From 2 Kings 5: 1 Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, was a great man and in high favor with his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man, though a mighty warrior, suffered from leprosy. 2 Now the Arameans on one of their raids had taken a young girl captive from the land of Israel, and she served Naaman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, "If only my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy." 4 So Naaman went in and told his lord just what the girl from the land of Israel had said. 5 And the king of Aram said, "Go then, and I will send along a letter to the king of Israel." He went, taking with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten sets of garments. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Israel, which read, "When this letter reaches you, know that I have sent to you my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy." 7 When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes and said, "Am I God, to give death or life, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Just look and see how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me." 8But when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, he sent a message to the king, "Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, that he may learn that there is a prophet in Israel." 9 So Naaman came with his horses and chariots, and halted at the entrance of Elisha's house. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, "Go, wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored and you shall be clean." 11 But Naaman became angry and went away, saying, "I thought that for me he would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy! 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them, and be clean?" He turned and went away in a rage. 13 But his servants approached and said to him, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, "Wash, and be clean'?" 14 So he went down and immersed himself seven times in the Jordan, according to the word of the man of God; his flesh was restored like the flesh of a young boy, and he was clean.
Clotilde Nañez was a very interesting woman. She was the wife of Dr. Alfredo Nañez, who in his own right was interesting as well. I had the privilege of knowing them both and of listening to both. He was a retired preacher and conference leader by the time I met him, and she taught Sunday school and led UMW presentations. One night she taught on this passage. The thing she said that had stayed with her since first reading the passage was the faith of this nameless girl. Taken against her will as a prisoner of war, this girl never wavered in her faith and even when the man who now owned her had leprosy, this girl said he could be healed in the very land from which she had been taken. From a human perspective, faith in God sometimes goes against what we believe is logic. Most prisoners would have wanted a way out of their imprisonment and the death of their captors would be a place to start. Not so with this girl who knew of a prophet of the living God who she believed could cure even this dreaded skin disease.
Now the event that takes place is a miracle, please do not doubt that. Leprosy was not easily cured and like demon possession cases of the Bible, it meant the death of the person in the sense that they were usually sent to live among the dead in cemeteries where they would not inflict the disease on others. This man because of his status as a commander of the king's army was not treated in that way, in fact, his king paid for his treatment sending this treasure of silver, gold and garments. The story gets interesting when this general comes to call on the king of Israel who freaks out that this high-ranking enemy officer wants healing. Thankfully, Elisha hears of this request and says, "Send him to me."
I like the next part of the story. The important high-ranking army officer, used to giving orders and having them followed goes to the man of God. Upon his arrival a servant of Elisha comes out and gives him orders on how to be healed. This insults the general. "I thought that for me he would surely come out." Yes, you're an important man and you're sick. Just do what you're told. Second part, "And stand and call on the name of the Lord his God." Okay, no faith here in the same God, but a chance that with this "prayer" it might begin the healing process. Third part, "And would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!" With the prayer a little magic motion might bring the healing. His mind said that he was important enough that if he followed protocol and practiced healing the way he had either seen or head from his country, healing might occur. Isn't that something we believe even today? We must be seen by a doctor, not his/her assistant nor her/his nurse, but by the doctor him/herself! And they must give us a shot! The shot begins the healing. Are you old enough to remember those days? I remember hearing people say, "If he doesn't give you a shot, he's not a good doctor." And I remember seeing those "good doctors" that before it was all over I had gotten a shot of some kind. And I still remember the shock of hearing the doctor tell me, my wife, or our children, "Just let it run its course." No shot? "No." Naaman must have thought the same of Elisha.
The instruction was simple, go down to the Jordan River and immerse yourself seven times and you will be healed. Naaman says are not our rivers cleaner than this one and yet you want me to wash seven times in this dirty river? Again, it was the servants who spoke some sense into this man, "Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, 'Wash, and be clean.'?" The general would have loved nothing less than to go and get the tails of a hundred foxes or the heads of a thousand warriors. Yet, the healing would come through obedient faith. Go, wash seven times in the Jordan River and you will be healed. Thankfully, the servants convinced him and he was healed when he finally did as he was told.
The Bible exists as God's word for us even today. Our healing in spiritual and even physical matters comes through obedience and faith. Given our upbringing as a society we usually rush to the doctor first and then we remember we should pray. In some societies around the world, especially the third world, prayer is the only remedy and there more unexplainable healings take place than we hear about here. Hmm.
PRAYER: Loving God, speak to my doubt. Speak to my sense of self-importance and make me obedient to the word of God. Bring healing to those for whom I am praying and if I have any healing needed in me, help me do that which shows my obedience to you. In Jesus' precious and powerful name I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
