Jonah.

You probably know a little bit about the story of Jonah - it's a pretty familiar/unfamiliar story! What is it really about? Is it about God's judgement, his mercy? Is it about an angry prophet? Where do we find ourselves in this story? What does it have to teach us? I hope as you spend time with this story this week you will not only appreciate the humour of the story but also, its significance. In this story we discover a God of grace and mercy and a man who struggles deeply with it. The fish that was sent to swallow/save Jonah is the unlikely place where God met Jonah and where Jonah turned toward God with thanksgiving. But God did not stop there with Jonah. God still wanted him to share this same message of grace and mercy with the people of Nineveh whom Jonah still did not like. Jonah is a little like the older brother in the story of the prodigal son, isn't he? Jonah doesn't want to go to a celebration dinner for a people who he sees as undeserving! However, God doesn't allow us to think in categories of us and them - Jews and Gentiles - he wants to show Jonah and us, his deep love for his creation and his desire that all might have life and have it abundantly.
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Jonah was a prophet, a messenger of God.  God entrusted Jonah with his word and Jonah was to share the word of God with people.  And one day, God called Jonah,

He said to Jonah:  “Up on your feet and on your way to the big city of Nineveh.  They are in a bad way there, I can’t ignore it any longer and I need you to go and preach to them.”

Jonah did not want to go. Nineveh! No way.  He did not want to tell the people of Nineveh about the love and mercy of God.  And more than that He didn’t want them to know or share in God’s love.  Have you ever kept something good to yourself on purpose so that other people couldn't have it too? This good thing could be just yours and your alone. It's a pretty stingy way to live, isn't it?

Maybe you don’t want to share a fun activity, or a camp: maybe you want to keep this good things all to yourself and people you like? Maybe there are people who you really don't like in your class, maybe they are even mean to you; the last thing you want is for them to show up at your church or at your soccer club - if they were there too, your whole life would be ruined.

Well, Jonah was stingy and angry that God asked him to share this message with people he really didn't like.  After all he had good reasons not to like them. So he went in another direction.  He got on a ship and headed for the city of Tarshish.  It was a better destination, perhaps a more friendly crowd, a city with people he liked, a place where he would not have to confront his own anger towards Nineveh or God.  He was going to quietly go in the other direction.

What do you think of this plan?  Will it work out well?

God wants to deal with Nineveh but he also wants to deal with Jonah. So far both are moving away from God.  How will God correct them and show them who he is?

Well it wasn’t long before a huge storm arose.  And oh the boat rocked - it pitched forward and backward, the sails flapped and tore, the water rose up all around; the people on the boat were afraid for their very lives.  Jonah was sleeping in the bottom of the boat.  Have you ever tried sleeping to avoid something that you had to deal with?  Like if you sleep long enough or deep enough maybe everything will just go away when you wake up.  Well, I have tried that method and it doesn't work very well. When you wake up you discover your problems haven't gone anywhere, in fact they are getting worse!

Jonah slept on and the storm raged and the sailors came to get him.  “What, why are you sleeping?” the Captain exclaimed, shaking Jonah in a panic. "Pray to your God to deliver us!”

Jonah had a sinking suspicion that this storm was about his disobedience.  SO he said to the crew, "throw me overboard and the storm will stop."  The crew was nervous.  They saw how powerful Jonah’s God was, they did not want to make God angry by throwing Jonah into the water.

They tried to row but the storm raged on. They were scared and they prayed to God: "O God" they said, "Don’t let us drown because of this man’s life and don’t blame us for his death.  You are God. Do what you think is best.”

They took Jonah by the hands and the feet and one, two, three, they heaved him into the raging waters.  As Jonah hit the waters, the sea immediately quieted down.  

The crew on board were no longer terrified by the sea, but in awe of God.  They worshipped God right then and there.  

But what about our friend Jonah?

Had God forgotten Jonah?

Would God be as merciful to Jonah as he was to the people on the ship?

Well as Jonah was plummeting to the depths of the water, God did send him help, in a rather unlikely form - he sent a big fish.  And the big fish swallowed Jonah right up! Over three days in the depths and in the darkness, Jonah found the mercy and the help of God.  His anger and despair gave way to repentance and gratitude and Jonah prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. The words he prayed came right from the book of Psalms that he knew so well:

In trouble, in deep trouble, I prayed to God,

he answered me.

