Greetings in the name of Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Praying for you, your family, your community and the rest of the world. Right now, the whole world is suffering because of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Let’s pray together to God, Our Ever-Loving Father, His mercy and protection on all, and God’s healing on those who are infected by the Coronavirus. We all believe God’s grace and love rest on all who look upon Him every moment with faith in Him.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.
The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:8-9)
The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy. Indeed, Naaman was a leper regardless his great position and power in the kingdom of Aram. The LORD, Merciful God, had a plan for His glory. God gave victories to the kingdom of Aram through Naaman. The kingdom of Aram was getting stronger.
The Aram army led by Naaman invaded neighboring countries without any difficulties. Wherever the Aram army went, there was a victory over the country that they invaded. Then, from the subdued countries, Naaman brought the precious to the king of Aram. This made the king of Aram pleased, and the king trusted Naaman more. Yes, Naaman was trusted by the king of Aram, and he was the commander of the mighty Aram army, but he had to confront the cold reality every night that he was a leper. As taking off his mighty looking armors, he could see his skin covered with leprosy. As looking at his sick body, he quietly repeated himself every night, “Nothing has been changed! Alas, after all, I am a leper. My leprosy clings on me, and won’t leave. It slowly and steadily disables me. How long will I act as the commander of my king’s army? It will not be long. My strength is not like used to be. The leprosy steadily brings me down. I know I will lose my position, and then I will be totally disabled by this leprosy. Life is not fair.” Then he remembered the day as the commander of the mighty Aram army. There were countlessly many soldiers under his command. All were healthy and none was a leper like him. Most of them were also young packed with life strength and courage. Although he was commanding these mighty soldiers, his strength was going down along with his courage also. In fact, he himself was slowly self-destructive. His great armors were massive, which was impressive enough to hid his true nature of leprosy before the eyes of people including his own army under him. Even so, he clearly knew he was a sick man suffering from leprosy. He met many doctors, but none could heal him. He did not want, but he gave up to search anymore a doctor who would cure him. All made him disappointed, and he hurt enough. Giving up was the best defensive mechanism to protect him. Then he accepted his leprosy was incurable. But the cold reality did not leave him. He was stuck in his own fate of leprosy with no way to get out.
One time, Naaman led his army invaded the land of Israel. He took many and brough them as his captives to his country. Among the captives, there was a young girl. She was given to Naaman’s wife as a servant. For her, it was a sudden and dramatic change because she had never been a servant in Israel. Now she is a servant to an unknown person in a foreign country. Initially, it was unbearably difficult, but she worked hard for Naaman’s wife. The Naaman’s wife was a good mistress, and treated the Israel servant girl well. It did not take long. The mistress picked up her and made her to serve the mistress’ personal needs. Again, she did her best to serve her mistress, which pleased the mistress. The mistress trusted her.
Soon she realized that Naaman was suffering from leprosy while serving the mistress close by. Initially, it was a real surprise to her. When she first encountered with Naaman in Israel. Naaman was the commander of the invaders, the Aram army. Naaman was leading the mighty Aram army, riding a magnificent horse while commanding the countlessly many strong and big soldiers. To her, Naaman looked like a god. Before him, all Israelites bowed down because he was the conqueror. She felt that Naaman was a godly worrier far beyond of her. While she was being taken to the land of Aram as one of the captives, she only could see Naaman far distance. Naaman always wore massive-looking powerful armors. She often saw a glittering light reflecting from his fearful looking sword. Surely one swing of the sword looked enough to split any enemy into two. The dreadful first encounter with Naaman was so impressive. She knew she would remember the fearful scene forever.
She was virtually always with the mistress, Naaman’s wife. When Naaman was home, she could see Naaman much closer. To her eyes, Naaman truly impressive and overpowering to be the top commander of the army of the king of Aram. One day, Naaman took off his massive and overpowering armors. He sit down and talked with his wife. Even without the massive armors, Naaman was still a big and strong man. By the way, to her surprise, Naaman was a leper! Naaman had been suffering from leprosy longtime. Some parts of his body had been already deteriorating due to the leprosy. She could see Naaman in pain. After all, he was an ordinary person, not just a mighty warrior. Naaman was not whom she thought. Naaman was yet another frazil human being.
