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II Kings 5:9-18
As told by Loren Miller Naaman stood in the lead chariot – tall and proud. He was wearing his finest military uniform, with his sword and helmet gleaming in the sunlight. His very appearance commanded respect, and cried out to everyone, "This is a very important man!" And truly he was important. He was the commander of the armies of the nation of Aram – a mighty soldier who had led his armies to great victories for his king. When Naaman said "Jump!" you said "How high, Sir!" [These last three words are the memory hook for the story. The emphasis is on Sir!] Naaman was used to having people do what he said. When he gave an order, people jumped into action and things got done, because when Naaman said "Jump!" you said "How high, Sir!" But Naaman had a problem he couldn't fix by giving orders. In fact, there was nothing he could do about it, and it made him feel powerless. He had a dreaded disease called leprosy. There were large white patches on his arm and he feared it would spread. He knew it could take over his entire body and, in time, he would be an outcast. Doctors could not cure him and there was no amount of power or authority that could help him. It was hopeless … that is … until now. He had been told about the prophet in Israel. People said he was a man of God who could do impossible things. Naaman traveled many miles to see him, and was sure this prophet would cure his disease … especially if the price was right. He made sure he brought plenty of gifts – money, expensive clothing, and riches. He smiled as he rehearsed his bargaining strategy. The prophet would be putty in his hands! It was an impressive sight as Naaman pulled up in front of the prophet's house. He stepped down from the lead chariot and servants rushed up to make sure he looked his best. His men came down from their chariots and arranged themselves in their proper places, while the servants cared for the horses. There was excitement in the air as everyone anticipated the "mighty warrior" meeting the "mighty prophet." The door of the house opened and a young man stepped out. His eyes grew big as he looked at the great host standing in front of him. Naaman was surprised to see this young man. He didn't know what the prophet looked like, but surely this couldn't be him. He looked much too young to be a well–known prophet. The young man came up to Naaman. "I–I have a message for you from the prophet." He swallowed as he tried to gain a little composure. "Go, wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times, and you will be healed." Having delivered the message, the young man turned and quickly disappeared back inside the house. Naaman stood there, looking at the closed door. "What? … Was that it?" No one around Naaman said a word. They had never seen their captain insulted before. You could cut the tension with a knife. Naaman's face began to turn red. It was obvious that he was furious! He turned and demanded his chariot be brought to him immediately. Men rushed to get it because when Naaman said "Jump!" you said "How high, Sir!" He got into his chariot and gripped the front so hard his knuckles turned white. His veins bulged out, but no one looked. This was not a good time to be caught staring. Naaman thought to himself, "How dare the prophet treat me like that? He didn't even offer me simple hospitality! At the very least, he could have come out himself instead of sending a servant. Obviously, he doesn't know who I am or what I am able to do to him. He doesn't know that when I say "Jump!" you say, "How high, Sir!" As Naaman drove away, he became even more furious. He had put so much hope in this prophet. He was supposed to come out, look at the sores, call on the name of the Lord his God, wave his hand over the spot, and heal the mighty man of this leprosy. "And what was that about the Jordan River? Hum! It hardly deserves to be called a river at all. Its waters are brown and dirty. The banks are overgrown with grass and reeds. Only wild animals live near it. If there are rivers that can heal, they are the ones back home – clean … refreshing … and beautiful. Why can't I wash in one of them and be healed?" As his chariots drove out of town, Naaman's mind turned to thoughts of revenge. It was only right to teach this prophet and the Israelite people a lesson. To insult the commander of the armies of Aram was to insult Aram itself. He would come back with his armies and destroy the city. They would be sorry they had treated him this way. As they traveled down the road, Naaman's anger turned to grief. Oh, he could get revenge. That would be easy enough. But when it was all over, he would still have leprosy. Only it would be worse than it was now. After a while, the group stopped so the horses could rest. As the chariots came to a stop, Naaman stepped down and walked off to the side. He wanted to be alone. The people with him could see him pacing back and forth, but could not see the anguish and disappointment in his heart. Finally, two of his closest advisors cautiously approached him. "Naaman, sir," they said. Naaman stopped pacing and turned to glare at them. The two men glanced at each other, and then carefully continued. "Sir, if the prophet had