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2 Kings 5: 1-14
A servant’s tale
I am a servant of the great lord Naaman who is commander of the army of the King of Syria. It is a great honour to serve Naaman because he is so highly regarded. Even the King thinks highly of him – for God has given some mighty victories to Syria through him. Now, I have a strange and interesting story to tell of my master, a peculiar incident which shook us to our foundations but also lifted us to great heights of faith in the true God.
It started some years back when a young girl was captured from the land of Israel. She was perhaps about ten years old and I think her parents were killed in the raid. Very sad for her – she had lost her family and now she was a prisoner of war, a slave. (At that time we were engaged in a low level conflict with Israel. We didn’t send full scale armies into the field, but we sent raiding parties over the border. They were very profitable in terms of plunder: livestock, valuables and, of course, slaves.)
Well, in the course of time Lady Naaman took a interest in this girl. She felt sorry for her and she promoted her from being a skivvy to becoming her personal attendant. When this girl had got over her bereavement a bit she became devoted to her mistress and her master. They had shown kindness to her and she reciprocated.
Dreaded skin disease
One day we all had a terrible shock in Lord Naaman’s household. It was discovered that our master had contracted leprosy, the dreaded skin disease. It had not spread far yet, but it would and my Lord would have to retire from public life. his career would be over. Eventually the leprosy might kill him.
We were all devastated when we heard, for we all loved our master. Such a good, and courageous, and kind man.
Well, when she heard if it the young girl from Israel said to our mistress:
“If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” (2 Kings 5:3)
This was good news and Lord Naaman went immediately to the King and reported what he had heard.
“By all means, go,” the King of Syria said. “I will send a letter to the king of Israel”. (2 Kings 5: 5)
So off we went, in convoy, to Samaria in Israel. The mules were loaded up with all kinds of gifts: 750 pounds weight of silver, 150 pounds weight of gold, ten sets of the most magnificent garments.
Hope of cure
So it was with hope in our hearts that we arrived at the court of King Joram in Samaria. But our hopes were soon to be shattered.
My Lord Naaman had a letter for King Joram from our king. This is what it said.
”With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.” ( 2 Kings 5: 6)
When the King of Israel heard this he hit the roof! He rent his garment ( he was good at doing dramatics) and he cried:
“ 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!” (2 Kings 5: 7)
In other words: this man wants war with Israel again – it’s just a pretext for a quarrel.
As you can imagine, it was very awkward for my master and for all of us in his retinue. We had to retire from King Joram’s court. And we didn’t know what to do then. If the king couldn’t help us, who could? I think we had forgotten what the young girl had said: “There is a prophet in Samaria who can heal my master”. A prophet, not a king!
Anyway, we didn’t have to wait too long. After a while a message came to the King from the prophet Elisha.
“Why have you rent your garment? Make the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:8)
So, off we went again, with hopes renewed. We were a splendid sight as we rattled in our chariots up to the door of the prophet Elisha.
But what a disappointing welcome! The prophet himself stayed in his inner room and sent his manservant with brusque message:
“Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.” ( 2 Kings 5: 10 )
And so, for the second time, that day, someone hit the roof! I don’t think I’ve ever seen my master so angry.
“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.” (2 Kings 5: 11)
Treated with disdain
I think we servants all understood this. Lord Naaman was the second most important man in he Kingdom of Syria. He had come on a semi-official visit to Samaria. He had brought rich gifts to reward the prophet. Already he had been at he receiving end of King Joram’s wrath, and now he was treated with disdain by this tin-pot prophet who lived in a two room hovel.
The Lord Naaman expected to be treated with some ceremony – perhaps to undergo a cleansing ritual in the name of the God of Israel. He didn’t want to be told to just go off and wash in the muddy waters of the Jordan
“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?” he said. And he turned and went off in a rage. ( 2 Kings 5: 2)
I understood what my master felt like. But I also realised that the prophet was testing him. This was the test: was my master humble enough to do what Elisha told him? It required a great step down, he would have to swallow his pride. He would have to submit to a command from the manservant of a poverty-stricken man of God.
Humble obedience
The other servants and I had a bit of a confab about this, and they chose me to approach the master.
“My Father,” I said. Yes, “Father” – I always called him that, he was that kind of man. We were like sons to him.
“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’? “ (2 Kings 5: 13)
After all, Elisha wasn’t asking our master to travel to some distant land, or to perform some mighty feat. He wasn’t asking for half his wealth. He wasn’t asking him to do anything difficult – except that it was very difficult. How easy is it for a man of standing, a proud man, to humble himself? But that’s what my master did. Strange as it may seem, we never felt more proud of him than when he humbled himself. It takes a great man to be prepared to do that.
He went down to the River Jordan – which is just a large stream at that point. We all stood on the muddy bank and peered into the somewhat murky waters. My master stripped off all his fine robes until he was only in his loincloth. Then he went right into the water. He went right under, just to make sure the cure was total.
And as he came up we all looked eagerly, expecting to see some improvement to his loathsome leprous sores. No change.
He went under again: no change.
And again: still no change.
But, of course, the prophet had said “seven times”. Better do exactly what he said.
Divine cure
Then, as my master came out of the water the seventh time we all looked and, yes! He was cured! Where there had been loathsome sores was all new, clear skin, just like that of a young boy!
We all rejoiced and celebrated and praised the God of Israel who had worked such a miracle for our master.
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A very human story
You know, I think this is one of my favorite Old Testament stories - it’s so full of human interest, warmth, pathos and hope.
- First, we have the little captive girl from Israel and her love and concern for her master and mistress. They were Syrians, enemies of her people. Their army had captured her, and probably killed her family, and made her a slave. But Naaman and his wife showed kindness to the little Israelite captive, and she reciprocated. She had heard of the man of God in Samaria and she told her mistress about him.
- Then, we have the reaction of the King of Syria. He thought so well of Naaman that he even sent him to the land of Israel to be healed. ( Imagine if it was modern day Syria and Israel! )
- And then, there’s the reaction of the King of Israel – entirely human.
“I might be a king but I am not God. Even I can’t cure a man of leprosy. It’s just a pretext for war!”
- Then we have the prophet’s stern, and perhaps rather self-important, words. “Then he will know there is a prophet in Israel.”
And the shocking way he treated Naaman – he didn’t give him the respect he thought he deserved. (Imagine if the Prime Minister of France came to visit Ten Downing Street and was shown in by the tradesman’s entrance! ) But it was all to test Naaman’s resolve and his faith.
- Then, there’s Naaman’s reaction – again completely understandable. And the concern of his servants – how much they loved their master!
But in the end reason prevails over rage, faith over fury, humility over highhandedness, and obedience over obstreperousness.
And Naaman was healed!
In our lives too
So with us also. God wants to do some great things in our lives. But we must be cleansed of the leprosy of our sins. We must be made new, not in our flesh, but in the spirit. We must be born anew. We must trust in the power of God. We must commit ourselves to Jesus. We must humble ourselves.
And for some people it’s too much – they won’t humble themselves beneath the mighty hand of God. They prefer the waters of Pharpar and Abana to those of Jordan, and they never get right with God. What a tragedy that is.
How much better to be like Naaman, to repent of our sinful pride and to submit to God’s ways.
