Put to Death

2 Kings 5:1-15

Susan Boroff

The story of Naaman’s healing from leprosy is full of human actions and reactions that are unexpected. First of all, you wouldn’t expect that Naaman, a great man and commander of an army, would have leprosy. You wouldn’t think that an Israeli servant girl, held against her will, would be willing to offer healing for her captor’s leprosy. We wouldn’t expect the king of Aram to willingly agree to allow Naaman to go to see the Israeli prophet and to send a letter on his behalf to the King of Israel. (You see, Israel and Aram were at peace, but border skirmishes still continued and the king was a non-believer in the one true God.) And who would have expected the king of Israel’s reaction of tearing his robes and thinking that the king of Aram was picking a fight with him? The one behavior that stands out as “expected” is Elisha’s, the great prophet, who immediately tells the king to allow Naaman to come to see the prophet. Naaman expected that he would actually see the prophet and went away angry when he could not. He expected magic and instead got a very simple command: “Go wash seven times in the Jordan.” Not what he expected at all! Was it an unexpected twist that Namaan’s non-believing servants would encourage him to follow the prophet’s command? And did Naaman really expect his leprosy to be healed by following God’s command? Would you??

Did we really expect the savior of the world to come in the form of a baby? Did we really expect his first apostles to be fisherman? Did we really expect his ministry to be one of self-sacrifice and humility, loving the unlovable, the unworthy, the lowly? What kind of king were we expecting? One that would eventually be put to death??? It was completely unexpected that he would be raised from the dead!

God works in mysterious ways, and we are called as believers to have hope in the unseen. Just like Naaman. Can we expect the same type of healing when we obey or listen to God’s word? Sure, but be open to the unexpected ways in which healing comes! It might not be what you think.

PRAYER: Creator and sustainer of the universe, help us to hear your word as it comes in unexpected ways. Help us open our hearts and minds and free us from obstacles that block our ability to see your presence in all things. Guide us on this mysterious journey we call life and help us imitate your son’s ways of humility, self-sacrifice and unconditional love. Create in us a thankful heart in knowing that this is accomplished only through your transformational love.