Journey To Healing

(Here’s a message and testimony I shared recently at my church.)

Water Cure

In the early 19th century, an Austrian man, named Vincent Priessnitz, had a horrible accident when a load of timber from a horse-drawn carriage fell on him and crushed him. He suffered several fractured ribs and many open wounds. A doctor evaluated him and deemed that his injury was fatal, and told him that he would die soon.

However, Vincent did not listen to the doctor, and he refused to die. By a stroke of intuition, Priessnitz proceeded to drink lots of water, clean his wounds with compresses soaked in cold water, and regularly change his bandages. After several weeks he got better and went back to his farming duties.

Due to the popularity of his miraculous water-based recovery, he became known as a healer who used the power of water to cure all manner of injuries and illness. He later established the Grafenburg Water Cure in 1826 in the Austrian Alps, which was the first establishment of many that would come to be called hydropathic institutes.

Today, naturopathic and lifestyle centers, and even hospitals uses water for treatment, called hydrotherapy. Our story for today is also a healing that happened after immersing in water.

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Let’s study 2 Kings 5: 1-19.

Verse 1: Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 

So we are introduced to this man who was a battle-tested warrior. Have you noticed in the verse it said that “because of him the Lord had given victory to Syria.”

Wait a minute, isn’t Syria an enemy nation of Israel? How come the Lord gave them victory? So today, when we see nations thrive that we consider oppressive regimes, or we see a tyrannous country invades another country, are we not bothered by this?

God raises up kings and removes kings. He let government rise up, and He let them fall. We should not worry on whatever is happening in the world, for God is always in control.

So this man, named Namaan was a good general, respected commander, a war hero, a valiant soldier. But had leprosy. Everything was good about him, except that he was a leper.

What is leprosy? It is a disease caused by the bacteria, Mycobacterium leprae. This organism can damage the sensory nerves in the body that leads to loss of sensation and cause vulnerability to injuries and complications. A person affected by it will suffer a prolonged slow death, where they die inch by inch, and limb by limb. They were considered dead man walking for at that time there was no cure for it.

Verse 2-4: And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”  And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”

We are not given the name of this servant girl. She was probably in her early teens. She was a captive, a servant, and was far from her family and from her country. And yet she was still witnessing to her master that there was a true prophet of God in her land.

This means that our circumstances should not limit us on how we should witness and serve God. We are out of work, serve God. We have cancer, serve God. We are persecuted, serve God.

Verse 5-6: Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. Then he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which said, Now be advised, when this letter comes to you, that I have sent Naaman my servant to you, that you may heal him of his leprosy.

So Naaman sets out to find the prophet, which is a journey of about 100 miles. He was bringing with him an official letter from the Syrian king, as well as expensive gifts. The gifts were equivalent to 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold. Though I don’t know about the clothing. Were they Versace? Or Gucci?

These gifts were estimated to be worth $5.5M today. It was an extremely extravagant value. The point is that Naaman and the Syrian kingdom were willing to pay this prophet an exorbitant amount so he can be healed of his leprosy.

When our health or our life is on the line, we would be willing to pay whatever it takes. Health is wealth.

Misunderstood

Verse 7: And it happened, when the king of Israel read the letter, that he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends a man to me to heal him of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me.”

When the king of Israel read the letter from the king of Syria, it was completely misunderstood. He thought that the Syrian king was mocking him to do something that was impossible to do, and that he was trying to start a war with him.

Isn’t it that many of our fight with our fellow men is mostly due to misunderstandings? Somebody said one thing and it was interpreted the wrong way. Someone did one thing and was construed a different way. If only we go directly and talk to each other and clear things up, many fight would be avoided. Perhaps many war would be avoided as well.

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In July 1945, the Allied countries met in Germany and presented Japan with the terms of a declaration of surrender. After the terms had been translated from English into Japanese, it was delivered to the then Prime Minister, Kantaro Suzuki, and they awaited for his response. The ultimatum demanded Japan’s immediate surrender or else face “swift and absolute destruction.”

In Tokyo, journalists pressed Prime Minister Suzuki to say something regarding Japan’s decision. Suzuki replied with one word: Mokusatsu, which is derived from Japanese word for silence.

Mokusatsu, a word that could have been perfectly translated as “I have no comment yet” or “let me keep my comments to myself for now,” which most likely mean “I’m assessing the situation,” and “I’m refraining from comment at this time.”

But instead, it was erroneously translated as “this deserves no response.” or to “treat with silent contempt” or “to ignore.”

As a consequence of this response, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima 10 days later. If this was due to a translation error, we are talking about the biggest mistake in history. A misunderstanding that killed more than 150,000 people.

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Verse 8-10: So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house.  And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.”

Elisha came to the rescue. He chastises the King of Israel: why worry? Don’t you know that there is a prophet in Israel? Don’t you know that there is a God in Israel?

Are we worrying too? Are we feeling desperate? Don’t you know that there is a God in heaven?

So Namaan went to the house of the prophet and was given instructions to be healed.

Verse 11-12: But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. 

Why did Namaan got angry? He got angry because his pride got bruised. Does the prophet know that he is a very important person and he traveled a far distance? Elisha should have at least come out to meet him, and not just sent a messenger.

Namaan also got angry because he had his own perception on how he wanted to be healed. He wanted Elisha to come out, wave his hand over him, and then lightning will flash and thunder will roll, and he will be healed!

When we ask God to heal us, do we also have our own perception on how we should be healed? Maybe God can heal us in simple ways, like living a healthy lifestyle. Maybe he is telling you, how about cutting on desserts and sugary foods? Or cutting down on meat and processed food? How about adapting a plant-based diet? Or exercising more and losing some weight?

