Washing & Made Clean in the Old Testament

For anyone using the three-year lectionary, this section of Scripture from 2 Kings was probably the Old Testament reading you heard today in Church.  Even here, God demonstrates how one comes to faith.  By the word of God's prophet Elisha, Naaman was first healed from leprosy, and then brought to faith.  Nothing in the water of the Jordan was special to heal and save; that came through the word.
Interesting parallels to how God still works today.

Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman’s wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”

So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.  And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”

[The king recognized that only God has the power to kill and make alive, to heal and make clean.  He thought it was a trick.]

But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come now to me, that he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” So Naaman came with his horses and chariots and stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.”

[Elisha didn't even let Naaman come into his house, but sent him away first to be healed and cleaned.]  

But Naaman was angry and went away, saying, “Behold, I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call upon the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

[This is often our reaction.  Don't we always want some miraculous sign?  And the world thinks, "only if God would do___, I would believe." The rich man had the same reaction, as did the soldiers, crowd, and criminals at the cross: "Let the Christ, the King of Israel, come down now from the cross that we may see and believe.”]

But his servants came near and said to him, “My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God, and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Then he returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and he came and stood before him. And he said, “Behold, I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel...."

[It took God's word and power to bring Naaman to faith.  Some dirty water and the word of God through Elisha healed Naaman, causing Naaman to confess that there is no other God.]
The rest of the account is interesting as well, if you have time, I encourage you to read what Naaman did following this.

I Have Seen Theophany

Of all the seasons in the church year, Epiphany is one of, if not the most, sensory season.  Epiphany has to do with seeing, the word (ἐπιφάνεια) itself means "manifestation."  Another word we use for the feast of Epiphany (which falls on January 6 each year) is "Theophany," which means "vision of God." Sometimes we focus too much on our senses though, trying to find God where he has not promised to be, or even thinking God is nowhere near because we can't perceive him.

With our theme this year at Camp Lor-Ray, "I Have Seen Thy Salvation," Epiphany fits right in.  (Of course all Scripture fits together perfectly, and our lectionary reflects that).
I thought I would share a devotion from "Luther's Family Devotions, 2nd Ed." translated by Pastor Joel Baseley from the 2nd week after the Epiphany.  I couldn't imagine a more fitting devotion.  Notice where Luther tells us where God is to be found.

Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father in me? The Words which I speak to you I do not speak from myself. But the Father, who dwells in me, he does the words. John 14:10

 Therefore, where you hear the gospel being rightly taught, or see a person being baptized, the Sacrament being handed out or received, or one being absolved, there you can confidently say, "Today I have seen God's Word and work, yes, heard God himself and seen his preaching and Baptism. The tongue, voice, hands, etc., are of men, but the Word and office are actually the divine majesty itself."

So it should also be observed and believed as if one heard God's voice ringing from heaven above, or saw his hands baptizing or giving out the Sacrament, so that no separation or distinction is made between God and his Word or Office given us through Christ, nor are we able to seek God or think about him in any other way.

When we come up to heaven we will see him otherwise, without means or veil, but here on earth you will not see him or receive him without your senses or thoughts, but rather, as St. Paul says, we see him in a dark Word or veiled image, that is, in the Word and Sacraments. It is just as [if they were] his mask or robe under which he is hidden. But he is present there without a doubt, so that he himself does wonders, preaches, gives the Sacrament, comforts, strengthens and helps. And thus we see him, as one sees the sun behind the clouds. For now we could not stand to the see the bright sun and brilliance of that majesty. So he must clothe and veil himself in that way, as behind thick clouds. So it is sure, that whoever wants to see and cling to both the Father and Christ, after he is revealed and sits in his majesty, grasps him through the Word and the works that he does in Christianity through the preaching office and other stations.

Therefore, we should not be ignorant about his body, that we let God, Christ, and his Word be divided and partitioned, and dispute about God as the heathen, Turks, Sophists or the others do concerning his naked majesty. In that, we would depart from the way that he speaks and acts towards us here on earth through preachers, fathers and mothers, etc.; and meanwhile soar into the clouds and meddle into what God himself does or thinks. That's what the devil tells you to ask for and come up with. It is no good spirit. But if you would rightly know how it is between you and God, and whether your way pleases him, then pay attention to this Word, so that it quickly tells you, "Whoever sees or hears me, also sees and hears the Father." So, if that pleases your heart, only look at what Christ preaches and does towards you through his Christianity, through your preacher, father, mother and other good people. Listen to that from your heart and keep clinging to it so that you are immediately sure of the matter. You should and must not doubt it. For what they say to you God is really telling you himself.

But if you want to proceed wickedly and want to ignore this, and through your head inquire how you are with God in heaven, then you are lost. What happens to you then is what you deserve because you refuse to receive it, since you're calling God a liar, and seeking him in another way. For he is there to tell you and show himself to you so they give you assurance of his attitude towards you and he has so ordered every office and station in life in Christianity so the whole world is filled with God's work. You let all of that be pushed aside as if it were nothing and you think, "God is up in heaven behind the angels and is doing something else; how can a preacher, father or mother, tell me about him? If I could only hear and see him myself..." That is called separating and dividing God and his work from each other, Christ and his Word, which one should most solidly hold and bind together.

Therefore, everyone must guard himself against ever again inquiring about God with his own senses and thoughts, but rather learn to hold fast and cling to his Word and act and decide only on that basis, so that he will not fail. Now don't pay attention to anything else but believe that I, for Christ's sake, forgive you all your sins and am gracious, and you are baptized onto that. Be obedient to your mother and father and do what your office and station in life demand. Then you have everything, including God. "Oh," you say, "is that called seeing and hearing God? I thought he was up there in heaven and that I had to have some special revelation from him." No, not so. Rather, if you want to meet him then first see him in the Word, behind his mask so that hereafter you will see him in his majesty. For he will not do anything special for you outside and against his commands, which he has given in his Word.

Altb, VII, 73: Sermons on the Gospel of St. John Chapters 14-16, 1537; cf. AE 24

Now I have found the firm foundation Which holds mine anchor ever sure;
'Twas laid before the world's creation In Christ my Savior's wounds secure;
Foundation which unmoved shall stay When heaven and earth shall pass away. (TLH 385:1)