St Andrew, Glencairn

If you are not familiar with the story of Naaman, please read it first of all. It may be found in the Bible, 2nd Kings 5:1-14 (or 1-27)

Naaman was an important and powerful guy. But he had leprosy (or some other nasty skin disease) and, on the advise of his wife's Israeli slave girl, he went to Elisha, Yahway's prophet in Israel, for healing. He was expecting a great show, befitting his rank and position, but he was disappointed and angry that Elisha didn't even appear in person, merely sending his servant to tell Naaman what to do. Naaman stormed off in a rage.

By so doing Naaman was letting his pride get in the way of an encounter with the living God. Thank God that his servants had the good sense, and the courage, to tell him to catch himself on. He swallowed his pride and was healed, and acknowledged the sovereignty of God.

Sometimes we can very easily let our pride, or our arrogance, or our fear of making fools of ourselves come between us and a healing encounter with God. Be alert to this in your life!

The passage from 2 Kings 5 from Bible Resources.org <http://bibleresources.bible.com/>

Passage 2 Kings 5:1-14:

Naaman Healed of Leprosy

¹ Now 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. ^[a]

² Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. ³ She said to her mistress, "If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy."

⁴ Naaman went to his master and told him what the girl from Israel had said. ⁵ "By all means, go," the king of Aram replied. "I will send a letter to the king of Israel." So Naaman left, taking with him ten talents ^[b] of silver, six thousand shekels ^[c] of gold and ten sets of clothing. ⁶ The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: "With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy."

⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, "Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!"

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: "Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel." ⁹ So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. ¹⁰ Elisha sent a messenger to say to him, "Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed."

¹¹ But Naaman went away angry and said, "I thought that he would surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of my leprosy. ¹² Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than any of the waters of Israel? Couldn't I wash in them and be cleansed?" So he turned and went off in a rage.

¹³ Naaman's servants went to him and said, "My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!" ¹⁴ So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy.

Footnotes:

2 Kings 5:1 The Hebrew word was used for various diseases affecting the skin-not necessarily leprosy; also in verses 3, 6, 7, 11 and 27.

2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 750 pounds (about 340 kilograms)

2 Kings 5:5 That is, about 150 pounds (about 70 kilograms)