From the belly of the grave, i cried, ‘help’

You heard my cry.

You threw me into the ocean’s depths,

into a watery grave,

with ocean waves and breakers crashing over me.

I said, I’ve been thrown away,

thrown out of your sight.

I’ll never again lay eyes on your holy temple.

Ocean gripped me by the throat,

the ancient abyss grabbed me and held tight.

My head was all tangled in seaweed

at the bottom of the sea where the mountains take root.

I was as far down as a body can go,

and the gates were slamming shut behind me forever.

Yet you pulled me up from the grave alive.

O God, my God.

When my life was slipping away, I remembered God,

And my prayer got through to you,

made it all the way to your holy temple.

Those who worship hollow Gods, God-fakes

walk away from their one true love.

But I’m worshipping you God,

I’m calling out with thanksgiving!

And I’ll do what I promised I’d do!

Salvation belongs to God!

Now did you notice in this story that in the storm the crew on the ship prayed, and in the belly of the whale, Jonah turned to God in prayer.  Prayer something that we come to all throughout our lives - when the waters are quiet and when they are raging - when we are full of sadness and when we are full of rejoicing, when we are confused and uncertain where to go and when we are steadfast.  Prayer is a constant in our lives.  And Jonah shows us how to pray from pit.  Jesus would also show us how to pray.  We have the word of God (and in particular the Psalms), the Holy Spirit, and the church to teach us to pray.

Even though Jonah set sail away from God, God found him and delivered him and in those dark days Jonah turned to God: he prayed words of lament (grief/sorrow), words declaring the salvation of God, words of thanksgiving, and he confessed that he would follow God, even to Nineveh.

And that is just what he did. Jonah was spit out back out in the place where he started. But now he had a different orientation: Jonah went to Nineveh, and he preached to the people there. “Even though you have run far from God, he can’t stop loving you, so run to him.”  And so the people of Nineveh turned to God and discovered the mercy and love of God.  They stopped running, just like Jonah.

Now.  God would send another messenger who would be the very word of God.  A person to show us who God is - Jesus.  He would be obedient to God and it would cost him his very life; he would spend three days in utter darkness (like Jonah) and would be delivered and would set all people who would believe in him free from the power of death and would give us new life.

Today.  As we close we are going to pray from Jonah’s prayer:

God, in our trouble we pray to you and we cry help.  Even when we want to do the right thing we too easily find ourselves running away from you - making choices that hurt ourselves, hurt others and hurt you.  So we ask for your forgiveness - for our anger, for refusing to forgive others, for failing loving the people you have placed in our lives.  We thank you for your salvation and your mercy towards us, that you do not hold our sin against us but that you give us freedom and new life. When life is confusing and we feel ourselves toppled, when we are afraid, thank you that you are not far from us, we call out to you and you hear our prayers, you put our feet on solid ground.  We praise you because you bring us through even the hardest things in life, we praise you because you can calm even the fiercest storms. We praise you because you love us even when we don’t love ourselves.  Thank you for your word which give us life, and the word, Jesus, whom you gave to show the world who you are, thank you for the holy spirit who guides us now and for the church with whom we gather today.  

Daniel.

The book of Daniel comes to us from Babylonian exile, a dark and difficult time in Jewish history.  The Israelites were captured and taken to as slaves, the temple in Jerusalem was pillaged and destroyed, families were torn a part, land and livelihoods were lost, cultural and religious practices were threatened.  The first six chapters of Daniel center around four young men taken in the first wave of deportation before the fall of Jerusalem.  Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah were chosen from among those of noble or royal Judean descent for their physical strength, their intellectual aptitude and their exceptional qualifications. The men were given new names and were trained in the language and literature of Babylon for three years before entering the King's service.  This was a strategic and intentional attempt to annihilate their cultural practices, their worship of Yahweh and indoctrinate them with Babylonian propaganda.  However, this proved to be not so easily done. From the beginning the four young men refused the rich food and drink from the King's table opting instead for a diet of vegetables and water.  Whether it was out of strict observance to mosaic law or their own fear of cozying up too much with the King and forgetting who they really were, they held their ground.  "Test us!" Daniel said,  "Let's see who is healthier and stronger after ten days: those who eat off the Kings table or those who eat this simple diet from the earth."  Well, after ten days the four young men looked so robust and healthy that the King's chief official changed the diet for everyone: vegetables and water it was!  God was with these young men.  Not only did God grant them physical strength but he also gave them incredible capacity for understanding literature and learning.  And to Daniel he gave the ability to understand visions and dreams of all kinds, which won him the admiration of the King but created jealousy and dissension among his colleagues.

