“Restored”
2 Kings 5:1-14 Luke 10:1-11, 16-20
Naaman was restored.
The successful commander of the army was restored.
The man who did not believe in Israel’s God was restored.
Did you pay attention to the details?
It was his servant…with him on the trip to see the prophet…who convinced him to do as the prophet said. We don’t know the name of that servant.
It was the mighty and powerful king of Israel who said he could NOT cure Naaman.
Do we know the name of the person who got Naaman started on his quest for a cure? We do not.
All we know is that it was a servant girl…who had become a captive during one of Naaman’s military ventures. Think about that. Why should she help Naaman?
She had no support group of her own. She was in a household that had contempt for her religious beliefs. She was in the lowest possible social status. She had no right to express any of her own opinions and could expect serious consequences for doing so. However, she could not be silent. In voicing her faith, she put in motion a chain of events that brought about an entire change of life.
Naaman was restored…all because of a servant girl whose name we will never know.
Paul wrote this in his letter to the Corinthians: “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are….” (NIV 1 Cor 1:27-28)
We’ve read our Bibles enough to know that there are a number of chapters with long lists of names. Second chapter of Ezra is a list of names of those patriarchs who returned to re-build the Temple. First Matthew….that’s the chapter with all of those begats in it. Did you notice what’s missing from this chapter of Luke?
Not one of the seventy two men that Jesus sent out that day is named. Nowhere in our Bible is a single one of them identified by name as being a part of this discipleship journey.
We do know their instructions.
They were not to be burdened with stuff. They were to travel light. Jesus knew that it was easy to get caught up in the things of life.
They were to concentrate on their task; greet no man on the way. Jesus knew that the person of God must not turn aside or linger on the lesser things while the great things call him.
They were not to be in the work for what they could get out of it. The laborer for Jesus is worthy of their pay, but the servant of that crucified master should not be a seeker for luxury.
They understood that to have heard God’s word is a great responsibility. Jesus knew that a person will be judged according to what that person has had the chance to know and how that person responds to it. Responsibility is the other side of privilege.
They followed the master’s instructions. They came back restored.
Each returned to the master with stories of others who had also been restored. They were filled with joy.
Let us…as we come to the Lord’s Table today…to be restored…to be with the master…to be with our brothers and sisters…recall what our Lord told his disciples in their joyous celebration.
Don’t rejoice because evil spirits obey. Rejoice because your names are registered in heaven.
That was not the choice of some other person. It was God’s sovereign choice. We are children of God by God’s choice.
We rejoice because we know that we will see Jesus in the end…that’s really a restoration and new beginning.
We rejoice because of the glory that awaits us.
We rejoice because we are co-heirs with Christ.
Just like the un-named servant girl…the un-named seventy two…though our names may not be written in the history books…we are restored…we can rejoice that they are written in Heaven.
If you are rich…do not rejoice in your wealth…because your riches will fly away. Instead rejoice that you are restored and your name is written in Heaven.
If you are a person of great learning…thank God for it and use it for his glory. But…do not make it the source of your joy. Rejoice that you are restored and your name is written in Heaven.
Do you have a position of leadership in Christ’s church? Thank God and glorify him in it. But first rejoice that you are restored and your name is written in Heaven.
Has God used you? Is God using you now? That’s fine.
But first and foremost rejoice that you are restored and your name is written in Heaven.
Like the servant girl…the seventy two…with the Spirit as our guide and strength…let us rejoice and be unafraid to share that good news with all.