2 Kings 5:1-14

Introduction

We live at a time when there is much boasting. From the athlete who dances after making a good play to the power brokers of politics to the gang member who proudly announces that no one will mistreat him, we are surrounded by those who have no trouble boasting. The source of boasting is pride. It is rare to find humility in our world. But this is not new. Those who are powerful and successful are often filled with their egos. Such pride finds little room to listen to others.

The Story of Naaman

Naaman has proven himself on the battlefield. But his valiant warrior spirit is overshadowed by leprosy. Naaman’s country, Aram, was mightier than Israel. On one of his raids, Naaman had taken an Israelite girl as a slave. This slave girl served Naaman’s wife. This slave girl recommended that Naaman go to the prophet in Samaria where he could be cured. Naaman requests permission to make the trip and he is granted.

Armed with wealth, Naaman goes to the king of Israel. The contents of the letter is found in verse 6. Naaman is being sent for a cure. It was not uncommon for superior forces to require inferior forces to provide something. In this case it is a cure which is requested and Naaman is willing to pay for the cure. The king of Israel takes offence at the letter. According to verse 7, the king of Israel begins to get angry with the king of Aram. The king of Israel is not a believer in God; otherwise, he would have known where to send Naaman. Instead he tears his clothes and begins to get angry.

Somehow Elisha hears about the king’s reaction to the letter and sends his own message: have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel. The king should have known it as well. Naaman goes to Elisha’s house expecting the man of God to see him. Instead, Elisha sends out his messenger and tells him to go to the Jordan River and dip seven times in the river in order to be cured. Naaman is angry. He is angry because Elisha didn’t come out to see him. He is angry because there are cleaner rivers to dip in back home. He is angry because the cure is not spectacular enough. The Bible says he left in a rage. Later a servant reminds him that if Elisha had asked him to do something great then he would have done it. Why refuse to do a simple thing? Naaman goes to the Jordan, dips seven times in the river, and he is cured. He is thrilled and returns to Elisha’s house to pay him for the cure. What are we supposed to understand about this first part of the story? Three things.

Application

First, expecting God to do things a certain way keeps us from his blessings. Too many times we have in mind what God is supposed to do and how he is supposed to do it. Naaman comes to Elisha’s house in Israel and things don’t happen the way he thinks they ought to. Notice verse 11. Naaman expected things to happen in a certain way and when they didn’t he was disappointed. In fact, he became angry because things didn’t happen the way he thought they should have. In Isaiah 55 in a text designed to invite Israel to return to God, Isaiah describes what God is willing to do for his people. God is willing to forgive those who seek him. Why? Because his thoughts are not their thoughts and his ways are not their ways. Our God sees things differently than we do. He does things differently from the way we might expect.

When we look at the cross, surely we understand the paradox of God’s ways. In defeat, God wins. Nail the son of God to a beam of wood and sins are forgiven. Seal the son of God in a tomb and he explodes the rock which holds him. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians, it is in my weakness that I am strongest.

When we begin to think that God must do things to please us then we have become God. Naaman came looking for certain actions and certain words. What he got was a lesson in humility. A lesson which he found difficult to swallow.

Second, pride keeps us from listening. Naaman heard the instructions. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the command. What he couldn’t do was something so demeaning as dipping in a dirty river. Elisha needed to come out and say some magical words. He was too important a man to be treated in such a shabby way. Elisha didn’t come out to talk with him, then he is told to do something demeaning—Naaman will not listen because he is a prideful man. Naaman was a proud man. He was an important man. He didn’t want to admit any weakness. But the truth was a man with leprosy is of no use as a commander, a husband, or a father. Living in isolation doesn’t mean you are strong; it means that there is a physical weakness. Naaman appears thumping his chest; expecting to be treated with royal treatment. Naaman appears unwilling to admit his weakness and such an attitude results in a failure to listen.

In our unwillingness to admit sin, we play the game of spiritual strength. Unwilling to appear weak, we continue to live in such a way that others think we have it all together. Not only are we living a lie, but we are doing nothing about our sin. When we admit our weakness, then we are able to receive God’s strength.

It is our pride, our lack of humility which keeps us from listening to God. “I just don’t think God wants me to be unhappy or I just don’t think God would want me to give that up.” Maybe he does or maybe he doesn’t but only when we humble ourselves before him will we listen. When we can pray “Lord, tell me what to do and I will do it,” then we are ready to listen.

Third, it is easy for us to rob God of the praise. When Naaman refuses to listen to God, one of his servants confronts him about his attitude. Notice in verse 13, “if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it?” Wham! Give me something great. Let others see me in this process. It is like the Rich Young Ruler in Matthew 19:16, “Master, what good thing must I do to inherit eternal life?” Tell me something great to do and I’ll do it. Naaman did not understand that his healing was not about him—it was about God and what he could do. What Naaman wanted was to be healed and for him to look good in the process. What he wanted was to get the credit or the praise. Instead, God tells him to go to an obscure place with no one around in which the only thing he does is to submerge himself seven times in a dirty river and let the power of God be seen. But Naaman wants the spotlight. He wants the accolades. He wants the praise. But it all belongs to God.

Too often we want the attention. We are unwilling to be behind the scenes. We may even be unwilling to allow God to get the praise. Our purpose is to make God look good. Isn’t that what Jesus did on a cross? Isn’t that what Paul did in prison? Isn’t that what Stephen did as he was murdered? Making God look good means we have to get out of the way.

Look at what Paul says in Philippians 1:15-18. Some were after Paul. They wanted him to look bad and to suffer. Some supported Paul. What was Paul’s response? Who cares as long as Christ is preached. As long as God looks good what happens to me doesn’t matter. Can you say that?

Our lives count best when they are used to exalt God and not ourselves. Keeping our focus on the Lord is vital. There is nothing great you can do to inherit eternal life. God wants to give you that gift. As with any gift the focus is on the one who gives not on the recipient. Will you accept God’s gift?

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