August 29, 2021
2 Kings 5:1-7
Naaman Healed of Leprosy
Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man with his master and in high favor because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper. Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, “Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.” So Naaman went in and told his lord, “Thus and so spoke the girl from the land of Israel.” And the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.”
So he went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, “When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you Naaman my servant, that you may cure him of his leprosy.” And when the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, “Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Only consider, and see how he is seeking a quarrel with me.”
It is not an easy thing to be asked to do the impossible, and the King of Israel was on the spot when he said only God has the power to make a life or cure an incurable health issue. He lacks so many jumps to the conclusion that the king of Syria is looking for a fight. Now, maybe he should have given a few more details on whom he wanted Naaman to see, and maybe even a little about the girl from Israel, but he was not about to say we took this little girl from your country in one of our raids. Is it not a good reminder to each of us that all the Kind had to say, we heard about a prophet of God who lives in Samaria, that can cure my man Naaman?
The bad news and we all have had someone ask us to do something, not to cure a sickness like leprosy, but we all have jumped to a conclusion without having all the information or facts. I know I have and always wonder what if, yes what if, I had asked more questions, are asked for more clarity on the request. Often in my life it is with a very important person, who I love but has in the past though, I understood the request, and that never turns out well.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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