About Elisha: Elisha, son of Shaphat of the tribe of Issachar, was the prophet of God to the Northern Kingdom of Israel around 849-786 BC. Upon seeing his 
Elisha was the Lord’s prophet who by His Word many great deeds (miracles) were accomplished in Israel in the midst of it’s apostasies, Israel still heard the Word. I think the greatest “miracle” was the healing of Naaman the Syria
n: 2 Kings 5. Naaman was a VIP and significantly, a Gentile and a leper. Being a Gentile and a leper meant Naaman was unclean twice. (And it be must be noted at this time in the news: a Syrian).
Naaman the Syrian went afar to find relief and he received even more. Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army, like a 4 star general. It just so happens he has a young Israelite girl that he had taken captive as a servant. He hears from her that there is a “man of God” who might heal him in her country: Elisha. General Naaman goes to Israel with his entourage and eventually comes to Elisha’s home: it would be like a limousine pulling up to a bungalow. “If you will, you can make me clean.” (Mark 1: 40) Elisha tells Naaman to Go wash 7 times in the Jordan and you will be clean; but Naaman responds to the prophet, “Can’t you just wave your hand and make me clean? Are not the rivers Pharpar and Abana in Syria better than the Jordan?” (fwiw: I have seen the Jordan River and the Syrian rivers are probably better!) Then we are told:
Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” (NIV; this verse is not in all translations)
If the prophet had told you to do the 40 days of the purpose-driven life, wouldn’t you have done? If the prophet had told you to join a monastery and fast and pray, would you not have done it? If the prophet told you to witness to a 100 Syrians about the God of Israel, would you not have done it? But just washing in a river? Everyone does that! Naaman finally does so as the Word of God spoken by Elisha told him. Naaman made his decision for God? Hardly, he was at his wit’s end. The General did as he was told without even faith in the Lord. And he was cleansed…but this great deed is the more remarkable for what followed:
15 And he returned to the man of God, he and all his aides, and came and stood before him; and he said, “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel; now therefore, please take a gift from your servant.”
16 But he said, “As the LORD lives, before whom I stand, I will receive nothing.” And he urged him to take it, but he refused.
17 So Naaman said, “Then, if not, please let your servant be given two mule-loads of earth; for your servant will no longer offer either burnt offering or sacrifice to other gods, but to the LORD. 18 Yet in this thing may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD please pardon your servant in this thing.”
19 Then he said to him, “Go in peace.” So he departed from him a short distance.
Naaman confesses to Elisha his faith: I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel. Naaman wants to respond in the only way he probably knew how: monetarily. He wants to pay for his baptism. Naaman urged Elisha to accept the gift. No, says Elisha. Why? The greatest miracle for Naaman was faith. But the story continues with Elisha’s servant Gehazi shaking down Naaman for money. And Elisha’s response, the judgement of God, drives home the point: you can not buy God’s grace and favor. It is free. Gehazi becomes a leper.
The Lord creates the faith by His Word which alone heals. There was greater healing that day in the Jordan: Naaman’s soul. Just think: From an arrogant General to a humble believer saying to a foreigner, “your servant“! From a non-believer to a worshiper of the true and only LORD in the midst of temple of Rimmon.
“If you will, you can make me clean.” (Mark 1: 40) What a simple, clean faith. You can make me whole, You alone. The leper (Mark 1) knew he could not make himself clean. Naaman did not make himself clean. Only cats clean themselves. We are not spiritual cats! We can not clean our souls by our actions or words. We must turn to water and soap, outside of us, to clean our bodies and so our souls. I speak of the Word of God. His Word is in the water, the water of Baptism as it was for that time-conditioned sacrament for Naaman. “If you will, you can make me clean” “I will; be clean” (Mark 1:40) This is the I will of His sovereign grace to sinners and His Word is His will: Baptism. This Baptism’s authority comes from the Name of God (Matthew 28:18 ) and the great and powerful deed, central to all human history and each and every individual’s history: His death and Resurrection (Romans 6: 1-11)
From Luther’s Small Catechism:
How can water do such great things?f
By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost, which He shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ, our Savior, that, being justified by His grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This is a faithful saying.
“(Naaman) was made clean”
Gnd with the water, and faith, which trusts such word of God in the water. For without the word of God the water is simple water and no baptism. But with the word of God it is a baptism, that is, a gracious water of life and a washing of regeneration in the Holy Ghost, as St. Paul says, Titus, chapter three:
Lord God, heavenly Father, through the prophet Elisha, You continued the prophetic pattern of leaching Your people the true faith and demonstrating through miracles Your presence in creation to heal it of its brokenness. Grant that Your Church may see in Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, the final end-times prophet whose teaching and miracles continue in Your Church through the healing medicine of the Gospel and the Sacraments; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Concordia and Koinonia 