Simple Grace

Today I was just thinking about how we try and complicate things so much. What prompted me to think of this was the story about Naaman which is found in the Second Book of Kings.

Naaman was a successful military commander who has everything the world has to offer, but he has a problem, he has leprosy. Although he’s a gentile, he comes to Samaria to see the prophet Elisha because he hears that he might be able to heal him. When he arrives at the prophet’s house, Elisha sends him a message…

“Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.” – 2 Kings 5:10

Naaman is disappointed, perturbed and even rather angry! This prophet just wants him to go wash in the river! This isn’t what he expected. He explained to his servants:

“Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and cure the leper” – 2 Kings 5:11-12

Naaman had expected something of a show! Instead, he’s told to just go take a bath! Naaman initially intends to ignore the instruction, call it a day and just head home.

Fortunately, his servants reason with him, pointing out that if Elisha had asked him to do something difficult, he would have surely done it! If he were willing to do something difficult, why would he not do something that was easy? Naaman concedes this point, humbles himself and heads down to the Jordan:

So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. – 2 Kings 5:14

How many times do we try and complicate God’s grace? How many times do we think secretly that we can earn our salvation, bargain with God by doing some great deed?

Naaman’s story is a figure of New Covenant baptism. Naaman was plagued by leprosy and we are plagued by sin. Naaman was told to go wash and we are invited to the Sacrament of Baptism. A little bit of water and invocation of the Holy Trinity and we are healed, our souls cleaned and restored, as fresh as baby cheeks.