You know Daniel's name and remember him best for surviving a night with lions. You might know the other three better by the names of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego - the three men who were thrown into a fiery furnace for not bowing down to the image of gold that the maniacal King Nebuchadnezzar ordered all his subjects to worship.  Though the were upright men and good servants of the King they remained free from him; he could not gain their full allegiance.  Shaddrach, Meshach and Abednego retained their worship of God.  The King was in rage, his best attempt to control these men had failed. The only thing hotter than his anger was the temperature of the furnace which burned seven times its usual temperature.  It was so hot that the servants who tied the men up and threw them into the fire were killed just by approaching the blazing furnace.

As Nebuchadnezzar looked on, he became puzzled and leapt to his feet in amazement:"Weren't there three men we tied up and threw into the fire?" he asked his advisers. "Certainly, your majesty," they replied. "But, look!" exclaimed Nebuchadnezzar, "I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods."Nebuchadnezzar approached the opening of the blazing furnace and shouted: "Come out! Servants of the Most High God!"

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego came out of the fire and the satraps, prefects, governors and royal advisers gathered around.  They saw that the fire had not harmed their bodies, not one hair had been singed; their robe was not scorched, and there was no smell of fire on them. A holy fear of God came upon Nebuchadnezzar and he ordered that no one say anything against the God of these men, for he was unlike any other.  And Nebuchadnezzar promoted all three men in the province of Babylon.

In these times Nebuchadnezzar, and the Kings who followed, relied heavily on Daniel for wisdom and for his interpretation of dreams - there was none like him in all the land.  So Daniel lived his life, an Israelite, in service to governments who had taken his people captive and oppressed them. He was a man in the inner circles, who was always an outsider.  He had a greater allegiance to his God than he did to any ruler of Babylon.  He was a principled man of deep integrity, who was without fault before God and before rulers of Babylon.  In his longing for home, he held fast to God, his true home, instead of settling for the ways of Babylon.

Daniel was by now an older man with great wisdom, experience and growing influence.  When King Darius came to power Daniel had so distinguished himself that the King planned to set him over the whole kingdom.  You can just imagine the jealousy that gripped the men in places of power.  Daniel was an outsider! He was too aloof! He wouldn't join in their games, in the endless amount of plotting and posturing that went on! Even after all these years they could not manipulate him.  They hated him and they wanted to bring him down and yet, they could find no corruption in him, no negligence in him.  "We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel, unless it has something to do with the law of his God," they said to one another.  The one thing that they knew Daniel did every day, three times a day, was go to his room, open his window towards Jerusalem, and pray to his God.

So they went before King Darius, they told him how wonderful the King was, how he was the best King that had ever ruled, they swore their allegiance to him and to Babylon.  They buttered him up real good.  Because of their flattering words and because there were so many satraps, rulers, administrators, advisers present in the room at one time, the King listened to them intently. They advised the King that he should issue an edict and enforce the decree that anyone who prays to any god or any human being, other than the King, during the next thirty days should be thrown into the lions' den.  Yes, it might be important to do something like this they reasoned, something to establish the authority of the king, to create some fear of the King in order to keep order in this unwieldy kingdom.  And so it came to be that  a law was made, which could not be repealed.

Daniel heard the law and he knew exactly what had been done.  They wanted him in their hands, they wanted him dead.

The men were so giddy about this coup they had pulled off that they could hardly keep a straight face when they went before the King:

"Oh Your Most Glittering Highness, your law says, does it not, that everyone must pray to you alone, Sire"

"Yes," Said the king.

"Oh, Magisterial Brightness, then correct us if we are wrong but.... it would seem that Daniel is praying to God - NOT TO YOU." 

(Jesus Storybook Bible)

When the King realized what he had done, he was greatly distressed.  He he had been played a fool.  What had been done, had been done.  He went to Daniel with remorse in his heart and said, "May your God whom you serve, always, rescue you."

