Wisdom of the Nameless

I Corinthians 1:20-31

20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, God decided, through the foolishness of our proclamation, to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks desire wisdom, 23 but we proclaim Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength.

26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to reduce to nothing things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God

II Kings 5:1-19

1Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favour with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife. 3She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ 4So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5And 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. 6He 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.’ 7When 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? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me.’

8But 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.’ 9So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha’s house. 10Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean.’ 11But 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! 12Are not Abana 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. 13But 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”?’ 14So 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.

15Then 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." 16But he said, "As the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!" He urged him to accept, but he refused.

17 Then Naaman said, “If not, please let two mule-loads of earth be given to your servant; for your servant will no longer offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god except the Lord. 18 But may the Lord pardon your servant on one count: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow down in the house of Rimmon, when I do bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant on this one count.” 19 He said to him, “Go in peace.”

This is the Word of the LORD

Thanks be to God

Joseph: Today is Presbyterian Heritage Sunday! That means a number of changes to the way we normally do things. These changes are meant to highlight and celebrate stuff that makes our Presbyterian tradition unique. One of the things I love about our tradition is that we’re a connectional church. Our congregation is part of an extended family of faith. So there more than one preacher this morning!

Marilyn: Hello! I’m Rev. Marilyn McKelvey Tucker Marek, and I serve as the Pastor of Forsyth Presbyterian Church in Forsyth, Georgia and as UKirk campus minister at Mercer University in Macon, GA.

Joseph: Rev. Tucker Marek and I have been friends for years! We met in Seminary, her apartment was down the hall from mine and Leah’s. She was also one of the best theological thinkers in her class. So when I heard that she was going to be vacationing in this area, I jumped at the chance to share my pulpit with her.

Marilyn: I’ve known Rev. Joseph William Taber IV since he was just my friend Joseph. If you want any embarrassing stories from when your pastor was in seminary, I’m available for lunch...But he’s got as many stories about me as I have about him, so maybe we’ll just stick to Bible Stories today.

Joseph: That’s probably safer for everyone involved.

Marilyn: You’ve got a great name. “Rev. Joseph William Taber IV,” I’ll bet that’s fun to sign on an official document.

Joseph: It is! I’m sure you smile every time you get to roll out ”Rev. Marilyn McKelvey Tucker-Marek” as well!

Marilyn: It’s always a delight, and I love the honor of the title I bear: Reverend.

Joseph: The title just makes it, like “Naaman, commander of the army of the King of Aram.” Less than halfway through the first verse and we’re already dealing with a great man, and in high favor with his master. His lengthy introduction shows us that we’re dealing with a mighty warrior, someone to be respected.

Joseph: The kingdom of Israel during the period of II Kings was almost constantly at war.

Marilyn: Come to think about it, the kingdom of Israel was almost constantly at war during any period, until it got conquered.

Joseph: Yes, and Naaman is one of a long line of invaders of God’s Promised land. When scripture tells us that “By him, the Lord had given victory to Aram,” we see that he is greater than many of his contemporaries. He is set apart by God for this task.

Marilyn: The other great name in this passage, the other character set apart, is Elisha.

Joseph: Exactly. Elisha studied under Elijah, and succeeded him as prophet. Elisha goes on to do more miracles and deeds of power than any other prophet in scripture, except Jesus. He cleanses wells, controls animals, raises the dead, feeds multitudes, and in this passage, heals people. Naaman and Elisha are two of the great names of scripture, which is why this is one of the better known passages from II Kings. Two great names facing off as guided by the power of God.

Marilyn: You’re not wrong…

Joseph: Sounds like you’re setting up for a “but...”

Marilyn: I am. Naaman and Elisha are undoubtedly great names in scripture. But they’re not the most interesting part of the story for me. 

Joseph: What is, then?

Marilyn: Both of these great names would have been utterly helpless without the wisdom of the nameless characters around them.

Joseph: The wisdom of the nameless? Say more about that.

Marilyn: Naaman’s great name does not help him heal from his leprosy. The shame of that disease would have been a source of embarrassment to such a great warrior. The first step toward his healing does not come from his power, but from the wisdom of his unnamed captive young girl.

Joseph: “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.”

Marilyn: “She said to her mistress, ‘If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’ Exactly. Without the wisdom of the nameless captive girl, Naaman would have never begun this journey.

Joseph: I see that! “Naaman went in and told his lord what the girl from the land of Israel had said.” The wisdom of the nameless captive girl literally affects international relations.

Marilyn: There’s another character in the middle there, though. The captive made that comment to her mistress, not to Naaman. Naaman’s wife is also not named in this passage, but she had the wisdom to recognize the truth and hope in his serving girl’s words. She had the wisdom to pass the words along to her husband. Without the wisdom of the nameless wife, truth and hope would have never reached Naaman’s ears.

Joseph: Later on in the passage, a couple of more nameless characters show their wisdom. When Naaman throws a pity party because Elisha didn’t show him due respect,

Marilyn: “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! 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?’ He turned and went away in a rage.”

Joseph: Exactly, his servants, while remaining unnamed, give him the push he needs in order to finally show some faith in more than just his own importance. “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”?’”

