Healing And Grace Beyond Pride And Power

Naaman’s Pride Stands in the Way of His Healing. Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house with all the trappings of wealth and power: horses, chariots, gifts of gold, silver, and clothing. He expected his healing to be a grand affair, fitting for someone of his stature. But when Elisha didn’t even come out to greet him personally, instead sending a messenger with the simple instruction to wash seven times in the Jordan River, Naaman’s pride flared up.

Naaman was angry—furious, even. He had envisioned a dramatic healing: the prophet calling on the name of the Lord, waving his hand over the leprous spots, and performing a public miracle. Instead, he was told to wash in the Jordan, a small and unimpressive river, seven times. He even compared the Jordan to the grand rivers of his homeland, Abana and Pharpar, saying, "Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?". Naaman’s pride almost led him to walk away from the healing God had prepared for him. He wanted healing, but on his terms. And isn’t that so often the case with us? We want God’s blessings, but we want them on our conditions, in our timing, and in ways that align with our expectations.

We visited Israel a couple of years ago and seeing it for myself how small the Jordan river is. When you read about the Jordan River in the Bible, you imagine a grand body of water, but the reality is quite different. The Jordan is more like a small stream in many areas, with murky waters that don’t inspire much confidence. It’s nothing like the grand, wide rivers like the Nile or the Euphrates. We even had the opportunity to dip into the Jordan, but I have to admit, the water was not the most inviting—it was cloudy and green in many spots. Yet, this is where Naaman was told to go for his healing, in what seemed to be the most ordinary and unspectacular way possible.

It’s no wonder Naaman balked at the idea of washing in this river. But that’s often how God works—through the humble and the ordinary, not the grand and the spectacular. The Jordan River wasn’t magical, but Naaman’s healing came through his obedience and humility, not through the grandeur of the river.

Naaman wanted his healing on his terms and not on the prophet's terms. We pray for healing or God's blessings and ask God to work things out on our way. We like to have all blessings on our terms. But God has already a planned out everything for you and me on His terms. Naaman’s story reminded me of something we all experience in our everyday lives—the frustrations of making a doctor’s appointment. When you call a doctor’s office, if you’re lucky enough to get someone on the phone, you have to give them all your personal details—your name, date of birth, insurance information, medical history. Then, when you finally make it to the appointment, they ask you for the same information again, even though you already filled it out online. It’s a tedious process, but we go through it without complaint. Why? Because we trust that the doctor has the expertise to help us, and we’re willing to follow the procedures laid out by the medical office to receive the care we need.