5 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.
2 Now bands of raiders 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 all 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.
15 Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel.“
2 Kings 5:1-15a
Dear God, I’m intentionally stopping the story before Naaman offers the gift because I want to sit with the idea of you doing something even greater in our lives by not giving us what we want. In Naaman’s case, he wanted a bit more of a show. Something more grandiose. Something more worthy of his stature. His ego, even in his desperation and need, were getting in his own way. It took some humble servants with courage to watch him and think to themselves, “He’s lost all perspective! Why not just do what he was told to do?” The good news for Naaman is he has a moment of clarity with the servant and accepts the humble path you laid out for him. The ultimate thing that you needed him to learn was that he and his stature weren’t part of the solution at all. It was all about your mercy for him as an individual, loved child. If he had gotten his way, he would have thought somewhere in his mind that you healed him because of his stature and power. Instead, you healed him in a quiet, humble way. You leveled him down and he became like anyone else.
I confess, Father, that I do my best to be humble, but I still love to think of myself as special. My wife and I have this joke where sometimes when she gives me a compliment I say, “I know, right?” It’s a joke…but is it? When she says the nice things, they are at least something I hope is true. I want to be whatever it is she says I am. Smart. Kind. Loving. Handsome. I guess I would love to believe that these things are really true. But why? Why do I want/need those things to be true? Probably because I do want people to admire me and be impressed by me. I want them to see me and not you. And it’s so ridiculous that I want this. What good does it do anyone if I am lifted up? But if you are lifted up through me then it can do all kinds of people good.
Father, if I suffer a setback, help me to simply lean into it as the path you have for me to walk. Help me to encourage others when it’s there path too. I’ve mentioned Christian Men’s Life Skills class a lot. These men had their worst days when they were arrested and charged with felonies. But I’ve talked to several now who have leaned into it and said how grateful they are for the path you put them on through that arrest. It included this class. It included them meeting you through this class. Help me to take that attitude about the path of setbacks and suffering and encourage others when they are experiencing it they can consider it as an opportunity to gratefully walk through the narrow gate.
I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,
Amen
Emails to God 