Immerse Yourself

Text:  2 Kings 5:1-19 (NLT) 


Ahhh, Naaman. Such a proud man. You are a mighty warrior. Kings admire your courage and bravery. You have won great victories. People look up to you.

But you have a problem. In spite of having everything... you don't have that which you desire most. Healing from that nasty, ugly disease that controls your life... leprosy.


But there is a solution, Naaman. Not one that requires your cunning or valor... not one that can be violently torn from your enemy on a battlefield... not one that can be bought or bargained for or manipulated with brute force.


Nope... your solution is to humble yourself. Your solution is to listen to this nobody of a prophet from Israel... the man who won't even come outside to personally greet you (even though you're a man of great importance)... when you journey a great distance to seek the help of his God.


“Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” (Actually, I like how it's put in The Message: "Immerse yourself").


The Jordan River? Really? It's a foreign mud hole! Damascus has much bigger, much cleaner rivers than the Jordan. What a stinking insult!


Just do it, Naaman. Humble yourself. Listen to this man's God. Don't try to make sense of it... just listen to what your heart tells you (and swallow your pride for once). You'd risk your life to be cleansed... why not immerse yourself in the river seven times and see what happens?


"So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed!"


I love how God works. The cleansing of our soul (just like Naaman's cleansing of his body)... isn't dependent on our own strength or wits or brains or power. It's all about immersing ourself in the River of God's grace. It's about swallowing our pride, and taking a risk... a leap of faith... (to beat this collection of mixed metaphors to death)... a willingness to dive in to God's healing waters... into something much bigger and greater than ourselves.


To me... that's what the Christian life is all about. And (to relate this story to this Sunday's big event at Irene Rinehart Riverfront Park... that's also what baptism is all about. Humility... obedience... faith... immersing ourselves (or allowing someone else to immerse us) into the death of Christ... and being raised up in His resurrection power. Baptism is many things... including (but not limited to) an outward sign of an inward grace. In other words, a public expression that God has circumcised your heart... and you want to tell the world that you have been marked for Him.


If you consider yourself a child of God, but you haven't allowed yourself to be baptized yet... then Christian, you need to check your heart and ask why. Pride? Feelings of worthiness? (Who among us is worthy?). Laziness?  Whatever it is... I have a solution.


Immerse yourself. And if you wanna do it this Sunday in The River... let's talk.