Only One Cure
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“So Naaman went with his horses and chariots and waited at the door of Elisha’s house. But Elisha sent a messenger out to him with this message: ‘Go and wash yourself seven times in the Jordan River. Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.’ But Naaman became angry and stalked away. ‘I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!’ he said. ‘I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the LORD his God and heal me! Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?’ So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him and said, ‘Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’ So Naaman went down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times, as the man of God had instructed him. And his skin became as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed! 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.” 2 Kings 5:9-16 (NLT)
In this chapter we’re introduced to a man called Naaman. Verse one describes him in six ways. Five of those are tremendous accolades of honor, but the sixth cancels out everything unless he had a miracle. “Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.” (NIV)
Naaman was a mighty commander of the army for the King of Aram.
Naaman was considered a great man in the sight of the King.
Naaman was highly regarded.
Naaman was successful in battle with God’s help.
Naaman was a valiant soldier.
“BUT Naaman had LEPROSY.”
Leprosy was a death sentence in Naaman’s day. At best it would ostracize you from everyone else in a leper’s colony and at worst, it would kill you in a slow and painful process. It was one of the most feared diseases of his time. It’s likely that Naaman’s leprosy was in its early stages but barring a miracle, Naaman’s life would be cut short despite how great a man he was or successful he had become. A servant girl in his household, who was an Israelite captive from one of his earlier raids on Israel, told Naaman’s wife about the prophet Elisha, who had performed so many miracles and could heal his leprosy. When Naaman told the King of Aram about it, he sent Naaman to visit the prophet. This is where the story gets exciting!
The King of Aram sends a letter to the King of Israel requesting him to heal his mighty general. When Israel’s King received the letter, he thought it was a trap. He tore his clothes in dismay and said, “This man sends me a leper to heal! Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.” (v. 7) This was the same King of Israel we met the other day who was always jumping to the wrong conclusions and blaming God for all his problems. The Bible says that when Elisha heard about the situation, he sent a messenger to the King of Israel and said, “Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” (v. 8)
Now we pick up the story with the miracle of how Naaman was healed of his leprosy. When he shows up at the door of Elisha’s home, Elisha didn’t even come out to meet this “great, mighty warrior.” He simply sends a messenger out to him telling him if he wants to be healed, he needs to go wash in the Jordan river seven times. “Then your skin will be restored, and you will be healed of your leprosy.” (v. 10b)
Naaman protested, “Wash in the muddy waters of the Jordan river? NEVER! Who does this prophet think I am? I am a great warrior, a mighty man of valor. I am highly regarded by my King! Surely there are better rivers I could wash in than the Jordan! Besides, I expected the prophet to come out and wave his hand over my leprosy to heal me!” When you read the account in the Bible you get the impression that his pride was more fatal to him than the leprosy. He was refusing to do the one thing that would make him whole!
Thankfully, the story didn’t end there. Convinced by his soldiers, Naaman eventually goes down to the Jordan River and dipped himself seven times. I wonder what he must have thought the first through the sixth time when nothing had changed. Finally, though, on the seventh time, he came up with skin as healthy as the skin of a young child’s, and he was healed! (v. 14)
Naaman’s whole attitude changed, from indignation and rage to humble gratitude for being healed! How could he possibly repay Elisha? Though he urged Elisha to receive his gifts, the prophet refused to profit from that which only God Himself could do!
Leprosy in the Bible is always a picture of sin. Sin is a global pandemic that has infected all of us! It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, great or lowly! And sin only has one cure. The hymn writer said it best in an old hymn, “What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!” Hebrews 9:22 (TLB) says, “… without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin.” Jesus Christ shed His innocent blood on the cross that we may be healed of our incurable disease of sin.
Naaman could have walked away from the only cure available to him. Thankfully, he did not. He walked away whole! He could have resented the fact that there were not other ways for him to be healed. Thankfully, he accepted the way for him to be healed. Let me ask you, “If you were diagnosed with an incurable disease that was fatal and only given one means for it to be cured would you object to taking it? Would you protest that there should be other options available for your choosing? Would you criticize the doctors?” More likely, rather than being upset for not having other options for multiple ways to be cured, you would be grateful for having the way to be healed. Don’t let your pride prevent you from humbling yourself before a holy God and receiving the only cure for your sin problem. We all must come to Christ in the same way - humbling ourselves, admitting our need and receiving His grace and forgiveness. When we do, He washes us clean! We are made whole, and our lives are never the same!