asked you to do some great, mighty, and dangerous deed, wouldn't you have done it?" "Of course!" Naaman snapped. Then he softened, "I'd do anything to be healed." "Sir, the prophet didn't ask you to do anything that was great and mighty. He simply told you to wash in the Jordan River and you'd be healed. It's a very simple thing to do." Naaman once again glared at them. It was a look that made the men sorry they said anything. Still, they held their ground. Naaman's mind was filled with confusion and doubts. How could the prophet ask such an important man to do such a humiliating thing? He looked at the white patches on his arm, and his anger softened and finally left his face. He took a deep sigh and said, "You're right. It is a very simple thing. Let's go to the Jordan River!" News spread quickly through the small company. Despair and disappointment turned to excitement and eagerness. Everyone scrambled into the chariots and the group headed for the Jordan River because when Naaman said "Jump!" you said "How high, Sir!" The grass was taller and thicker as they approached the Jordan River. Naaman stepped down from the chariot, and with humility, removed his armor and outer garments. He made his way through the tall grass to the river's edge. The other men followed to assist in any way they could, but mostly they wanted to see what would happen. Naaman stopped at the edge of the river to take in the scene. It was just as he had pictured in his mind–brown, dirty, small, and absolutely disgusting. Naaman looked at the other men, then slowly stepped into the water. He watched as his feet disappeared in the murky water. He felt the mud oozing between his toes. This was bad. Why didn't the prophet send him to a cleaner river? Naaman slowly made his way to mid–stream. He was halfway across the river and the water only came to his waist. "Some river," he thought. He looked around one last time, then glanced at the leprosy on his arm. After a deep breath, he held his nose and disappeared under the water. Coming back up, he shook his head and wiped the water from his eyes. He looked at his arm for some reassurance – possibly a slight change in color or maybe some of the sores would be gone. No, the leprosy was still there. Nothing had changed. The men on the shore wanted to ask about the progress, but they didn't dare to say anything. The two men who suggested this action started to worry about Naaman's temper if he came back ashore – still a leper. Naaman took a deep breath, held his nose, and ducked under the water a second time. Again, he came up, shook his head, wiped his eyes, and looked at his arm. The leprosy was still there. So Naaman dipped in the water a third time, a fourth time, a fifth time, and a sixth time. The leprosy was still there. It had not changed color, it had not started to disappear, and he had not felt any different inside. Nothing! Nothing had happened. With a final look at the men on the shore, Naaman took a deep breath, held his nose, and for the seventh time ducked under the water. For the seventh time, he came back up, wiped the water from his eyes and looked at his arm. Then he wiped his eyes again. He was not sure he was seeing clearly. Unbelievable! The ugly patches on his skin were not just partially gone. They were not just a different color. They were totally gone. His leprosy was gone! His skin looked like it did when he was a young man. "Yes!" Naaman threw his hands in the air and came splashing back to shore – yelling and shouting and celebrating. The men on the shore joined in the celebration and their shouts could be heard for quite a distance. Finally Naaman said, "Turn the chariots around. We're going back to see the prophet." Everyone scrambled back into their chariots because when Naaman said "Jump!" you said "How high, Sir!" Naaman rode with joy in his heart and a smile on his face. He offered a prayer of thanks to God for healing him. He also made a very important decision. He promised God that from then on, he would bow down and worship ONLY the God of Israel. He said, "Lord, I will gladly do whatever you want me to do. Whenever you say "Jump!" I will gladly say, "How high, Sir!" How High, Sir! makes use of a blatent memory hook. This is a great repeating phrase to use for audience participation. It works especially well for children as well as a mixed audience of children and adults. Immediately after the first time you say the phrase, "How high, Sir!" stop and explain to the audience that you need their help. Tell them when they hear the phrase, "When Naaman said 'Jump!'" they are to yell "How high, Sir!" Practice it several times. You say "When Naaman said 'Jump!' you said..." Then the audience joins in with "How high, Sir!" If you want to ratchet it up a notch, when the audience says, "How high, Sir!" use your best drill sergeant voice to belt out "I can't hear you!" and make them repeat it louder. You can do that throughout the story to keep everyone loudly participating. The final "How high, Sir!" at the end of the story is spoken by Naaman as a prayer. At that point, speak a little more slowly and quietly. This will dampen the audience participation and end the story on a bit more reverent note. |
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