Though not necessarily written to be an allegory for New Testament Christianity, the account of Naaman’s leprosy in 2 Kings 5 reinforces important principles about salvation—and helping others find it.
Naaman was a great man (2 Kings 5:1). He is commander of the Syrian army, held in high favor by his king, and a man of great strength in battle. Though not an Israelite, the Lord used Naaman to give victory to Syria.
Naaman was a sick man (2 Kings 5:1b). The first verse ends with the phrase, “but he was a leper.” His leprosy must not have been very severe, for he was able to continue his service in the army and enjoy family life with his wife. But he was still sick and in need of healing.
Naaman went to the most obvious of place for healing (2 Kings 5:4-7). Upon arriving in Israel, he went to the King of Israel. Powerful as he was, he admitted he could not heal Naaman. He even became paranoid this was a ploy to begin battle.
Naaman—because of his logical thinking—rejected the instructions given by Elisha (2 Kings 5:11-12). He came to Elisha thinking he would give him healing and make it easy. He wanted him to just speak the words, wave his hands over him and he’d be clean. Not only was the direction to dip in a river repulsive, but the choice of river angered Naaman because he knew of much cleaner rivers than the Jordan. In his mind, this “cure” didn’t make sense.
Naaman obeyed and was healed (2 Kings 5:14). Despite his hesitations, Naaman eventually did “according to the word of the man of God.” The text says that he was not only cleansed, but his flesh was restored like the flesh of a small child.
Though the above summary is in keeping with the text, it does leave out two significant moments in the story.
First, a young servant girl from Israel tells him of Elisha (2 Kings 5:2-3). She was carried away by Syria during a raid and became Naaman’s wife’s servant. She tells him about the prophet in Samaria (Elisha). Based on that information, he then travels to Israel. Without her influence, Naaman misses out.
Second, his personal servants convince him to dip in the Jordan (2 Kings 5:13). After he receives the illogical and offensive instructions from Elisha, he turns and goes away in his rage. His personal servants come to him and remind him about Elisha’s healing promise. He accepts their challenge and heads to the Jordan.
If those two moments play out differently, Naaman may have missed his healing altogether. Those were more than just moments, however. They were people. That little girl and those servants spoke up and guided Naaman in the direction he needed to go. They also made significant risks to do so. They were mere servants addressing a man of great stature and prominence. Their courage saved Naaman from his sickly existence.
You and I live with, work with, have fun with, and bump into “Naamans” every day. They’re great people, but they need salvation from the sickness of sin. As with Naaman, they need the word of the Lord to heal them. As with Naaman, they’ll likely object to sensibility of the Bible’s teachings regarding salvation. And just like Naaman, they need godly people—you and me—to lead them to the Lord time and time again. Despite the risks we see from our perspective, the rewards for them are too great to neglect.
Fortunately for Naaman’s health, the people around him loved him enough to help him find healing. Fortunately for our friends’ souls, the Lord places us in their lives; may we selflessly use daily opportunities to bring them to Him.