That night also, she prayed to God. As usual, she prayed for her own country and her country men and women still in her country including her family and friends. She also prayed for herself who was alone lonely in the Naaman’s home as a servant, which made her pray to God even more earnestly and fervently while asking God’s comfort and peace. As she prayed, God poured His heavenly peace and comfort on her. For her, it was the most precious moment of the day as a servant girl in a far distant foreign land. God was always with her, and she clang to God daily with prayer. As praying more and more, her faith in God grew, and her trusting relationship with God deepened every day. This is the reason why she always waited for her prayer time while she was working as a servant. She often could forget her hardship as a servant when thinking about her precious prayer time. Her prayer time was only oasis in the distant land because she could meet and talk to her God again.
On that night, while she was praying, she suddenly remembered Naaman who suffered from his leprosy. She felt a pity on Naaman. She prayed for Naaman also. While praying for Naaman, she also remembered Elisha, God’s powerful prophet, who did many miracles in the name of God. She recalled the fact that Elisha revived one dead child. As recalling this miracle, her heart started questioning why not praying for Naaman’s healing. She started praying to God for Naaman, and asking whether Elisha would cure Naaman’s leprosy. The more she prayed, the more she was convinced that God would heal Naaman through Elisha although Naaman was not one of the Israel people. As hearing God’s answer, he asked God for her courage to speak up to her mistress.
Following morning, she cautiously but confidently approached her mistress and softely told her,
“I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy.” (2 King 5:3b)
Although she talked her mistress softly, her mistress was quite disturbed. For many years, her mistress did everything that she could to cure her husband, Naaman. But nothing worked. Then she gave up long time ago. Why? Having a false hope was more painful than watching her husband sufferings from leprosy while being steadily disabled. She had never expected her marriage would be ended up with her husband’s painfully miserable death from the terrible leprosy. She wished a miraculous healing every day, but the cold reality had never left her and her husband. From outside, she smiled and greeted with guests, but in her heart, she struggled to hide her sorrow for husband. As soon as guests left her house, she locked up her own room’s door, and wept. Her tears were her only friend, and she was consoled. She alone cried and cried till she was completely exhausted.
After hearing her servant girl’s saying, she could not be calm. First, she knew healing her husband was impossible. She did everything that she did know. She was silent for a while because she did not know how to respond. She really wanted to yell at the servant girl and sternly ordered not to say again because she knew it was impossible, and such a story would only hurt her more. Out of her pure defensive measure, she was about to say, “Go away from me now. And never say it again.” But she was interrupted by a strange feeling in her heat. It was something that she had never experienced. She carefully listened to the small voice, “Why not listening to what was told by the Israel servant girl?” What will you lose? At most, you would be ridiculed by people one more time because you believe such a non-sense story as a well-educated noble woman. By the way, how many times have you done such stupid things before? You traveled far to find doctors to heal Naaman, you husband. You brought gold and silver with you to those doctors. What did really happen? Nothing. Then many of your friends laughed at you. They should not because it was really cruel to you. They did not understand your heart to do anything to heal Naaman. Even such an act would sacrifice your own reputation. Then what are you doing now? You had stopped long time ago. Then you have not tried at all. You just gave up, didn’t you?“ As soon as she heard her heart’s voice, she refrained from saying anything to her servant, and changed her posture.
Then she gently stretched out her hand to the Israel servant girl, and grabbed her hand. Then she intently looked her servant’s eyes and questioned about the prophet in Israel. The servant girl eagerly explained about Elisha including how powerful prophet he was. The girl listed many miracles performed by Elisha including reviving a dead child. As hearing about Elisha, the Naaman’s wife was convinced that Elisha would the person who would heal her husband, because healing her husband was easier than raising a dead child. Then she waited for her husband’s return.
