16 The prophet answered, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. 2 Kings 5

¹⁶ The prophet answered, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.’ And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. 2 Kings 5

Elisha had come out to greet Naaman and his retinue when he returned to his house healed from the skin disease. Naaman was genuinely grateful for his healing and his heart had changed completely towards the Lord and the prophet, now he wanted to show Elisha gratitude. Naaman, the foreigner, came back to Elisha to give thanks to God for his healing.

¹⁷ Jesus asked, ‘Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Has no one returned to give praise to God except this foreigner?’ ¹⁹ Then he said to him, ‘Rise and go; your faith has made you well.’ Luke 17

Jesus later noted that only one cleansed leper out of ten returned to give thanks and praise God for his healing and like Naaman he was a foreigner. Can it really be that people who haven’t known the Lord are more grateful for His goodness to them than believers? On both occasions in the scriptures it was the foreigners who returned to show their gratitude. God’s people should always remember to thank Him for His many acts of kindness to us, it’s the least we can do to show our appreciation to Him.

¹⁹ ‘Go in peace,’ Elisha said. (Elisha blessed Naaman as he left the land)

After Naaman had travelled some distance, ²⁰ Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, ‘My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.’ 2 Kings 5

Now we come to the saddest part of this whole account. Gehazi, Elisha’s servant decided to, ‘get something for himself’. He’d seen the valuable gifts Naaman was carrying and in his heart he craved for some of those valuables. (It’s interesting that the origin of the word ‘crave’ in Old English is to ‘demand, or claim as a right’) Gehazi felt HE WAS ENTITLED TO TAKE SOMETHING FROM THIS FOREIGNER. He took advantage of Naaman’s good intentions and scorned him because of his non Jewish background. How many times do people justify the shabby treatment of others because they are not as one of us? Every person is made in God’s image and we shouldn’t think we are better than others.

Gehazi followed Naaman and lied that Elisha had sent him to get a gift for some visiting prophets. He tainted Elisha’s name and the name of the prophets to take the valuables for himself. However, in this instance retribution was swift and terrible,

²⁶ But Elisha said to him, ‘Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes – or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? ²⁷ Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants for ever.’ Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous – it had become as white as snow. 2 Kings 5

Gratitude for all God’s blessings and the Fear of the Lord are still much needed by believers today.

²⁷ “So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.” Numbers 6