Marilyn: The wisdom of the nameless is what really moves this story along. The great names accomplish remarkably little in this passage. Elisha sends instructions through a messenger, Naaman eventually follows them, but they are guided at every turn by the wisdom of the nameless characters.

Joseph: Every now and then, every now and then, God does something amazing through someone important, someone with a great name.

Marilyn: But far more often, God works through these others. The ones who don’t end up named in the history books, or have the remarkable and grand legacies. The small names may not be important to the world, but they are important to the Lord.

Joseph: The small names may not be important to the world, but they are important to the Lord. Marilyn and I are both called to serve small congregations.

Marilyn: And one of the things we hear, from time to time, is a sense that small churches can’t do as much as the big churches, and therefore they are somehow not as “good” as the big churches.

Joseph:That kind of talk is utter nonsense. The value of a congregation comes from the work of the Holy Spirit within it, not from membership rolls or budgets. God can use small churches, like the ones to which Marilyn and I are called, to do tremendous ministry.

Marilyn: Even though, down in Flint River Presbytery, where the congregation I serve is located, the name “The Presbyterian Church of Lowell” doesn’t mean a lot 

Joseph: This congregation does matter to God. And even though the name “Forsyth Presbyterian Church” doesn’t command much authority here in Western North Carolina.

Marilyn: The congregation I serve also matters to the LORD.

God doesn’t need our congregations to be considered “great” or famous in the eyes of the world in order to ensure that God can work through us.

Joseph: This passage shows us that far more often God works through the ones who don’t end up named in the sweeping histories. 

For Namaan the Jordan was just some nameless, unimportant and unimpressive stream in his path. But God doesn’t need Namaan to know what the Jordan River means to the Israelite people in order to use it to transform Namaan. God gives wisdom to the nameless and could have cleansed Namaan in a nameless puddle. Namaan needs to take a step away from his own greatness, and toward the greatness of God.

Marilyn: Namaan’s body couldn’t be healed until his pride had been wounded. His nameless servants convince him to climb into the unknown, and clamber down into the insignificant. I believe it was Namaan’s willingness to give the Jordan a chance which gave God room to work. God cleansed Namaan, neither by having him perform a great deed which might have enhanced Namaan’s reputation nor through a great performance which might have enhanced Elisha’s reputation. No, God makes Namaan’s skin like that of a young boy when he does what so many young boys over the years have struggled to do: obediently take a bath. (NIB. Vol. III, p.195)

Joseph: As the father of a young boy, can confirm.

It’s not the greatness of the Jordan river that ultimately cleanses Naaman. We know the name of that river because God has used it so consistently throughout scripture. God used a small act,

Marilyn: taking a bath

J in a river which didn’t carry any weight to Naaman.

Marilyn: Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?

Joseph: Only after Namaan had given up the pride of his own great name, and trusted the wisdom of the nameless ones around him, does he finally meet the prophet Elisha face-to-face. They meet, they speak.

Marilyn: And in that brief but holy interaction Elisha, the newly accessible prophet, welcomes Namaan, the new convert, into a faith community big enough to hold Israelite and Aramaen. Namaan still has a lot to learn about the Living God, but Elisha doesn’t send him away with a to-do list or a catechism. Elisha sends him away saying,

Both: “Go in Peace.” 

Marilyn: “There was much room for God’s grace in Elisha’s theology.” (NIB. Vol. III, p.198, Reflections 

Marilyn: Grace has been at the center of our Presbyterian heritage since the beginning. The idea that humans do not deserve and cannot earn God’s forgiveness, but that God offers us grace anyway for the sake of our poop relationship with God and for the glory of God’s great name has been with us since the beginning of our Reformed tradition. 

Joseph: Today is Presbyterian heritage Sunday. And there’s a lot of Scottish stuff all around us. But presbyterian heritage is not limited to Scotland. Our heritage is full of the wisdom of unnamed people throughout the centuries, some of whom were Scottish, many of whom were not. 

Many of the Scottish, Presbyterian saints who have gone before us left the rivers of scotland for new Jordan rivers, like the Catawba, 

Marilyn: like the Towliga, like the Oconee, 

Joseph: And they brought their trust in the grace and greatness of God with them. 

Marilyn: Most of their names have not gone down in the sweeping histories, but their great faith is part of our story. 

Joseph: They shared their faith with the people they met by those new rivers, and the presbyterian heritage went from being one of Scottish people, to being the heritage of Americans

Marilyn: and Canadians

Joseph: and Koreans

Marilyn: and Congolese,

Joseph: and Austrialians,

Marilyn: and Guatemalens, 

Joseph: the people of Malawi, 

Marilyn: and so many others.

Joseph: Because God doesn’t need great human names to do great work in human beings. 

Marilyn: God gives wisdom to the nameless, because the nameless, the insignificant, the unremarkable, matter to God. 

So what great thing is God doing through you, sinner-saints of the Presbyterian Church of Lowell? 

Joseph: You matter to the LORD most High, our blessed response is growing faith together as taught through God’s word. Our heritage has been shaped by God’s love from the beginning, so whatever we choose to do with that love, it matters to God. Therefore…

Both: “Go in Peace.”