Naaman came home late that day after his work. She gave her warm hug to Naaman as he was getting in. Naaman felt something different from her. He knew she wanted to tell something. After dinner, she quietly told Naaman with a bright smile, “Naaman, do you know Israel, one of the countries that you conquered?” Naaman responded, “Yes, I know well the country. I did lead my army and conquered the nation.” He told with confidence and pride. Then he added, “I brought your favorite servant girl from Israel, as you know I was told that she is working hard for you. I like her too.” Then Naaman’s wife cautiously said, “By the way, the Israel servant girl talked about an Israel prophet living in Samara. He is a truly powerful prophet of God, whom all Israel people believe including my Israel servant girl. According to her, Elisha performed many miracles that any human beings could do. He even raised a dead child. Elisha must be a really powerful prophet of God.” Naaman said, “Yes, I heard many stories like that from the captives from Israel. Their God must be different from other gods. They all believe and trust in their God. There must be a truth about their God and such a powerful prophet of God.” Then she immediately responded, “Yes, I agree. The Israel servant girl told me that ‘I wish my master would go to see the prophet. He would heal him of his leprosy.”
Then Naaman did not say anything. There was a silence. Naaman could not believe what was told by his wife. After breading out, Naaman told as if he shouted, “Healing me? That is impossible. How many doctors that I visited? Don’t we have the best doctors in this great county? As you know, nobody could heal me. Then you say now that one prophet from a small country heal me?” Despite of Naaman’s harsh response, Naaman’s wife was clam. Instead, she intently and warmly looked at her husband’s eyes, and softly said, “Yes, I know. Initially, what was told by the Israel servant girl was ridiculous to me. You know. So far, we tried, and nothing worked. There is none left. I really want to see you being healed from the terrible leprosy. Please let me ask one thing. Please just one more try. Surely this will be the last. I will not ask anymore forever. Would you try? I really want for you to try out this. Somehow, I have a faith on what was told by the servant girl. I don’t know why, but I believe what was told from the Israel servant girl. Perhaps, the Israel’s God is powerful and He might have intervened my thought. Please. This is the last one. Again, there will be no more. I will not ask ever again. Please.” Naaman heard and gave thought for a while. Then he was silent. He tried to hear his inner voice. Strangely, he heard “Why not try this? If not, you would be steadily disabled, and eventually you would die out of this miserable leprosy.”
Naaman looked at his wife’s eyes, and said, “Yes, I will try. I will go to Israel to see the prophet.” Then the following morning, he came to his king, and told his decision to go Israel to be healed by one Israel prophet. The king, who liked Naaman, supported his decision, and said, “Go and visit the prophet. I will send a letter of introduction for you to take to the king of Israel.” So Naaman started out, carrying as gifts 750 pounds of silver, 150 pounds of gold, and ten sets of clothing. The letter to the king of Israel said:
“With this letter I present my servant Naaman. I want you to heal him of his leprosy.” (2 King 5:6b)
When the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his clothes in dismay and said, “Am I God, that I can give life and take it away? Why is this man asking me to heal someone with leprosy? I can see that he’s just trying to pick a fight with me.”
The king of Israel was in fear. He did not know this came from God, not from the king of Aram, who was also a mere human. The king of Israel responded foolishly. He should have had approached to God and present his problem to God, but he did not.
Even so, God was gracious to the king of Israel. God responded through Elisha, the prophet of Israel.
When Elisha, the man of God, heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes in dismay, he sent this message to him:
“Why are you so upset? Send Naaman to me, and he will learn that there is a true prophet here in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:8b)
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?” (2 Kings 5:11b-12a)
So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. Naaman had a preconceived notion about how God would work. How wrong he was! He came to Israel with a faith to be healed by God, but he could not endure all things with his faith. His faith was so small that he came to move the mountain – healing his leprosy, but he could not.
