Year 2, Day 3: 2 Kings 5

As odd and unusual as the stories were yesterday, the stories today fit like an old glove that has been well shaped to fit my hand.  I love the stories of Naaman the Syrian general.  We have such a classic piece of humanity in this passage.  But before we get to Naaman, let’s get to slavery.

An Unexpected Lesson

This whole story comes about because a slave girl was willing to be a witness in the midst of her slavery.  She could have been spiteful against Naamam because of her condition.  She could have been spiteful against God because she was dragged away from her homeland.  But she is neither.  She is bold in her proclamation and tells Naamam about the prophets back in her homeland.

Yes, she’s a slave.  She’s a captive of war, no doubt.  She has every reason to grumble, complain, and be bitter.  But her focus is on what God is doing in her life, not her own desires.

In this light, this slave girl displays a great amount of faith.  She had no reason to speak up.  Imagine what could happen to her if she spoke up, Naaman went on this long journey, and had Naaman not been cured!  She is really putting her neck out on the line believing that God could accomplish what she knows Him to be able to accomplish.  She steps out in faith, and God honors her faith.

On to Naaman

Now let’s move ahead and look to Naaman.  As I said earlier we see a pretty good display of humanity here.  Naaman is certainly not a man of faith, if for no other reason than he is a Syrian and likely has had very little contact with God.  But he is willing to put in some effort so long as the outcome is beneficial to him.  This is the first thing we can learn about people.  When a person is motivated enough, the person will go out and do whatever needs to be done.  Whether they believe it or not, a person will do it if they think there is a chance at a successful outcome.  That’s why many people play the lottery!  But until a person reaches that level of motivation, there is no guarantee that they will put forth the effort.  This is why many people don’t play the lottery!

But Naaman does want to be cured of his leprosy, so he goes through the motions.  He goes to the king, who sends a letter and Naaman goes with some gifts to the king of Israel.  Naaman even goes and speaks to Elisha.  However, Naaman is unwilling to listen to the advice because the advice doesn’t meet his own expectations.  This is the second thing that we learn about humanity.  We are very likely to be critical about things when they do not match our expectations.  Even if something is far simpler than what we anticipate we’re likely to be critical instead of grateful.  We as human beings are so wrapped up in ourselves, our dreams, our hopes, and our desires that we are often prone to missing what God is trying to do in our life.  We are so self-centered that we have a hard time listening to God.  That’s Naaman’s reaction when Elisha tells him to simply go and wash 7 times.

But, let’s not be completely hard on Naaman.  Although Naaman is self-centered like all humans are, he is not stubborn.  Although he initially sees Elisha’s prophetic message through a critical eye, Naaman is willing to change.  He is willing to listen to the perspective of others.  He is willing to acknowledge that his first impulse may have been wrong.  He is willing to do what he must.  Here we learn something valuable about human beings and our relationship with God.  God does not demand perfection, but he does demand humility and a servant nature.  To put it in words that sound like the Apostle Paul’s writing in the New Testament, we must be willing to crucify the sinful self-centered person and allow the God-centered humble servant, made alive in us by the Holy Spirit rather than our own creation, to shine through.

Naaman is cured.  Because he is willing to be humble and consider that he was wrong, he meets God.  Because he is willing to be humble, he finds himself in a genuine life-changing relationship with God.

Gehazi

Now we turn to Gehazi.  We see here Gehazi’s greed.  Let’s put some facts on the table.  First, remember that a talent of silver was worth about 15 years worth of income.  Gehazi doesn’t receive some small payment, he receives about 30 years worth – a lifetime – of income.  Second, let’s note that Gehazi doesn’t receive a gift, he receives a payment.  Naaman came to Elisha to pay him for his services and Elisha refused, letting Naaman go away knowing that it was through the grace of God that he was healed.  Gehazi goes after Naaman to procure wealth.  He might phrase it as a gift, but it is a payment.  Third, Gehazi receives spiritual payment for the desires of his heart.  Gehazi lusted after the things of Naaman, and the Lord saw it fit to give Gehazi not only a portion of Naaman’s wealth but also a portion of his leprosy.  While Naaman walks away cleansed and knowing God’s grace, Gehazi walks away knowing the result of his human desire for earthly treasure.

It is sad to see the corruption of sin even among the faithful – and let me confess that it is there, even among me!  Spiritual leaders are not immune to succumbing to sinfulness once and a while.  Yes, we are human.  No, that is no excuse.  It is always sad to see the destructive nature of sin, especially in people who should know better.  It was sad to see it when Moses struck the rock.  It was sad to see it when Joshua made pacts with the Canaanites rather than driving them out.  It was sad to see it so often in David.  It was sad to see it in Elijah.  It is sad to see it all throughout history and in the present.  But the good news is that if we are repentant and willing to face the consequences, God can still use us in spite of our sinful nature.

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