Naaman Healed of Leprosy

The event

Naaman is commander of the army of Aram, Israel's frequent enemy, a man of great standing whose life is upended by leprosy. It is a captured young Israelite servant girl in his household — unnamed, powerless, and far from home — who tells her mistress about the prophet in Samaria, setting in motion Naaman's journey to Elisha with a letter from his own king and a small fortune in silver, gold, and fine clothing.

Elisha doesn't even come out to meet him personally; he simply sends a messenger with instructions to wash seven times in the Jordan River. Naaman is furious — he expected a dramatic ritual, and besides, aren't the rivers of Damascus better than any water in Israel? Only his servants' gentle persuasion talks him into trying the humble, unimpressive instruction after all, and when he does, his skin is restored like the flesh of a little child.

Naaman returns and makes a remarkable confession of faith — that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel — while Elisha's own servant Gehazi, driven by greed, secretly chases Naaman down for payment Elisha had refused, and is struck with the very leprosy Naaman left behind. Jesus later cites this healing of a Gentile foreigner, rather than any Israelite leper of that era, as proof that God's grace has always reached beyond ethnic Israel — a truth this whole episode illustrates beautifully, right down to the unnamed servant girl who started it all.

Scripture references

• 2 Kings 5
• Luke 4:27