Jesus told to His disciples about faith as follows:
“You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (Matthew 17:20)
God was gracious to Naaman. For this time, God used Naaman’s officers. His officers tried to reason with Naaman 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!’” (2 Kings 5:13b)
Naaman’s officers could not understand why Naaman, their commander, acted irrationally. Naaman acted out of his own pride and feeling, which was not rational to his officers. Naaman made a long journey to cure his leprosy. They also knew it could be the last chance that he might be cured. Naaman did everything to heal his leprosy, but his leprosy did not go away. Naaman just wasted time and money because nothing worked so far. The worst part of his boss’ journey to heal his leprosy was that all options were exhausted known to men except this cure from God. Indeed, he had chosen for his own destiny helplessly. Not long time later, Naaman would be completely disabled due to his Leprosy, and he would be removed from his current position also. How foolish Naaman was!
Naaman thought that his reaction to the Elisha’s servant was logical, but he did not know he was in fact illogical and even foolish. Sometimes, we do the same foolish mistake due to our own pride and ego and fall into our own fallacy. Naaman was indeed trapped in his own fallacy.
However, God cared for Naaman, and God did not let him alone. God gave him another chance using his own officers. Naaman, then, heard his own officers, and changed his heart and decided to follow what was told by the Elisha’s servant, which was God’s command after all.
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, and he was healed!
Yes, God did miracle when Naaman listened to God’s command, although it was delivered by one Elisha’s servant. When Naaman humbly followed God’s command although it was non-sense to his eyes, Naaman was miraculous healed by the power of God.
God always gives us a choice. Then we have to choose: listening to God or our own prideful mind. Of course, our choice should be obvious – listening to God. But it often not easy to choose as the case of Naaman. Naaman made a long journey to be healed, but at the last moment, he failed because of his own pride. Our God sees our humble heart. Upon Naaman’s failure, God did not let him alone. God was so merciful. God gave another chance for Naaman to listen to God. God used Naaman’s own officers under his command to give another chance. Then finally Naaman humbled himself and followed what was told by God. This is the greatness of Naaman that he humbled himself and heard his own officers’ voice.
What we can learn from Naaman? God love us, and tenaciously chases us and give chances till for us to make a right choice before God. God provided to Naaman the series of choices through Naaman’s wife servant girl, then the servant of Elisha, and Naaman’s own officers reporting to him. If Naaman rejected all while following his own voice, then he could have not been healed. Therefore, what should we do? We should be sensitive to what God says. God’s voice often can be heard when humbling ourselves. Our own prideful self is, after all, the most dangerous enemy as we have seen from Naaman and his healing.
God is full of mercy. God knows our suffering on earth. God is love. God is always preparing for us to give the best. Then what is the most precious gift from God, which is more precious that the healing of Naaman? Jesus asked,
And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? (Matthew 16:26)
Is there anything more precious than our soul? If we gain the whole world, but we lose our own soul, what’s good for gaining the whole world? God is always telling to us to give His gift of eternal life. He also often uses someone else around us to speak to us. What then shall we do? We must humble ourselves and hear His voice without hardening our heart.
Remember what it says: “Today when you hear his voice, don’t harden your hearts as Israel did when they rebelled.” (Hebrews 3:15)
We’d like to share about how to wisely respond to the current worldwide Coronavirus pandemic. First, except our own family living together, consider all others as a potential source of transmitting the Coronavirus because people who are asymptomatic (no symptom of Coronavirus at all) can carry and transmit the virus. Thus, please avoid a physical contact with others, and maintain distance about two meters (or six feet). This social distancing saves lives. Please wash hands with soap about 20 seconds to wash out the Coronavirus that might be on our hands. Our hand skin is pretty thick and it protects well against the Coronavirus, but our hands frequently touch our mouth, then the Coronavirus on our hands will go into our body. We should prevent this type of infection by our own hands.
Most of all, this is the time to have a quality time with one’s own family and with God, Our Ever-Loving Father with prayers, and reading and medicating Bible every day. Please fix eyes on Jesus, who is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, and follow the foot step of Jesus Christ together with our own families in this difficult time. When this Coronavirus pandemic is over, we will all find that we are one step closer to each other among our own family members in Christ’s love and have a deeper relationship with God. Then we will go out and share this Good News with our neighbors and even strangers.
May God’s grace, protection, healing on all and especially for those who are physically suffering from the Coronavirus and those who are mourning for the loss of the loved ones due to the Coronavirus.