More expensive than the False Creek
Clinic?
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A Gold
Seam!
Have you ever been down a gold mine? I've put a picture on the web-site. But you get some idea if you go see Phil at the Mining museum at Britannia Beach. I went down a real gold mine in South Africa a while back. All the gold near the surface had been dug away. So we put on overalls and helmets, got into a small cage, and dropped ever so rapidly five kilometers underground. Was it ever hot down there! And when we eventually came back to the surface, I had to take off all my clothes and go into a special shower. This was partly because I was covered in sweat, but partly because the mine owners didn't want me going home with any gold or diamonds! Do you know how valuable gold is? My newspaper says it is about $670 US an ounce. That's about $25 for a single gram, or about $200,000 for one small jar! Remember that number $25, because it comes on the test! Today, I want to tell you a story about a chap called Namaan. He lived in Syria, way back about 3000 years. He was King Aram's top General, a man like Rommel the desert fox, Montgomery of Alamein, or our own General McKenzie. He had shown great bravery in battle. He had led the Syrians to victory over those pesky Israelites, and he was very popular. Aram had even given him some Israeli prisoners as his personal slaves. One was just a young girl. We don't know her name. But let's suppose it was Rachel. She became a maid-servant for Namaan's wife. So everything seemed just great for Namaan. Then one day, he developed a terrible skin disease. Everyone could see it. He had spots and blotches all over his his face and his hands. And he was terrified. People would say he must go and live in the desert all by himself, so that no one else got infected. His family were in a real panic. No one knew what to do. But suddenly, little Rachel had a bright idea. She remembered a wonderful prophet called Elisha. "Oh, my mistress," she said, "if only Namaan could go to Samaria, where I used to live before the war, I am sure the great prophet Elisha would know how to heal him."  So Namaan talked to
king Aram. And because he had been such a
famous general, Aram arranged for him to travel to the city of
Samaria. Now Namaan was really rich, with ever so many
clothes. So he loaded his mules with great bundles of robes,
including ten of his best party suits. Then he found more mules,
and loaded them with the gold that the king had given him. They both
figured that the cure for this dreadful disease would be terribly
expensive. So some of the mules carried 6000 gold shekels; that's
about 70 kilograms. Do you remember the price? $25 a gram! So can
you figure out how money they had? Those mules were carrying almost $2
million dollars, much more than the most expensive transplant operation
at Vancouver General Hospital, or even the price of a visit to the
False Creek medical clinic!Then Aram wrote to the King of Israel. He explained that Namaan was on his way, and asked his help in curing the dreadful disease. But that got King Jehoram really frightened. "Who does he think I am? he spluttered. Does he think that I am some sort of a God, that can cure dreadful skin diseases? I know what's happening! He's doing a George Bush on me! He's trying to pick a quarrel, so that he can invade our country again.  Elisha heard that
King Jehoram was in a big panic. So he sent a message telling him
not to be afraid. "Just send Namaan on down to my place, and he'll
learn that God has a prophet in Israel." So along comes Naaman,
sitting in his great Cadillac of a chariot, drawn by four beautiful
horses. And plodding along behind are dozens of mules, carrying all of
his best party suits, and $2 million dollars in gold coins.
Namaan stops the chariot outside the little house where Elisha lives,
and doesn't know quite what to do next. Elisha isn't at all impressed
by the great gleaming chariot. He doesn't even come outside to
see him. He just sends out a servant with a very short message:
Go, wash yourself seven times in the river Jordan. There is a picture
of it on the left. It's not much of a river- about the size of
the Mashiter Creek, and a lot more muddy. Namaan had expected
that Elisha would come out and perform some big piece of wizardry for
an important man like himself. The idea that he could wash away
his dreadful skin disease in that disgusting looking water made him
really mad. "If all I needed to do was wash myself, why not use
one of the beautiful rivers we have in Syria." So he whipped his
horses and drove off down the street looking very angry.But Rachel had come along to show Namaan the way, and she was much wiser than him. She whispered "If Elisha had asked you to do something really big, I am sure you would have done it. You were willing to pay him $2 million dollars! All he's asking you to do is to take a dip in this river. Why don't you just give it a try? " So Namaan got out of his chariot and dipped himself seven times in the river Jordan. And suddenly, his skin was as clean and fresh as hers. We don't know exactly what disease Namaan had, or how it could be cured by bathing in the river. But the story has an important lesson for us. Sometimes, we want God to ask us to do something really big, something that will allow us to show just how clever or how devoted we are. But often, what God wants us to do is something very simple. It may be just whispering good advice in the ear of someone who looks really angry. But if we do what God wants, miracles can happen. Sick people can be cured, and the angry can become happy and wise. Dear God, show us the simple things that we can do everyday, to help your Kingdom of loving kindness to grow. AMEN. |
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