And with that Daniel was thrown into the lions' den, a hole in the ground, at the bottom of which hungry lions paced about. A stone was placed over the opening of the hole; all Daniel could see were the eyes of the lions glowing in the dark, their golden fur shimmering, teeth glowing white when they opened their mouths.  But, into the dark pit God sent another light, an angel, who closed the mouths of the lions and stayed with Daniel all throughout the night.  

The King did not sleep a wink that night.  He had been tricked, he had dissension in the ranks, and his top official was paying the ultimate price that night.  He knew he had to act.  If Daniel was, by a miracle of his God, saved, what would he do to order his government?  If Daniel perished what would become of this kingdom, with such dishonest, power hungry men advising him? This was a critical moment in his leadership.

When the dawn broke, the king leapt out of bed and ran to the den, he moved the stone that covered the hole.  A silence rose up from the bottom of pit.  "Daniel?" Daniel!" he cried.  "Has your God rescued you?"

"Yes," Daniel shouted, "God sent an angel to close the lions' mouths!" As the sun shone in the king could see Daniel curled up and keeping warm against the body of a lion.

A huge smile broke across the face of King Darius, somehow he knew God would rescue Daniel.  This was too good to be true! This is the God who rescues, the true God. Pray to the God of Daniel, he told his people, "for he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed and his dominion will have no end.  He rescues and he saves; her performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on earth.  He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions."(Daniel 6:26&27)

Daniel who was faithful to God amidst the intense pressure of leadership, the lonliness and the grief of exile showed people in the highest places of power who God really is.  Jesus came to earth to show us Gods very self, he would also suffer pressures of leadership, intense lonliness and misunderstanding and would be away from his true home with God for all his time on earth.  Like, Daniel, Jesus would be blameless before God and others and yet wrongly accused by jealous, threatened, power hungry people who wanted him dead.  Death would not defeat Jesus, God would raise him on the third day and pull off the greatest rescue plan the world has ever known. 

The Story of Esther

This week in Kids' Word we are sharing the story of Esther with the children.  Our younger children will read from our storybook bibles.  I have two excellent picture books on Esther, if you would like to read these or have them on hand for their beautiful illustrations, please let me know.  If you know the story well enough, I would encourage you to share the story orally and include the passages chosen from the lesson plan in your telling.   I have included an abridged story of Esther below but I would also encourage you to go back and read the book of Esther.  May God be with you as you hear and share the word of God with children this week.

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This is the story of something that happened in the time of Xerxes, the Xerxes who ruled from India to Ethiopia – 127 provinces in all.  King Xerxes ruled from his royal throne in the palace complex of Susa (in what we now know as northern Iran). Inside his opulent palace King Xerxes gave a lavish banquet for all his officials and ministers.  The army of Persia and Media and the nobles and governors of all the provinces were present while he displayed the great and vast wealth and the stunning beauty of his kingdom for over six months.  To bring this event to a close the King had a feast for all the people present in the citadel of Susa.  There was hardly be a better time to be in the city: in the garden of the king’s palace the men feasted, drank the best wine without restraint, lounged on couches of gold and silver set on marble and mother of pearl floors.  Meanwhile Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women of Susa inside the palace of the king. 

If it all seemed like a thin veneer, veiling an insecure King who wanted the approval of all, it was proven so on the seventh day of the banquet.  Just before the end of the revelry the King sent orders for the queen, the ravishing Vashti, to be brought to the garden wearing the royal crown that all the King’s men could admire him for his wealth, his power and the beauty of his wife. Vashti heard the request and refused. Tired of being another trophy on display, tired of being paraded about and adored for beauty, tired of being objectified, she simply refused. If she was drunk and showing off to the ladies or if she had been waiting and plotting an opportunity to make a statement, her refusal sparked a hot response. The King was drunk with rage.  The queen had refused him, in front of all his guests.  This sent a wave of panic throughout the officers and men in the garden – "what if my wife catches wind of this behavior?  This type of behavior could spark a revolution amongst the women in this land - we must act decisively and quell it," they all agreed, Queen Vashti must lose her royal position. "This will serve as a reminder to all the women to obey their husbands," they said to one another. And it was so: a letter was send to all the royal provinces, each in their own language: “Every man is the master of his own house, whatever he says, goes.”  If any woman wondered what her place was, she had the unfortunate story of Queen Vashti to remind her: the word of her husband or father was the law.  The end.

