2 Kings 5:9-14
"So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and stopped at the door of Elisha's house. 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.' 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. 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. 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 to wash and be cleansed!' 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." (NIV)
In 2 Kings 5, we encounter the story of Naaman, a powerful commander in the Syrian army who suffered from leprosy. Despite his position, influence, and military success, Naaman was desperate for healing from this painful and isolating disease. A surprising twist in his story is that it was a young, captive Israelite girl—working as a servant in Naaman's household—who suggested that Naaman seek out the prophet Elisha in Israel for healing.
She remained faithful to her beliefs and to the responsibilities she was given, earning the respect and love of Naaman and his household. We talked about how this little girl, though a captive and servant, was so loved and trusted by them that her words carried weight. She brought forward a solution for her master's condition—Naaman’s leprosy.
She courageously suggested that there was a prophet in Israel who might be able to heal him. Despite her young age and lowly position as a servant, she boldly spoke up. It took immense courage for a young housemaid to suggest to a military captain that he should seek help from a foreign prophet. Yet she did this out of her faith, knowing that there was a living God who could heal diseases. She didn’t shy away but stood firm in her faith, leading Naaman to act on her suggestion.
Although the story involves prominent figures like the king, the captain, and the prophet Elisha, I believe that the true hero is this young girl. Through her unwavering faith, she changed the life of a great man, guiding him to an encounter with the living God. Naaman, a man who did not know the Living God, came to believe in God's power because of the testimony of this young girl. She shared her faith in the God who answers prayers and heals sicknesses, and Naaman accepted that there was indeed a living God who could heal him.
Naaman, though a powerful military captain, had leprosy and desperately needed healing. This shows that no matter how great or influential we think we are—whether we have wealth, fame, or power—none of us are immune to challenges or afflictions. We are all, in some way or another, in need of healing.
Our greatest underlying ailment, however, is the sickness of sin. Sin pervades every part of our lives, regardless of who we are, where we come from, or what status we hold. Sin is universal; it affects every one of us born into this world.
But just as the little girl told Naaman, there is a Living God who can forgive our sins and set us free from the bondage of sin and guilt. If we humble ourselves before God, repent of our sins, and give our lives to Him, He is merciful and kind. He will forgive all our sins and provide the cleansing we so desperately need.
The king of Aram sent a letter along with Naaman, addressed to the king of Israel, stating: "I am sending my servant, Naaman, to you so that you may heal him of his leprosy." This was a request for healing from Israel, as the king of Aram had heard there was someone in Israel who could cure Naaman. Leprosy, at that time, was an incurable disease. Although we now have effective treatments, in the past, it was considered a severe and dreaded condition.
Naaman took this letter from the king of Aram to the king of Israel. However, when the king of Israel read the letter, he was terrified. He assumed that the king of Aram was trying to provoke a fight by making an impossible request. The king of Israel exclaimed, "Am I God? How can I cure someone’s leprosy? How does he expect me to heal him?"
This reaction is quite revealing. The king of Israel, a leader of God's people, who should have believed in the power of the living God, doubted God’s ability to heal. On the other hand, the king of Aram, a man who did not worship the God of Israel, believed that there was indeed a living God in Israel who could heal.
This contrast is striking. It shows that even those who claim to have faith sometimes lack it in critical moments, while others—who might not even know God—can display remarkable belief in His power. It reminds us of how sometimes, even as believers, we fail to hold onto our faith when faced with real challenges. In contrast, those who come to us seeking help, who may not know God intimately, can have profound faith that God can provide.
Many people come to our church, seeking not just material assistance, but something deeper. Some ask for money or food, but beyond that, they have spiritual needs—needs we are called to meet. As followers of Christ, we must be like the little girl who boldly shared her faith, not like the king of Israel, who doubted God’s power. We need to have the courage to share our faith and our experiences of life in Christ with others.
We are called to lead people not only to physical sustenance but also to the Living Water and the Bread of Life, which can nourish both body and soul. This is what people truly seek—the spiritual fulfillment that only God can provide. We must be bold enough to share our faith and the transformative power of the living Christ.
