.

What little help they get is always from someone or some institution enlightened enough to see that.[1]

Again and Again, breaking into all the hurt and misunderstanding around diseases and suffering enters our God

The Gospel reading today is also about the most socially ostracizing of ancient illness – leprosy

And it is about as clear an understanding of healing, healing at the hands of Jesus, as can be found anywhere,

*It shows profoundly* what God is doing *when* he heals.

I would like to first go over the passage in a slightly different way…

 

 

Imagine for moment if you will, you are a Leper, there are many leprosies, many of them completely different.

All you know is that because of your flaky white skin you are ostracized.

You are forced to live outside the city in a tent, away from everything and everybody.

You are separated from your whole family, friends and any possibility of work.

Your sole means of getting any money for food is limited to begging and that is even very hard as you are supposed to stay away from everyone else by 30 paces.

Then you hear that a great healer is coming through your city.

You decide that this is your chance,

You are fed up with the life that you are forced to live, you are going to ignore all religious laws and will go to see him and ask him to heal you.

You wait by the roadside… and wait… and wait… you are used to waiting but this time the excitement makes the wait feel like forever…

There he is… Now is the moment that you have been waiting for.

You run up to him…

There he is right in front of you and all your plans to be bold, all of a sudden, seem frozen, all your convictions to stand up for what you want, melt into a more timid appeal and you meekly falling to your knees,

You realize you may have contaminated him with your illness.

Yet, all you can think of is that you want to be clean again.

And you say *“If you choose, you can make me clean?”*

To your great surprise this Jesus touches you, he knows what you are thinking, he knows what you were just afraid of, of passing on your illness… and he touches you.

And tells you *“I do choose, be made clean” *and immediately the leprosy leaves you.

Then he sends you away, he tells you go to a Priest to authenticate your healing and provide a thank offering to the temple, but tell no one else…

Tell no one else?

Tell no one else… of course you will do anything Jesus tells you…

But as soon as you return to the city, your joy can not be contained, you are clean and you tell everyone that you see.

*“Jesus made me clean.”*

(Pause)

 

Healing is a touchy subject.

It is the source of a great deal of potential manipulation.

You only have to take a quick look at Benny Hinn to see how dangerous it can be.

It is filled with expectations;

Yet fears;

A desire to believe;

Yet worldly skepticism.

At the core it questions *the power* and *influence* of our faith on our earthly existence.

So I would like to share a few thoughts with you about what I understand as biblical healing:

 

Since ‘the fall from grace in the garden’ all sickness and disease was viewed by the Ancient Hebrews as a product of sin.

/         His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”(John 9:2)/

Next, biblical healing was connected to preaching or proclaiming the good news of God.

Physical healing is a device for the message.

Jesus’s intention was primarily spiritual healing.

/“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”

And instantly the woman was made well.

/(Matthew 9:22)

And in the small passage right before today’s gospel, which we heard last week - which makes it sandwiched in between stories of healing - Mark writes /  /

/Jesus answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; *for that is what I came out to do*.” 39 And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues *and* casting out demons.(Mark 1:38-39)/

Thirdly, healing was connected to illustrate or prove God’s authority, it was dramatic and public.

/Then some of the scribes said to themselves, “This man is blaspheming.”

4 But Jesus, perceiving their thoughts, said, “Why do you think evil in your hearts?

5 For which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Stand up and walk’?

6 But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he then said to the paralytic—“Stand up, take your bed and go to your home.”(Matthew

9:3-6)/

 

Those three principals of healing are important to put healing into proper perspective… but consider one more.

Consider God’s “big picture plan”

God’s plan of redemption

God makes those outsiders - - - insiders

God *transforms* by his healing grace…

Those that the world considered untouchable

God reaches out to them, touches them and brings them into belonging

Consider also why Jesus told the leper not to tell anyone -

Jesus must have known by *choosing* to make the leper clean he would be *trading* *places* with him,

Due to the crowds and his popularity, *It is now* Jesus that was forced outside the city

Brothers and Sisters in Christ – healing is what God does, in one way or another – healing is the transference of God’s rightful holiness traded for our illness