After the King had dealt with Queen Vashti an extensive search was undertaken for a replacement.  Officials were appointed in every province to bring the most beautiful young women to the King’s palace.  At the palace they would receive twelve months of beauty treatments, they would be tutored on royal protocol and thoroughly prepared to meet the king.  At the end of the year one of the young women would be chosen to be Queen.

There was a man named Mordecai who lived in the palace complex in Susa, years ago his family had been captured and brought into Babylon by the wicked King Nebuchadnezzar.  Though Susa had always been his home, Mordecai had another identity that ran deeper than his allegiance to Xerxes; he was Jewish.  Mordecai had also adopted and raised his cousin Esther, as she had neither father nor mother.  Esther was known for her lovely face and her easy smile; people would often remark on what a rare beauty she was. When she was spotted by one of the King's officials she was rounded up with the other contestants for the first ‘Top Model' or 'Miss Teen Persia' on record.  It was a lush year of beauty treatments, cleanse diets and royal service that would be the envy of celebrities today.  Mordecai was also the first helicopter parent: every day he strolled around the royal court and got news of what Esther had been doing and how she was.  He feared how a year in the King's harem might change his niece. Before she had left Mordecai instructed her not to say anything about her family and her racial background.  The memory of his family being carried into exile was in his bones; it was a vulnerability and anxiety never left him.  

Over the year Esther won the admiration of many including Hegai who ran the harem.  It was no surprise to her that King Xerxes fell head over heels in love with Esther, placed a royal crown on her head and named her Queen.  In her honour a national holiday was declared, gifts were given with royal generosity and a great banquet was held for all of the nobles and officials in the King’s palace.  This is a 'rags to riches' story for the ages.  But do you think Esther wondered if it would all come crashing down on her like it did for Queen Vashti?  Do you wonder if that palace felt oppressive for all its emphasis on aesthetic, for all its praise of beauty? Do you wonder if she felt like she was in her own exile, without Mordecai, without her people, in this vast palace?

Esther had still not revealed her identity to the King and Mordecai was still hanging about the palace giving instruction to Esther even though she was married and was, in fact, his Queen.  Both of these things turned out to be very important in the events that unfolded.

One day when Mordecai was outside the palace gates he overheard a plot by two palace guards to kill the King! Mordecai informed Esther, who in turn informed the King, and gave Mordecai the credit.  When it turned out to be true, the men were hung for their act of treason.  This event was recorded in the King’s logbook, which was also important because sometimes King’s have short memories or forget important things that relatively unimportant people did.

In the meantime, a man by the name of Haman was rising in the King’s ranks.  He loved power and he loved himself. He savoured every word of praise poured on him. When Haman left the palace all of the King’s servants at the gate would bow down and kneel before Haman.  But Mordecai didn’t do it.  This was his Queen Vashti moment.  Maybe it was rooted in long memory, for Haman was from the line of King Agog who caused the downfall of Mordecai’s Benjaminite ancestor Saul.  Maybe he was frustrated that the King promoted Haman and not him, especially after Mordecai saved the King’s life.  Maybe Mordecai’s refusal was a small protest.  Maybe it was in obedience to the first commandment, ‘thall shalt have no other gods before you,’ and he, like Daniel, would not bow down.  The palace guards and servants took note of Mordecai’s response, “bow down, king’s orders,” they shouted.  But Mordecai would not.  Haman was infuriated.  Over the course of days of aggressive words and threats, the guards learned that Mordecai was Jewish. Haman took this piece of information and became determined to lead a campaign of genocide against the Jewish people all because one man would not bow down. 

Haman waited and plotted and approached King Xerxes with information of a ‘certain people’ scattered about and separated throughout the provinces.  “They are a people with different customs and practices. And worse than that they do not obey the king’s laws.  They are a rebellious people and they should not be tolerated.   I know that this will be a costly endeavor for our armies and so I would like to bankroll the whole operation.  I’ll put 375 tones of silver into the bank for this operation.”  King Xerxes handed over his signet ring, gave his royal seal of approval and jurisdiction to Haman.  From there the communication fanned out – all ruling official were briefed, bulletins were printed, letters were written, notices were posted calling for the complete elimination of all Jews – young, and old, men and women and babies.  All of this would take place on a single day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month.

