One day, Jesus was speaking to a group of people in his hometown of Nazareth. These people knew of his miracles, but they couldn’t believe who he really was. Afterall, they knew him. They knew his parents. They had seen him grow up. And now, he’s come back to his hometown and he’s told them he is the chosen one to fulfill the Good News of God. He has come to set the captives free and make the blind to see, just as scripture had foretold.

While he was nothing but truth, he was rejected in his hometown. Those who knew him best received him the least.

Gosh, how sad it is to find it’s still true today. Those of us who are most familiar with Jesus, grew up hearing of Jesus and know all the stories, we’re often the ones who are least impressed by him. We miss the miracle because it’s simply not that impressive to us anymore.

Maybe you’re a little too comfortable with Jesus so now you just go through the motions. Oh my sister, you will miss out on the fullness of what he is here to offer you when you stop being completely slayed by his presence and power. We’re coming into the time of year where we read about the virgin Mary having a baby in a stable, and while you’ve likely heard the story many times, I pray this year you’re absolutely blown away by it. May you be in awe of your Jesus as never before.

The people in Jesus’ hometown were amazed by what he did, but couldn’t believe who he really claimed to be. Now, because they struggled to believe, they didn’t receive the fullness of what Jesus had to offer. Mark 6: 5-6, “And because of their unbelief, he couldn’t do any miracles among theme except to place his hands on a few sick people and heal them. And he was amazed at their unbelief.”

What are you missing because you have become familiar with Jesus and unimpressed with who he really is? What have you dismissed yourself from because you have lost your absolute awe and wonder over your Savior?

Jesus knew he was not fully accepted in his hometown because they were too familiar with him. And then Jesus recounts a story of one man’s healing among many who lacked faith. Luke 4:27, Jesus says, “Many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” That’s it. Jesus mentions this foreign man’s name and his healing among many in need who didn’t receive healing. And the crowd of Jesus’ hometown people became furious. 2 verses later, they try to push Jesus off a cliff and kill him.

But reading this, don’t you want to know more about this man Naaman’s story? Jesus is telling of this man’s faith and healing over 800 years after it had happened, it must have been remarkable!

Naaman’s life had been over for a long time. Generations had passed without Naaman and life has gone on without him. But Jesus knew about him! Jesus still tells his story.

Imagine that for a moment … imagine living with the kind of faith that Jesus still talks about after your time here on Earth is done. Imagine 800 years from now, Jesus telling a future generation of people to look you up and read your story. And within your story is an act of faith Jesus is still using as an example 800 years later!

Girls, that’s the kind of legacy I want to leave … don’t you? If the world is still here hundreds of years from now, don’t you want someone googling your name to read your testimony of what Jesus did for you?

So, we have to flip back through several hundred pages in our Bible to get to the small section that tells the story of this foreign man named Naaman from 800 years before Jesus. We have to read it because Jesus is still talking about it!

2 Kings 5. We read of the mighty warrior Naaman who was the commander of the army of King Aram. This mighty warrior had leprosy. Leprosy was a brutal and highly contagious skin disease that deformed and disfigured you, making you an outcast to society. The Aramean army had invaded Israel, and while there, they were told of a prophet of God who could heal leprosy.

Naaman was sent to the prophet Elisha’s house to seek healing. Naaman stood outside the door with horses and chariots and gifts, awaiting his big moment of miraculous healing. But, it didn’t go the way he had imagined.

2 Kings 5: 10, But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: “Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.”

And guess what … Naaman went away angry. This man didn’t even come out to meet him. He didn’t wave his hand over him, pray a magical prayer or do anything special in any way. He says go wash in the Jordan River 7 times?!!! This didn’t make any sense at all. Where’s the mystery and magic? Where’s the emotional moment of healing? You just want me to go down to the nasty, muddy, run off water of the Jordan River and wash 7 times?

I can understand Naaman’s disappointment. He was hoping for a miracle and this certainly didn’t sound like the path to a miracle. He needed healing, not a mud bath.

But thankfully, in his rage, his fellow soldiers calm him down and speak the most valuable and rational words to him. They say in verse 13, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured.'”

Well, isn’t that a powerful truth? We would do the big mystical thing because mystical things look like they’re going to bring miraculous results. But simple little things … no, we can’t be bothered by that. When we need a big miracle we expect a big move, a big change and a big moment. But instead, God often does the biggest things as a result of our faith that would have us walking it out with the little moves, the little changes and the hundreds of little moments.

Maybe God isn’t interested in the one big thing you say you’re willing to do … maybe he’s interested in the hundreds of little things that look really insignificant. Maybe that’s the faith he is asking you for. Faith to do the little things. Faith to do the common things. Faith to do the things that don’t make sense and aren’t exciting.

Verse 14, “So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself 7 times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child, and he was healed!” Naaman returned to his homeland knowing the one true God and pledged his life to him.

This is the story Jesus retold over 800 years later. This is the legacy of Naaman. A man who came to understand God doesn’t always work in the big, grand and magical moments, but instead he often works in the underwhelming, ordinary, and easily overlooked little moments where we are called to faithful action.

Maybe you’ve come here desperately seeking a big answer from God. Maybe you even prayed before you pressed play and you said, “Lord, I need a sign from you … tell me what to do.” Well, here it is … BE WILLING TO DO THE LITTLE THINGS THAT DON’T MAKE SENSE. Not just once, but again and again.

You came here expecting to hear something big, but Jesus wants you to hear about this man named Naaman who did the smallest, simplest of things that didn’t make sense, and he received the healing of a lifetime. How much faith does it really take to do something big and grand that the whole world knows would be powerful? Not nearly as much faith as it takes to humbly do the little things repeatedly that seem totally unconnected.

So, let me say to you what Naaman’s soldier’s said to him, “My firend, if God had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says do something simple.”

800 years later Jesus is talking about the faith of Naaman. He’s telling his hometown people about this one man who had enough faith to wash in a muddy river 7 times and be healed. They responded by trying to push him off a cliff.

How will you respond?

Will you respond with, “Jesus, I’ll take a bath!” That’s what he’s looking for.

Our lack of faith is limiting our receipt of the fullness of all Jesus came to offer us. But it’s probably not our faith in the big things that’s lacking … it’s our faith in the little things that look insignificant.

Jesus, today I don’t feel like getting up, but I will get up anyway.

Jesus, today I don’t know what to do to fix this mess, but I will start by spending time with you, reading and believing your word.

Jesus, today I need healing and I’m fully trusting you’re working even when I can’t see it, even when I can’t feel it, and even when I don’t understand. I’m showing up in faith. I’m taking the next step in faith. I’m hanging on in faith.

800 years from now, maybe someone will be prompted by the Holy Spirit to ask their household robot to tell them about you. Why? Because maybe your story of simple faith will impact their lives as Jesus used the story of Naaman’s faith to impact ours. But, it doesn’t stop at 800 years. Remember this, it has been over 2,000 years since Jesus told his hometown about the 800 year old story of Naaman. And here we are, over 2,800 years later, hearing about the faith of Naaman that healed him in the most simple ways. A man who took a bath 7 times in a muddy river because he was told to.

What you do today in faith may not seem significant right now … but generations you haven’t even dared to imagine may be hearing about it!

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