Let us pray: Open our minds and our hearts to your presence, O God, and may these words help us in that purpose. Amen.

One of the tag lines associated with Liberation Theology, a theology that rose to importance in the 1970's and 80's is that God has a “preferential option for the poor.” That alone may be the reason that liberation theology has not been accepted by many parts of the established church. It upsets the traditional understanding that God does not show partiality - that we are all equal in God’s eyes, and suggests that if there is a choice to be made by God, then God will always take the side of the poor.

A first look at the passage we heard from 2 Kings this morning would suggest something different. Namaan was not one of the “poor”. The story tells us that he was a successful general, held in high esteem by the king of Aram, and favoured by God. In fact, except for one aspect, the story goes out of its way to explain just how “unpoor” Namaan was. That one aspect is “a skin disease”. Many translations say the “skin disease” is leprosy. Sources suggest that this form of biblical leprosy is not the same disease that we know as modern day leprosy - another name being “Hansen’s disease”. However, we can expect that the skin disease from which Namaan suffered resulted in several consequences. Quite likely it was painful and or itchy, to say nothing of the stigma attached to such a visible ailment especially in the social conditions which equated illness with broken relationship with God.

As I said, however, in every other way, Namaan was a BMIC - big man in country - used to being part of a pecking order, not likely to do things outside of the proper channels and following the correct protocol. So, when he received word that healing might be found in Israel (a recently conquered enemy), it was important for him to follow a high level process. Not only was this a respectful way to go about this business, but it was also a way to gain respect. You just don’t go to Israel and look for the guy who might have a miracle cure. No, this was a high level diplomatic mission. First, go to your boss - the king of Aram and get letters of reference. Make sure that you will be treated with respect by taking lots of gifts and make sure that you have the right clothes to wear by making sure that your suitcases are full of every kind of outfit - all the way from dress casual to black tie formal. Healing for Namaan was not likely to be accomplished by some Mickey Mouse little procedure. This had the same status as a free trade agreement between two combatant countries.

Namaan’s indignation that Elisha would not even come out to see him, then, is readily understandable. Namaan had followed all the right protocol. He had the necessary documentation and the proper credentials. Of course, the reaction of the king of Israel can also be understood. No doubt Namaan was know to him as the army commander that had recently led the Aramites against him in battle. This could be nothing more than some elaborate military strategy to gain an even greater victory. This was sufficient reason for a royal hissy fit.

Hissy fits were not confined to the king of Israel. Namaan, the one who had followed all the proper diplomatic channels and brought more than the expected quota of gifts was not even graced by a personal introduction to Elisha. Word came from inside. Imagine that. This was the great general Namaan at the door, and word came to him. Not only that, but the word told him to go and dunk in the Jordan river seven times. What a waste of time. There were better, cleaner rivers back home and if that was all that was needed then he could have avoided all of this rigmarole.

Well, we know how the story ended. Cooler heads prevailed around - predictably from the underlings. Namaan was healed. The gifts were rejected and God was praised.

The “poverty” in this story is not a poverty brought about by the absence of money. It’s a poverty brought on by the inability to think outside the box. It’s a poverty brought on by stigmatisation. Poor Namaan, with his skin disease. Poor Namaan because he could not believe that healing could come from the Jordan river.

As usual with the biblical story - God is present in the most unlikely way. A young servant girl from Israel plants the seed. An outside prophet in the court of the king of Israel makes the healing possible. I probably need to explain the term outside prophet. The royal court consisted of spiritual advisers - also known as prophets. Some of these prophets were “inside” prophets - prophets who followed the party line and said what the king wanted to hear. “Outside” prophets were not always on side with the royal wishes. It’s a credit that they were still allowed to have their say, but “outside” prophets were often in opposition to the popular sentiments of the day. Interestingly - the outside prophets are the ones we know about. Which of course is the point of the story of Namaan.

The biblical story is replete with such incidents. God is likely in the unlikely. Take any situation. List all the unlikely places, and that’s where God will make an appearance.

That’s why I think that “liberation theology” with its premise of a “preferential option for the poor” has a lot of merit. For me that sums up many of the stories of the bible, and it sums up the ministry of Jesus - pointing to the presence of God in situations that are least likely to be understood that way; and pointing to faith in God among the least likely people is a lot of what Jesus work was about. There’s a sense of that in the gospel story we heard today as Jesus sends out the seventy with clear instructions about the work they are to do.

Paul sums up it up quite well in the passage we heard from the letter to the Galatians this morning. Paul believes in this so strongly that he grabs the pen from his scribe and writes this in his own handwriting.

“Can't you see the central issue in all this? It is not what you and I do.... It is what God is doing, and God is creating something totally new, a free life! All who walk by this standard are the true Israel of God, God’s chosen people. Peace and mercy on them!”

In other words, this is God’s work - God will be seen in the unlikely places, using unlikely situations and unlikely people - and we are called to be just that - God’s unlikely people. Amen.