February 21, 2025

Passage Read: 2 Kings 4-7
Meditation Verses: 5:9-11

Thought

Naaman was a hero to his people, great in their eyes and in the eyes of his king. But he was humiliated by this leprosy. For all his greatness, people would be afraid to be around him. They would shun him as much as possible. So it's interesting that Elisha deliberately didn't go out to him when he arrives at his door. He sends a servant instead. He's not impressed by Naaman and shuns him too, unashamedly. For all Naaman's pomp, he's still an unclean leper. But once Naaman is cleansed, once he has humbled himself to follow Elisha's instructions, then he meets him face to face...and refuses his gift!

Application

I don't need to be overly impressed by people of great standing. Whoever they are, they're still just people, and more likely than not, they are unclean in their unrepentance and sin. They don't need to be treated like heroes, but like ordinary people. They're not impressive, but desperately in need of forgiveness and salvation. When cleansed and saved, I can honor them as a brother or sister, but they're still just ordinary people.