Word filtered out and panic spread.  Mordecai tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and ashes. He cried loud and bitter cries in the streets.  The Jews responded by fasting, weeping and wailing.  The cries reached Esther in the palace.  She sent one of her attendants to Mordecai who was beyond the city walls.  Mordecai sent back all the information to Esther: “Haman did this! With his own money! All because I wouldn’t kneel down!  Here is the poster! Go to the King! Intercede for your people!”

This was too much to take in. Esther had power but not real power.  Mordecai was asking too much. Hadn’t the King made it clear that men were the authority in their homes? The palace was no exception.  And what about the law concerning approaching the king in his inner court – she was risking her life to go before the king all for an unrealistic hope that the king might reverse his ruling? Who was she Moses? Aaron?  What could Esther possibly do to deliver her people from this fate? 

But, Mordecai would not resolve Esther of her responsibility to act:

“Do not think that in the King’s palace you will escape any more than this any more than all the other Jews.  For if you keep silent at such a time as this, relief and deliverance will rise from another quarter but you and your family will perish. Who knows? Perhaps you have come to royal dignity for such a time as this?”

These words landed with Esther, she said to Mordecai: “Go and gather all of the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and neither eat nor drink for three days, I and my maids we will do the same.  After that I will go before the king, though it is against the law.  And if I perish, I perish.”

Mordecai went away and did as Esther commanded. 

After three days, Esther summoned her courage, put on her royal robes and went before the King.  When the King saw Queen Esther he was delighted and he held out his golden scepter to her saying, “What is it dear queen? What is your request? Whatever it is, up to half the kingdom and I shall give it to you” Esther responded: “ If it pleases the king to grant my petition and fulfill my request, let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I will prepare tomorrow.”

King Xerxes left delighted at the invitation of his beloved Queen.
Esther left, her heart in her throat, her mind racing

Haman went home that night with an inflated ego, impressed with himself, that he had gained the admiration of the queen.  He had no idea he was about to be blindsided.

The following day Haman and King Xerxes went to the feast prepared for them by Esther and when they were feasting the King again asked the queen:  “What is your petition Queen Esther? It shall be granted you.  And what is your request? Up to half the kingdom and it shall be fulfilled.”  Queen Esther took a deep breath and let out her truest self: queen of Persia and a Jew: “This is my petition and this is my request, I and my people have been sold, to be destroyed, to be killed, to be annihilated.  If we had been sold to be slaves, I would not have bothered you.  But for this, I cannot stay silent.”

The King exploded in a rage: “Who has done this and where is he?” Terror struck Haman just before Esther’s finger shot directly at him and he heard the queen declare: “it is he, it is wicked, wicked, Haman.”

The death Haman had planned for Mordecai was now his own.  Haman's blinding pride, and his self -absorption lead to his folly and his demise.  The king cancelled Haman's proclamation, Mordecai the Jew became the second in command to King Xerxes.  He was known as one who cared for the good of his people and who worked for peace and prosperity of the kingdom.  In the end the Jewish people were saved by the wisdom of one who sought the guidance and protection of God in prayer.  They were saved by the courage of their Queen who spoke in a time when women were silenced.  A day that was believed would be a day of great mourning became a day of great joy; the day the Jewish people were delivered. The feast of Purim remembers and recalls this story of deliverance, of grand reversal.  

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This is an important story for children to tuck away in their hearts and minds. Esther is called upon to take action for her people at a terrifying point in history.  Mordecai posed the question that gives us pause today: "what if you have come to royalty for such a time as this?"  What if you are in the position you are in so that you might speak and lead with courage and conviction?  What if there is a time like that in every person's life?  Is there something that is confronting you and asking you for a response?  What do we risk when we say yes to God?  What do we risk when we stay silent?  When we have the stories of Esther and others who have said yes to God amidst fearful and uncertain times in our imaginations I think it creates possibilities for us.  We live in a world where like Esther we are conflicted, we feel the dissonance between our Christian identity and the culture we live in.  Some of us acutely feel the vulnerability of being immigrants - we carry with us two identities: Canadian and __________.  We know what it is to be weighed down with apathy: "Surely I cannot do anything about this social problem, it is well beyond me, I'm just a kid, I am not qualified, they won't listen to me anyways."  Our questions about the presence and action of God persist: will God save us from this?  Amidst all of these questions Esther reminds us to listen, even in the silence and act with courage in the face of terror.  This is a story of of grand reversal: Haman is hanged, Mordecai is honoured, women are silenced, but through Esther's voice the people are saved. It is a story that points to way to a Saviour who turn the tables and show us that the last shall be first, that the poor shall inherit the kingdom of heaven, that we find our life when we deny ourselves, pick up our cross and follow Jesus.

