Chapter 15
Pride vs. Leprosy
The Reading: 2 Kings 5:1-17
The Problem:
Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the Lord had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
Aram and Israel were enemies but had a shaky peace treaty. During a skirmish between the two a young Israelite girl had been taken captive and became a servant of Naaman’s wife.
Can you imagine how this young girl had to feel? She was in a foreign country forced to work for nothing but her food. Most folks would become bitter and maybe even felt some pleasure in the fact that her master was afflicted with a horrible disease. But this girl was different. Though she was treated as property with little value, she believed in the value of every person, even the ones who had taken her from her family. She said to her mistress, "If only my master could be near the prophet in Samaria, the prophet there could heal my master’s disease."
The girl was speaking of Elisha. Elisha was God’s superstar prophet who had done many miraculous things like the great prophet before him, Elijah. The young slave girl knew Elisha could help her master and she wanted to see him healed. For some reason Naaman listened and, based on the advice of a simple slave girl, he and his entourage headed to see Elisha.
Naaman showed up at Elisha’s door with his horses and chariots, about 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothes. But Elisha didn’t come to the door, or show his face to Naaman. Instead, he sent the following instructions through his servant. “Wash yourself in the Jordan River seven times. The waters will heal you, and your skin will be back to normal. You will be cleansed.”
Naaman lost his temper as he rode away from Elisha’s home. He had come to see him expecting something much different. He thought Elisha would probably step outside the door and call upon the name of the Lord. He might have thought Elisha would simply wave his hand over the sores, and his skin disease would be gone immediately. He really didn’t want to step one foot into the waters of the Jordan River, because the Abanah and Pharpar Rivers in his own homeland were cleaner than all the other rivers of Israel. He asked himself, “If that’s the way to be healed, why couldn’t I just go bathe in one of those?”
Naaman was used to being catered to, as he was an important man and he felt humiliated. But this was exactly what Elisha intended. He knew Naaman needed more than healing from leprosy. He needed a lesson in humility as well.
The Turning Point:
Naaman almost blew it, but some wise bodyguards traveling along with him changed his mind. As Naaman was getting ready to head out in a rage, they said, “If the prophet had told you to do some important thing, wouldn’t you have done what he asked? Why is it so difficult for you to do what he asked, to bathe yourself in the Jordan River and be cleansed?”
So Naaman decided to return, swallowed his pride, walked down to the Jordan River, and washed himself seven times, just as the man of God had instructed.
The Miracle That Followed:
The miracle occurred right there in the Jordan River. Naaman’s disease was healed. His skin appeared to be as new as an infant’s, and his leprosy was completely gone. Then Naaman and all his entourage went back to the man of God, and Naaman told Elisha that he was completely convinced there is no God who exists in the entire world like the True God of Israel.
The Bottom Line:
A pagan general from an enemy nation came to know the one true God because of the testimony of a young slave girl. Maybe the greatest thing we can do for the next generation who will come behind us, besides leading them to Christ, is to encourage them to become faithful witnesses for Christ wherever God may lead them in life.
What about this young slave girl made her successful as an evangelist?
- She was sensitive to her master’s needs. She didn’t bury herself in her own suffering, as she might have being taken into captivity. She didn’t take pleasure in the pain and discomfort of her mistress’ husband.
This is what Jesus demonstrated by His example. He felt compassion for all he saw. He wanted to heal the leper, forgive the sinner, comfort the grieving and lead the lost to safety. This way of thinking needs to be learned, and believers must demonstrate this attitude to those around us in pain, even if they have offended us in the past. In Matthew 25.31-46, Jesus said that the ones whom he would call his followers in heaven would be the ones who took care of the “least of these”, those who visited the sick and took care of those in need.
- The young girl had courage. Think about it. What if it hadn’t worked out? She may have been punished, even put to death, for being so outspoken and causing her master humiliation. She had the courage to evangelize, share information about the prophet of Samaria who had been known to heal many others. How many of us hesitate to share the gospel message, because it might not be well received.
- She had creditability because of her work ethic, and Naaman trusted the girl because she was a good servant. Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters.” This is what she did. She was honest and a person of integrity. She lived an authentic life, walking worthy of her calling (Ephesians 4:1), even though she was only a humble slave girl.
