Fifty Two Weeks / 2 Kings 5

“Where have you been, Gehazi?”

The story of Naaman being healed of leprosy is often told, and rightly so for it contains great lessons. However, for me Naaman’s story is just the prelude to the real kicker: the story of Gehazi.

First Naaman

Naaman was the commander of the armies of Aram which roughly corresponds with present day Syria. Aram/Syria and Israel are some of the most ancient enemy nations on the face of the earth. 

A young Israelite girl was captured and became a servant in Naaman’s house. This certainly seemed like a bad thing for her but God’s hand was in it. She told Naaman’s wife that there was a prophet in Samaria (the Capital of Israel) who could cure Naaman’s leprosy. 

The king of Aram sends Naaman to the king of Israel with a letter. The image of Israel’s king reading this letter is one of those moments that always brings a smile to my face. Israel’s kings almost uniformly failed to follow the Lord, so I can imagine the Lord also getting a smile at the king’s distress when he reads that Naaman is there to be cured of his leprosy.

Elisha heard about the letter and sends for Naaman to be brought to him. Naaman is told to go and wash seven times in the Jordan and be healed. Naaman’s pride is hurt. He went to the healing crusade and not only did he not get on camera, but the prophet didn’t even touch him or see him. 

As is virtually always the case the servants have better insight than the vain ruler and they convince Naaman to at least give Elisha’s instructions a try. Naaman obeys and is healed. To his credit he doesn’t act as if he deserved this at all. Instead, he returns with thankfulness to Elisha. (Who wouldn’t? Well, there was a case of ten lepers whom Jesus healed and only one, a foreigner, returned to give thanks.)

Elisha refuses to take any of the money or goods Naaman offers with the result that Naaman vows to worship the Lord from then on. If the story ended there we could close with “happily ever after”. But it doesn’t end there.

Gehazi

Gehazi wasn’t a bad guy. He was Elisha’s personal servant and might well have been next in line to ask for the anointing just as Elisha had done with Elijah. Two things got in his way and disqualified him.

“My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean.”

We live in a very xenophobic time in our culture. Xenophobia is an unreasonable fear of foreigners or strangers. Unfortunately, such times are far more common than not. Politicians and leaders have for centuries fanned the flames of xenophobia to maintain support from and control over their people. 

God, on the other hand, does not look at anyone as a “foreigner”. He knew that we would have this tendency so He gave very clear instructions to Israel (and through them to us as well) to treat the alien and stranger with kindness. This breaks the grip of unreasonable fear and prevents us from doing some stupid stuff.

Gehazi’s disregard for “this Aramean” caused him to do some stupid stuff.

“I will run after him and get something from him.”

This is tragic all the way around. Gehazi claimed to be asking in the name of Elisha which reflected not only on the prophet but surely on the Lord as well. The perfect glow with which Naaman and his entourage departed was now irreparably marred. 

Moreover, Gehazi really didn’t get all that much. Naaman had brought 750 pounds of silver and 150 pounds of gold in addition to ten sets of clothes. Gehazi, for all of his trouble, got 150 pounds of silver and two sets of clothes. (He would have only gotten 75 pounds of silver but for “this Aramean’s” generosity.)

When Gehazi returned to stand in Elisha’s presence one of those moments occurred. Put yourself in Gehazi’s place for a few minutes of awkward silence and then hear Elisha ask, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” A last chance to repent? We’ll never know, because Gehazi lied. 

It was only two talents of silver and two sets of clothes. Beware! The gifts of God are never for sale.