When Elisha the prophet heard that the king of Israel was distressed and afraid, he intervened. Elisha sent a message to the king, saying, "Do not worry. Send the man to me, and I will pray to God for his healing." Elisha reassured the king, reminding him of the power of God to heal even the most severe conditions like leprosy. The king, having been panicked by the overwhelming request, was relieved when Elisha offered to help. Elisha told Naaman and his entourage to come to his house, and they made their way there, accompanied by horses, chariots, and all the gifts Naaman had brought with him.
Naaman followed the girl’s advice, but his journey toward healing didn’t go as he had expected. Along the way, Naaman's pride almost cost him his blessing. Pride and ego can stand in the way of the blessings God has in store for us, and humility is often the key to receiving those blessings.
Pride and Ego can become barriers to blessing. "Pride" and "ego." are closely related but distinct in how they manifest in our lives: Pride is how we feel about ourselves. It's a sense of personal worth or achievement. Pride can be healthy in moderation—it’s good to take pride in our work, our families, or our achievements. However, when pride becomes excessive, it blinds us to our limitations and leads us to believe that we are self-sufficient, cutting off our need for God’s help.
Ego, on the other hand, is how we perceive ourselves in comparison to others. It’s the driving force behind the desire to be better than, richer than, more successful than others. While some level of ego is necessary for personal growth and motivation, an unchecked ego leads us to constantly compare ourselves to others, fueling competition rather than cooperation. Both pride and ego, when left unchecked, become barriers to experiencing the fullness of God’s blessings. Both have to be balanced with humility to receive blessings from God.
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.
Now, compare that to how we approach God. When it comes to our spiritual needs, we often want shortcuts. We want God to work on our terms, and we get frustrated when things don’t happen the way we expect. Just like Naaman, we sometimes want to dictate how God should answer our prayers. But just as we trust the doctor’s process, we must also trust God’s process.
Naaman’s pride wasn’t just about the method of healing; it was about the value he placed on it. He believed that the healing needed to match his status. This reminds me of a story about a bakery that was selling a regular loaf of bread. It wasn’t selling very well until one of the marketing experts suggested putting the word "Hawaiian" on it and doubling the price. Suddenly, people started buying it because they thought it was more valuable, even though it was the same bread as before. This happens in other industries too. Take gasoline or milk, for example. It’s all essentially the same product, but because of branding and marketing, we’re often willing to pay more for one brand over another, believing that we’re getting something superior.
Naaman thought the same way. He believed that the rivers of his homeland were superior to the Jordan, and that a grand gesture or expensive gift would earn him healing. But God’s blessings don’t work that way. God’s blessings are free, but they require humility and obedience to receive.
Humility Unlocks God’s Blessings. Naaman’s servants were the ones who finally brought him to his senses. They asked him, "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 to wash and be cleansed?" Sometimes, the things God asks of us are simple, but our pride blinds us to the value in those simple acts.
In the end, Naaman humbled himself and obeyed. He went to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as Elisha instructed. His healing wasn’t in the water itself, but in his willingness to let go of his pride and trust in God’s method. His skin was restored, and his pride was stripped away, leaving him with not just a healed body, but a humbled heart.
Naaman’s story reminds us of the verse in Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall." It was only when Naaman let go of his pride and humbled himself that he received his healing. Pride and ego can block us from receiving the blessings God wants to give us. Like Naaman, we often expect grand gestures and miracles, but God works through the humble and the simple. He asks us to trust His process, even when it doesn’t make sense to us.
There’s a story I once read about two ducks and a frog. These three were friends who lived together in a pond. As summer ended and the pond began to dry up, the ducks decided they needed to fly away to a larger body of water. They wanted to take their friend, the frog, with them, so they came up with a plan. They found a stick, and the ducks held it between their beaks while the frog clung to the stick with his mouth. As they flew over the countryside, a farmer looked up and saw this unusual sight and exclaimed, "Wow, that’s brilliant! I wonder who thought of such an idea?" The frog, unable to resist the urge to claim credit, opened his mouth to say, "I did!"—and fell to his death.
Like the frog, pride can make us lose our grip on the very things that sustain us. Humility, on the other hand, helps us keep our focus on God and trust in His ways.
As we reflect on Naaman’s story, let us ask ourselves: Are we allowing pride to stand in the way of our blessings? Are we trying to control how God should work in our lives, or are we willing to humbly follow His instructions? Let’s remember that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. When we surrender our pride and trust in His plan, we open ourselves to the full measure of His grace and blessings.
