Word of Encouragement (07/09/2024)
Then Naaman said, "If not, please let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD. 18 In this matter may the LORD pardon your servant: when my master goes into the house of Rimmon to worship there, leaning on my arm, and I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, when I bow myself in the house of Rimmon, the LORD pardon your servant in this matter." 19 He said to him, "Go in peace." (2 Kings 5:17-19)
What should Naaman do now that he recognized after being miraculously healed that the God of Israel was the only true God? He had no intention of worshipping the god of the Arameans, Rimmon. Rimmon could not heal him despite all the money and sacrifices he offered over the years.
The way he was healed by Elisha the prophet of YHWH was enlightening and paradigm-shifting. All along, he had thought that he had to impress Rimmon with the intensity of his desire by offering a lot of sacrifices and doing whatever the priests of Rimmon told him to do. But how could anyone question the intensity of his desire to be healed of leprosy? Whenever he went to the priests, they performed all kinds of ceremonies and chanted all kinds of mantras for a long, long time. But none of them had worked. But he was told that there was something wrong with him—he did not believe enough, he did not try hard enough, he did not give enough, etc. He believed it, too, which led him deeper into despair. He didn’t know what more he could do.
That was why he was upset when Elisha did not even show up but sent his servant and told him to dip himself in the Jordan seven times. He felt deeply insulted by the treatment he received. But he could have overlooked it if the method of healing made sense. If his leprosy could be cured by washing himself in the water, he would have been healed a long time ago. The Jordan River was small, and its water was not any cleaner than the rivers of Syria. And where were all the religious rituals to move YHWH to act on his behalf? But after getting healed against all his expectations, he realized that a true God doesn’t need to be coaxed to act by bribery or other acts of manipulation (such as self-mutilation). He acts according to His sovereign will, and He does not need the help of some magical rituals or incantations of men.
So, Naaman makes a bold declaration even though nobody asked him to do so: “...let there be given to your servant two mule loads of earth, for from now on your servant will not offer burnt offering or sacrifice to any god but the LORD” (v. 17). He shares with Elisha his decision to worship the God of Israel instead of Rimmon (v. 18). We can see the depth of his gratitude. He did not just offer gifts to Elisha. When Elisha rejected it, he proceeded to make this declaration. It is hard to part with our possessions, no matter how much we have. Maybe we all know a rich, stingy person. But it is much harder to give our loyalty. Naaman was willing to do both.
Are you grateful to God? How are you expressing your gratitude? Just with mere words? With gifts and offerings? Or with a heart of loyalty and obedience to God? But isn’t it true that, while we can give without giving our hearts, we cannot give our hearts without giving with our hands, too?