A Time for Grace
If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the whole world is mine and all that is in it.
Today’s passage from 2 Kings (see below) puts in my mind a line from Psalm 50 (verse 12); while the servant of the prophet Elisha sees profit to be made in the riches and willingness of Naaman, Gehazi, trusted though he is of the prophet, weighs material gain as more important than Naaman’s lesson in grace.
Naaman is very willing to gift Gehazi, as he understands it, on behalf of Elisha, for the service rendered him. Indeed, we could understand his gift as an offering born of his gratitude and generous heart. The problem is that Elisha knows what accepting such a gift would do to the heart of Naaman, namely, it might compromise the grace which Naaman has experienced in his healing; Elisha healed Naaman not only of his physical malady, but of a faulty spiritual economy as well.
God provides for his children and does not require repayment. How might this truth free you today?
2 Kings 5:19-27
He said to him, “Go in peace.” But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance,
Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “My master has let that Aramean Naaman off too lightly by not accepting from him what he offered. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something out of him.” So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he jumped down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything all right?” He replied, “Yes, but my master has sent me to say, ‘Two members of a company of prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim; please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” Naaman said, “Please accept two talents.” He urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them in front of Gehazi. When he came to the citadel, he took the bags from them, and stored them inside; he dismissed the men, and they left. He went in and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant has not gone anywhere at all.” But he said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when someone left his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money and to accept clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you, and to your descendants forever.” So he left his presence leprous, as white as snow.
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