Egos Too Big and Too Small

I really enjoyed researching, discussing and thinking about the similarities and differences between the Old Testament reading (2 Kings 5:1-14, the healing of Namaan) and the gospel reading (Mark 1:40-45, Jesus healing a leper).  A rich man, a poor man, an important person, an unnamed person, healed without even being seen, healing through touch.  And yet for both of them it was the men's egos that almost got in their way of healing.  


Enjoy the sermon

There is a great paradox between the Old Testament lesson and Gospel today.  But first let’s start with the Old Testament.  In our reading from 2^nd Kings, Naaman was a powerful man, and he felt wanted, important, nothing could get in his way.  And yet even with all of his power and wealth he still was sick and diseased.  So thinking he could buy his health, the cure for his leprosy, he travels to Elisha with tons of money.  And then he become angry and goes away in rage, when Elisha doesn’t even bother to come out of his home to see Naaman in person.  So when Naaman’s servants finally get Naaman to do as Elisha told him to do, he has to humble himself to go bath 7 times in this barely worthy to be called a river body of muddy water.  Naaman was only able to become whole when for the first time in his life he admitted that he was not powerful enough and he had to rely on God and others.

When have you been like Naaman and thought you were powerful, wealthy, should be treated like royalty? 

Naaman almost let his ego get in the way of healing.  We can probably often relate to that.  Thinking that we are too important, too great, to let little things get to us.

And this is when the paradox with our gospel reading comes in.  In Mark, Jesus heals this unnamed leper who has been casted out of society. The leper had been an outcast, he is unwanted.  And he knows it.  He even challenges Jesus to prove that he is wanted: “If you choose, you can make me clean.”

And we all at times have felt unwanted, unworthy.  We all are in need of healing of some kind.  Many of us have been cut off from family and friends.  (Have you ever had a good friend just stop talking to you for some unknown reason?)  Almost everyone at some point has sat outside of the community, apart from the life-giving energy and love that a community provides us with.  (Haven’t you ever felt like the outsider?)  We are all in need of healing of some kind, whether that is physical, social, psychological, spiritual, intellectual, vocational or financial.  We are all in need of healing.  And whenever we are in need of healing, some part of us does not feel wanted and we do not feel whole. 

So when have you felt unwanted, when have you not felt whole?

At the end of our gospel reading, Jesus chooses to make the leper clean.  He heals him through his touch and as a result the leper is able to rejoin the community, while Jesus now needs to stay outside of the towns due to the large crowds.  And unlike Naaman, it wasn’t until the leper allowed his ego to grow, to realize, hey wait, maybe I am worth something, that the leper is able to be healed, to be restored to wholeness. 

Our egos often get in the way of us becoming whole.  It is so easy to realize our ego got in the way when we are like Naaman, thinking we are more important that we really are.  But more often our ego gets in the way when we are like the leper, thinking we are unworthy, thinking we are unwanted, thinking that God doesn’t truly love us, or that we cannot possibly be restored to wholeness. 

And yet we are worthy, we are wanted, and God truly loves us and wants us to be whole.  This is why Jesus died on the cross for us - to forgive us of our sins, including the sins that come when we let our egos get in the way.