The last reason why Namaan got angry is because Jordan River is a “dirty” river and not a place someone can get clean. We have visited Israel and have seen the Jordan River. It definitely does not have clear water, and instead it is murky. If you dip your hand deep enough, you won’t even see your hand anymore, for that’s how murky it is.

Memorial of Healing

Verse 13-14: And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”  So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Namaan’s servants gently convinced him to obey. They told him that if the prophet ordered him to do “great things,” perhaps like go to a battle and conquer a nation, he probably would have done it, so why not do this “simple thing.”

Eventually, Namaan swallowed his pride and obeyed. His healing started when he submitted and humbled himself.

Why was he instructed to dip seven times? We know that the number seven signify perfection. Perhaps dip seven times to be “complete?” Perhaps to build more faith?

Let’s picture Namaan in the Jordan River. The troops parked at banks of the river. Namaan tip-toed towards the water. When he was knee-deep, he looked at his feet and cannot see them anymore. “Did my feet fall off? No, the water was just murky!”

When he was waist-deep in the water, he began to dip his whole body. After the first dip, he looked at his skin, and the leprosy was still there. After the second dip, the leprosy was still there. After the third, no change still. And the 4th, the 5th, and the 6th……he looked and leprosy was still there!

Perhaps that’s where some of us right now. “Lord, I’ve been praying for this for so long and yet nothing is happening.” “Lord, I’ve been praying for my daughter for months and nothing has changed.” “Lord, I’ve been pleading for some time for you to intervene for my son, and still no results yet.” Perhaps God is telling you: “Continue to have faith in me my child. I got this.”

When Namaan dipped for the 7th time, when he emerged out of the water, his leprosy was finally gone. He was healed!

Namaan went down the Jordan River as a dead man walking, but came out as a new man. We all are dead-man walking also – for because of sin, we are all destined to die. But when we accept Jesus Christ, and get baptized with water and Holy Spirit, we are a new creation.

Verse 15-16: 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.” 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.

Elisha refused the gifts because he knows God deserve all the credit, and not him.

Verse 17-19: 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.” Then he said to him, “Go in peace.”

Did you know why Naaman asked for two mule-loads of dirt. It is like – “Thank you for the dinner, can I shovel some dirt from your backyard for souvenir?” Was he just bad in getting souvenir? “Kids, I’m home! I got you souvenir from Israel. Your favorite – dirt!”

In ancient times, they believe that a ‘god’ have a limited geographical power, and only powerful in their territory or land. Since Namaan cannot stay in Israel, he is taking Israel with him by bringing soil from Israel.

Maybe there is more to this. Two mule-loads of earth is a lot of dirt. One mule can carry up to 300 lbs, so two can carry as much as 600 lbs. But if 2 mules will pull a cart full of dirt, that can be much more.

I believe Namaan asked for dirt from Israel, because he was going to build an altar for the Lord. He will put that soil in his home, and that is where he will kneel down and pray to the God in heaven. That is where he will place an altar for his offering sacrifice. He was building a memorial for the Lord.

Are we building a memorial to God because he has been good to us? What could be our memorial or altar to Him?

Our faith, our testimony, our witnessing to others, we living a life according to His will – these are memorial, these are pillars we build to honor God.

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My Journey to Healing

I will now tell you my own journey to healing. The past several months was a little trying for me.

Last autumn, I was diagnosed with “cancer.” During my regular annual check up, my PSA (prostate specific antigen), which is a screening marker for prostate cancer, came back elevated. How high? More than double the normal? No, it was 7 times above normal!

I underwent further testing and had an MRI, and this showed a small “tumor” in my prostate.

My doctor said that I need to have a biopsy, not so much to diagnose prostate cancer, for it is almost given, but rather to know if the tumor that I have is the aggressive type, and if I have to undergo treatment right away.

However, I know that based on current trends in prostate cancer, delaying therapy is safe and possibly beneficial especially if it is localized. So I bargained with my doctor to defer the biopsy, because I have made up my mind that even if I have prostate cancer, I would like to delay treatment anyway. He reluctantly agreed, and gave me 6 months to have a repeat blood test and MRI.

In the meantime, I changed into a new healthier lifestyle and adopted a strict vegan diet. My wife also prepared for me fresh vegetable and fruit juice everyday. Based on our reading and research, plant-based diet not only is good for keeping your heart healthy and keeping cholesterol low, but can also help in cancer, prostate cancer in particular.

More importantly, we prayed for healing. I told my closest family and friends about my health situation and asked for their prayers. Thus, there’s a company of people praying for me.

Last January, my wife and I went to a 2-week residential lifestyle program. In that program we were educated on natural principles of health, with lectures, exercise activities, massage and hydrotherapy, and eating as well as hands-on instructions on preparing whole-food plant-based diet. Physicians monitored our progress during our stay, while we immerse ourselves with nature on that mountain retreat.

But what impressed me most in that program is their emphasis on faith in God, which is a very important tenet in healing. Every day was started with a devotional. Every lecture was opened and closed with a prayer. Every meal was blessed with a prayer. Prayer was incorporated in every therapy, that even our walks for exercise became prayer walks, as we commune to the Creator of life and health.

During our stay in that mountain retreat, my focus changed. It was not about my cancer anymore, but my relationship with God and how He can use me. My worries was taken away. I know that God can heal me, “but if not” (just like what the 3 Hebrew boys said to King Nebuchadnezzar in a story in Daniel 3), I will still thank Him and serve Him.

A few weeks ago, I had my tests and follow-up with my doctor. On the repeat MRI of the prostate, the tumor seen before was now gone! I’m healed!

My doctor said that there’s nothing to biopsy now, so we just agreed to put me on active surveillance every few months.

As long as God gives me breath, I will continue to praise Him. This is my memorial for Him.

(*photo taken at the Lifestyle Center)