Epiphany 1 - The Healing of Naaman

The Healing of Naaman

5 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy.^[a] 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.³ She said to her mistress, “If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”^[b] 4 So Naaman^[c] went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. ⁵ And the king of Aram said, “Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel.”

He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. ⁶ He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy.”^[d] 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?^[e]Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.”

⁸ But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel.” ⁹ So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.” ¹¹ But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, “I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!^[f] 12 Are not Abana^[g] and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?” He turned and went away in a rage. ¹³ But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” ¹⁴ So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.

¹⁵ Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company; he came and stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth except in Israel; please accept a present from your servant.”

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Today is Epiphany!  A day of mystery and revelation; a day one journey ends and another begins; a day marked with fine gifts. But of all the beautiful, rare and fine things, it is the love, brought down low in Jesus that remains, the greatest gift.  On this day we note: God has gone public in Jesus with generous promises for all people.  (Peterson)

As we resume our journey through the Old Testament, in Kids' Word this Sunday, it occurred to me that there is hardly a more appropriate story to tell than the story of Naaman.  There is hiddenness and revelation, a promise given, new life which comes in a way as surprising as a king born in a stable. And of all the people living in Israel with leprosy it is Naaman, the outsider, who is healed and proclaims that the God of Israel is God alone.  

Our story opens with an introduction of Naaman. Have you ever noticed that most important people are introduced by their titles?  Dr. So and So has her PhD in this and that, she sits on a strategic planning committee and a big vision for big wigs committee; she has authored hundreds of research papers and has been given crucial leadership at this important juncture... Well, the same was true with Naaman.  He is introduced to us as a powerful man, in a powerful country, commanding the army, working closely with the king and perched on the northern border of Israel.  Naaman was a bit of a rock-star in the Geo-political world of the time.  He garnered high accolades and the favour of his King and the Lord, the God of Israel.  

BUT.  But, Naaman was sick.  He was very sick and suffering with leprosy.  Leprosy is a chronic bacterial infection that attacks the body in different ways: it can affect the respiratory tract, the skin, the eyes, and the nervous system numbing the body of pain of injury causing further harm and infection.  It is a terrible disease.  And in Naaman's time it wasn't curable and there were a lot of wrong ideas about leprosy. Many people suffering from this disease lived a part from the rest of society in leper colonies; even though the disease isn't contagious, people were afraid of getting sick with it and they sent the lepers away to live by themselves.  Imagine for a moment the lives of these men and women: exiled, shamed, and made to feel worthless. Well, Naaman was facing this reality.  This man who was in the thick of things in the heart of the country was facing exile.  

Chronic illness places excruciating demands on the body, mind, and spirit.  It takes courage to face the demands of each day, to continue to hope for and pursue health and healing, to persist in the face of weakness.  It could have been that this leprosy was lying dormant in Naaman for a long while and it was reaching a point of crisis; a pain he could not "push through" or ignore.  Naaman, who had everything and anyone he needed at his disposal was himself, in deep need. Naaman who had the power to summon armies, quell rebellions and manage conflict, could not do anything about the pain he was in.  

Now there was a slave girl working for Naaman's wife at this time, she was an Israelite who was taken away from her home and her family in an army raid.  She was a young and innocent victim of war.  An enemy of Naaman.  As the servant of Naaman's wife, she would have seen up close the pain Naaman and his family were living with.  And this girl whose life had been taken from her so violently did something remarkable: she forgave Naaman, and offered him an opportunity for life.  This girl who had no voice, no power, she spoke: "If only my Lord were with the prophet in Samaria! He would cure him of leprosy." Listen to her bold proclamation of faith.

It seems a mark of Naaman's desperation, or some stirring of God's spirit, that he followed the words of this slave-girl all the way to Israel.  But, he did.  I imagine he would have looked a little conspicuous on the journey.  He would have had a full military escort, he carried with him gold and silver and beautiful garments; gifts for the king of Israel, who would heal him.  But when Naaman arrived, letter from the king of Aram in hand, the king of Israel panicked! He couldn't heal Naaman! And now this great army sitting on his border would surely destroy Israel.  He was so distraught, he tore his clothes.  

