Backtracking

2 Kings 5:15-19a (NRSV)

Naaman seeks to repay Elisha

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." But he said, "As the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will accept nothing!" He urged him to accept, but he refused. 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. 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." He said to him, "Go in peace." 

This addendum was, I think, better being left off yesterday's Old Testament reading for worship.  It is almost like an unsatisfying additional ending to a movie you thought ended already.  I've left many a movie where I thought "why did they bother with that last five minutes?  They already had the perfect ending"

I liked the ending of Naaman's story yesterday.  He'd found faith in the true God and his pride had been healed along with his leprosy.  Happy ending!

But this…it sounds almost to like Naaman backtracking.  Who wants to read about that?

Well the reality, is, that's kind of what happens, isn't it?

I've had some pretty powerful moments of full charged grace in my life.  Those moments feel often like happy endings.  But the reality is that sin always seeps its way back in.  Bargains form on my lips again with God and I am always reminded that I am still on this journey of faith and am still both saint AND sinner.  Life is continual death to sin and then resurrection.  The cycle of death and new life happens over and over and over.  Sin sweeps in, but Grace continually makes her presence known and shows who's in charge.

I can't be too hard on Naaman.  His faith has been born on that day in the Jordan river.  But as with rivers, he would find many twists and turns along the way as death and resurrection, sin and grace, end and beginning, would lead him down occasional rapids in the ongoing journey of that life of faith. 

That journey is what leads us onward to wholeness as our "old self" continually dies to sin along the way.

Gracious God, we thank you for the patience you bear us throughout our journey of faith.  Forgive us when we stumble.  Be there to pick us back up and set us back on our way with your grace, keeping us ever mindful of your desire for nothing else than for us to be the whole, beloved creatures you intended us to be.  Amen.