Tag: Naaman

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Refusing gifts of gratitude.

Reading Time: 3 minutes

“Then Naaman and his entire party went back to find the man of God. They stood before him, and Naaman said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” But Elisha replied, “As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept any gifts.” And though Naaman urged him to take the gift, Elisha refused. Then Naaman said, “All right, but please allow me to load two of my mules with earth from this place, and I will take it back home with me. From now on I will never again offer burnt offerings or sacrifices to any other god except the Lord. However, may the Lord pardon me in this one thing: When my master the king goes into the temple of the god Rimmon to worship there and leans on my arm, may the Lord pardon me when I bow, too.” “Go in peace,” Elisha said. So Naaman started home again.” ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭15‬-‭19‬ ‭NLT‬‬

After Naaman is miraculously healed of a deadly skin disease, he was not only convinced of the one true God, he was also grateful. When facing death and escaping it via a miracle – gratitude races to the top of the heart. When you’ve been given to, there’s supposed to be a desire to give back – at least when one recognizes how the Kingdom of God works. Naaman came prepared, I doubt the guy travelled with a a caravan of expensive clothes and large amounts of silver just to take a trip to the hill country above Samaria.

Naaman’s gratitude was a key part of his transformation. He wasn’t just healed of Leprosy, he got wrecked by the reality of God’s undeserved goodness.

The shocker is Elisha refused the extravagant gifts.

Naaman insisted, Elisha resisted.

I wonder why? Did he not need the money? Couldn’t he have received it so that he could give it away to the poor?

Money does strange things to people. Obviously Naaman had a lot of wealth and had no problem trying to give it away. And sadly, we know what even the idea of having some money, snuck & tucked away for oneself, did to Gehazi. Did greed just creep in so fast that it overwhelmed the young man – Gehazi just couldn’t let it go. ”But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, “My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the Lord lives, I will chase after him and get something from him.” ‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭20‬. It was for “Elisha…” – right?! Greedy people always believe they are going to get away with it.

Maybe Elisha had learned some lessons and already figured out that he was just a steward for his own master, he didn’t need to own or keep anything. God was the one that healed Naaman, not Elisha. Elisha just sent Naaman on the humiliating task of dunking his pride in the dirty Jordan river.

After refusing Naaman’s gifts, Naaman seemed so caught off guard that he asked to take some Samarian dirt home with him! Plus – Naaman swore off of pagan sacrifices to fake gods. He truly was a changed man! I love it when new believers get so confessional because the Spirit of God brings freedom in repentance!

As a pastor, I can tell you that it is humbling to receive gifts. Cards of appreciation are definitely encouraging, but I often tell folks who give me money or gift cards out of their generosity – I’m going to be saving this gift and giving it to someone that God directs me to bless! They have to be okay with that.

Prayer.

​Dad,
I love the fact that Elisha refused Naaman’s grateful gift. And, I’m sad that Gehazi couldn’t handle Elisha refusing to receive that much money. It looks like greed, but I have no idea what was going on in Gehazi’s heart. I do see what gratefulness looks like from such a powerful commander of the Syrian army who had it all, but almost lost it because of a deadly skin disease. I hope to live a life of both gratefulness and generosity – I think they go together.

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From fame to furious

Reading Time: 3 minutes 
“Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips. “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown.” Luke‬ ‭4:22-24‬ ‭NLT‬‬

This curious scene out of Luke is an interesting story about US – our human nature and how consistently enduring and predictable it can be. This little side-bit is full of information about who WE are. Jesus goes home, and goes to his local synagogue. Nazareth may have been small and considered the “armpit” of Jerusalem, but there were a good number of very devout religious men there – enough to qualify for a synagogue.

Jesus goes to the front of the gathering, confidently unrolls the scroll and finds his text – in Isaiah! I’m sure whispers and eye-raised glances bounced around the room at that point. That day was “Isaiah” day, reading from the longest and most complicated Old Testament prophet book in the history of Judaism. There are no coincidences! And, he thinks he’s going to comment and give a Jewish sermon on it? Yeah right.

Luke, in his punchy wit writes, “He rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down. All eyes in the synagogue looked at him intently.” Then Jesus gives his homily…“The Scripture you’ve just heard has been fulfilled this very day!” Whoa.

Questions fill the room, sucking centuries of religious pretense right out of the room! In those stunning moments they began to comment, “Everyone spoke well of him and was amazed by the gracious words that came from his lips.” Then seconds later, someone just had to connect the dots of who and where this young buck came from. So then they mumble into the now religious-free air, “How can this be?” they asked. “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?”

Then Jesus being the truth-teller, breaks their murmurs mid-thought and hijacks their conclusions saying, do you really want to know why I’ve done no miracles here? Of course it’s a lack of faith, but more than that, you guys won’t let ANYONE grow and mature as God intends and expects. You guys got STUCK and you want everyone around you to lower to your level back to AD 00 or BC 700!

Jesus masterfully does a commentary on two other very famous Old Testament spokespersons: Elijah and Elisha. “Ever wonder why these guys did miracles with foreigners and not Israel?” – Jesus hints. He tells them, there were a lot of needy widows in Israel and their were a lot of sick, skin diseased men in Israel. Why didn’t the prophets do any miracles among their own – the Jews?

Can you feel the tension building in this quiet little synagogue in the small, dusty city of Nazareth? Big pause here as they followed their stale, self-righteousness breadcrumbs to a finger-pointing conclusion.

I knew that Naaman wasn’t Jewish, but I had no idea the Sidon widow wasn’t either. Did you? OUCH!

Obviously, they got the point, the civil and religious leaders in old Israel sucked all the faith out the country, and right out of the people they were leading! One moment they were all having a nice pleasant day in the tabernacle, the next moment they’re foaming at the mouth with arrogant-anger, grabbing pitch forks and torches – “When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.” I think once Jesus was safely out of town, he stopped at the city border and dusted off his sandals, signifying he wouldn’t be returning home again.

PRAYER:

Dad,
Wow, I love it when Jesus interprets and does a great commentary on the Old Testament, pointing out things I never knew or ever saw! This really challenges my own beliefs and faith as well as in leading others. Am I sucking faith out of the air with others in my community? I want to believe and not put any restraints or restrictions on a move of your Spirit. In fact, I want to be for more faith, not less! Help me in my own lack of faith and help our leaders in their faith as well.