Now the prophet, Elisha, the one the girl was speaking of, heard this and he sent a note to the king, "Don't tear your clothes, send the man to me that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel."  In other words, send him to me and he will learn that there is a different line of authority - not one that operates the way the world does, but a higher line of authority, one that comes from God who gives life and death, who summons the waters and parts the seas.  Naaman went to Elisha's home with his whole entourage and he did something remarkable - he didn't even go out and great Naaman.  Elisha stayed in his house and sent a messenger to Naaman saying: "Go and wash in the Jordan seven times and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean."  If Naaman was offended that Elisha never came out of his house to give the instructions, imagine how he felt when he was told to go and wash in the dirty Jordan river?

Naaman was angry.  Even though he was proud, he was also fragile.  He was a sick man desperate to be made well.  He had taken the words of a nobody, a servant girl, believing that maybe, just maybe, just maybe he could be healed.  He told his boss, the king of Aram, his plan, the king had even written a note on his behalf, he came all this way with soldiers, he had upset the king of Israel, and arrived at the home of a man who didn't even have the courtesy to come out and give him a proper greeting. Perhaps now it was all feeling like a hare-brained idea.  Why did he listen to that girl, to the king of Israel - that he might go into a dirty river seven times and receive his healing?! No way! He must have thought someone was playing a trick on him; maybe he imagined people looking out from behind a window or around a corner, laughing at him.  Maybe he thought the gods were laughing at him.  Whatever the case - he was angry, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God and would wave his hand over the spot and cure the leprosy! Are not Abana and Pharphar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?  Could I not wash in them and be clean?" He walked away in enraged.

I can imagine blackness inside Naaman's heart, maybe you can too?  How could God do this to me? Bring me this far only to smote me? Who is Elisha and who is this God?  Why should I trust him? God does not care about my leprosy! I have been foolish to believe any differently. That servant girl; she is getting back at me for taking her from her country. The gods are laughing at me.  My life is going to end in misery.  

And here at rock bottom Naaman sees how sick he is -  body and soul.  He didn't even know he had all of that anger in him until those words came out of his mouth and he walked away in a blind rage.  Underneath all the pride and self-reliance he is a vulnerable man afraid of a terrible death. He is so close to turning back, so close to being healed.

The courage of the servants surprise me in this story.  If I were Naaman's driver I might want to head for cover, stay out of the firing range but this man walks up to Naaman and tries to reason with him! One would have thought that this to be futile endeavor, but the words of this servant fall hard on Naaman's heart: "Father, if the prophet would have commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more when all he says is 'wash and be clean."  You are not being asked to prove yourself, you are being asked to humble yourself.  Seven trips in and out of the Jordan, we have come this far.  

The text gives us no details on these seven trips in and out of the water.  But, take a moment and imagine the transformation of Naaman as he submits to the words of Elisha. As Naaman goes into the water reluctant and angry still; afraid, and hopeful, weak and strong, his heart begins to break, the tears fall. Each time he goes all the way under the water he feels a little more free, a little more whole.  He has stopped paying close attention to his skin and is revelling in the newness he feels in his soul.  His servants look on from the shores of the river; they are desperate, they are curious, they are hopeful.  They begin to notice something, a change? Cautious at first, they move closer, it is true! Naaman's skin is being restored before their eyes.  They begin jumping about, giddy with excitement at this miracle: their master is healed.  Naaman looks down and examines the flesh that he hated, foreign to him now, this skin, so perfect, so new.  The servants all run into water, they rejoice at the grace of God.  At newness of life! Epiphany! The God who lead the wise men by a star to Jesus, lead Naaman by way of a slave girl and a servant into the Jordan river and he was healed, a simple invitation: 'I know a man from Samaria who can heal you... Father, what will it cost you to just go into, don't turn back now, please...' 

Fleming Rutledge writes this:
"God shows his love not by overwhelming us with his demonstrations of power and majesty, not by clubbing us to our knees, not by staging exhibitions of supernatural strength such as we humans might expect God to do, but rather by coming alongside us with water, and bread and wine, and the invitation:

Wash and be clean;
follow me, and be healed;
take and eat this; and be fed with the bread from heaven;
drink this and you will never be thirsty again.

Amen.