Powerful People

Where is power found? The scriptures are clear that it is frequently found in the places -- and the people -- that we least expect!

This morning, I want to introduce you to two very powerful people. (Their story is in II Kings 5:1-14.) The first is Naaman. He was the commander of the army of Aram, a country just north of Israel in the region of what is now Syria. Today, we hardly remember Aram’s existence, but in the time of ancient Israel, it was an important neighbor of Israel. Naaman was a powerful man, since he had control of the whole army of Aram. The other person is his wife, Mrs. Naaman. She was powerful, too, in her own way. She didn’t command any armies, but she probably commanded Naaman! Next to the king of Aram himself, Mr. and Mrs. Naaman were the most powerful people in the entire country!

And wherever Mr. and Mrs. Naaman went, people who were much less powerful would go with them. Mrs. Naaman would have her slave girl with her, a little girl who was seized in a raid on Israel. She wasn’t powerful at all. In fact, of all the people in the whole country, she was probably the least powerful! She was a child; she was a girl child; she was a foreign girl child; she was a foreign slave girl child. You can’t get much less powerful than that. And Naaman would always have a couple of the soldiers under his command with him. They took orders from Naaman; so they had to do what he said, whether they liked it or not. They weren’t powerful, either. Mr. and Mrs. Naaman and their helpers are quite a contrast: some of the least powerful people in Aram serving some of the most powerful.

But in one very important way, Naaman wasn’t powerful at all; because Naaman had leprosy. Leprosy wasn’t taken lightly in ancient Middle Eastern society. There was no cure for it. Leprosy was a death sentence; it destroyed a body from within. Lepers were shunned, exiled from society. Even if you were a powerful man like Naaman, leprosy was still more powerful. And Naaman had leprosy. He was absolutely powerless against that disease! But Mrs. Naaman’s powerless little foreign slave girl knew something that Naaman didn’t know! She knew that there was a prophet in Israel who might be able to cure even leprosy! “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria!” she said. “He would cure him of his leprosy!” So off Naaman went to Israel, hopeful that this prophet, whoever he was, might have the power to help him; because Naaman was powerless to help himself!

When Naaman got to Israel, he was directed to go to the prophet Elisha. He was expecting a welcome reflecting his rank as an important general. But Elisha didn’t even come out of his house! He sent somebody to tell Naaman to go wash seven times in the Jordan River, and everything would be just fine. Well, that put Naaman’s knickers in a twist! Go wash in the river?! Was there to be no public display reflecting Naaman’s importance? Why, how dare this Israelite treat Naaman like he was some ordinary Joe Schmoe! Naaman was on the verge of storming home taking his leprosy with him, when another one of those powerless people spoke up. This time, it was one of Naaman’s soldiers. “Why don’t you try it?” he asked Naaman. “If it doesn’t work – well, no harm, no foul. You would do something difficult; why not do this easy thing?” And in the end, it was the powerless soldier who encouraged Naaman to do the very thing that cured him of his leprosy!

Maybe we need to reevaluate just where the power lies in this little story. Naaman, a person with lots of worldly power, had no power over the disease that is slowly killing him. The real power was God’s; and it was used by the prophet Elisha, who worked on God’s behalf. And the people who had no worldly power at all – a slave girl and a common soldier – they pointed Naaman towards God’s power, the only power that could heal him. All our earthly power is nothing when we compare it to God’s power to heal and to transform. And like the slave girl and the soldier, we have the incredible privilege of pointing people towards God’s power and encouraging them when they are discouraged! Sometimes, we even reflect God’s power when we act in loving ways.

I’m going to share a story with you – a true story – that took place just over a week ago. This article was written by our Association Minister Carl Robinson, and it appeared in the Nov. 12 issue of the SONKA online newsletter Tidings.

[A] family [was] in desperate financial need. She was working a good-paying but unreliable part-time job. Because of transportation problems resulting from having to purchase a vehicle from a buy here/pay here place, he was laid off from his construction job. They have 5 children ranging in age from 2-10. One of the children suffers from severe food allergies which she neither fully understands nor controls. Thus, she ends up in the Emergency Room on a regular basis. Utilities were turned off in their rented home and eviction proceedings were threatened by the otherwise understanding landlord. The family needed immediate assistance. Some of the churches in SONKA saw last week’s invitation [to help] and responded. Six of them pledged or gave money. One cluster of churches [also] contributed. [Another] person dropped by the Association office with an envelope of cash which was designated for groceries. The pledges totaled $1850. I delivered the cash on Friday last. It allowed the family to cover rent, get the electric turned back on, and fix their car. With the repaired transportation, he was able to return to work…. He works third shift so she can drive the eleven miles to her part-time job. Those [folks from SONKA] changed a family’s life.

That, friends, is God’s power; and it’s reflected by little people like us. In fact, our congregation was one of those who contributed towards that family’s welfare. God’s power isn’t the kind that commands and controls; it’s the kind of power that helps and heals. It’s not power that comes from having lots of people in the pews; it’s power that comes from having a few church members who are committed and generous! Who are the powerful people in our country today? Some of them are sitting right here in this sanctuary! We are powerful people who have changed lives by helping to reflect God’s love and grace. I have no doubt that in the next month, we will change even more lives as we help Project Believe and the families whose names will appear on the Angel Tree.

I have always appreciated the statement that is attributed to anthropologist Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Commitment… generosity… love… and hope. Those things, my friends, are where real power lies; and this congregation has that kind of power in abundance! We are powerful because we rely on God’s power! I pray that we never forget it.