Naaman was a person who contracted leprosy; he wasn’t an Israelite. Through a slave girl, he came to know about the prophet Elisha who healed him.

Luke 4:27
And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.

There were many people who contracted leprosy in Israel during the time of Elisha, but none were recorded being healed except Naaman. Why was this the case? It goes to show no one was seeking God during that time. The only person who was recorded to have been healed didn’t come from Israel, but Syria. Jesus hence made mention of him. Naaman was a gentile, a non-Israelite, not one of the people of God; why was he shown grace?

Let us examine what kind of interaction Naaman had with the people of Israel. According to 2 Kings 5, the Syrians were the people who raided the land of Israel. Naaman was an invader! He wasn’t one who served the Lord God nor had good relations with the Israelites. Instead he was an attacker and one who took the Israelites captive! How did someone like Naaman receive help from Elisha? What qualities did his faith have?

2 Kings 5:1-3
Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

Naaman was a great and honourable man in the eyes of his master. He was of great status in the kingdom of Syria. It was by him the Lord had given Syria victory.

A young Israelite girl was taken captive to wait on Naaman’s wife. Upon knowing Naaman had leprosy, she said, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.”

Naaman was renowned in Samaria. He would’ve been able to consult the great physicians in the country. Naaman was a great general, yet he listened to and accepted what a young servant girl from Israel said. Some people go after any possible solution when they are sick. Perhaps Naaman was such a person and just wanted to be healed. However, the fact that he listened to the young servant girl from Israel was something. Her suggestion was to seek a prophet from the very country he had just defeated. He may have thought: “If this prophet was so good, why didn’t he stop the country from being defeated?” Nevertheless, Naaman went to tell his master what the servant girl said, convincing the king of Syria to write a letter to the king of Israel to allow him to be sent for healing.

2 Kings 5:8-14
So it was, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, “Why have you torn your clothes? Please let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

When the king of Israel received the letter from the king of Syria, he tore his clothes. When Elisha heard what the king of Israel did, he told the the king to tell Naaman to find him. Naaman did so. When Naaman arrived at Elisha’s house, Elisha didn’t receive him well. Instead of receiving him personally, he sent someone else to give instructions to him. Naaman became furious. Why? He thought the prophet would come out to him, stand and call in the name of the Lord and wave his hand over the place to heal his leprosy. He also felt indignant about having to wash in the Jordan River when there were already great rivers in Damascus.

We can probably empathise with Naaman’s frustration. He turned and went away in a rage. A person was is truly desperate would be willing to do anything. But Naaman was so fed up, he wasn’t willing.

As Naaman turned and went away in a rage, his servant said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” This simple sentence was logical, and convinced Naaman.

One of the reasons Naaman was healed was because he had faith, or at the very least was willing to seek help. What was it that allowed him to listen to others? Notice who the people he listened to were. They weren’t great people; they were his servants. Although Naaman was someone of high status and able to meet directly with the king, he was willing to heed the counsel/advice of his servants. From this, we understand Naaman wasn’t a proud person. It was because of his humility that he listened to the servant girl, and to his servant as he turned away in anger after hearing Elisha’s instructions.

This is something we can learn from. We may have some status in society today like Naaman, but are we willing to listen to those who are below us? We may think they lack the experience and have no place to advise us.

Matt 18:3-4
Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me.

If we are unable to be like little children, we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. In what aspect should we become like little children? According to v4, we have to be as humble as a little child.

Naaman was of high status in society, but he was willing to listen to the words of his servants. This is the kind of humility a little child has. A little child is able to listen to the suggestions of others. Young children can be mischievous and naughty, but they can still be taught. It is when they grow up and enter the rebellious phase does it become harder to teach them. They feel they have enough experience and don’t need to rely on older people anymore; they no longer fear the scoldings of those who are older; some teenagers start working from a younger age as well and don’t need to rely on their parents financially anymore. When a child is told not to do something, after being told a few times, they change and obey.

Like little children, we must be taught by the word of God. Are we able to be like this today? When someone points out your character flaws and attitude, will you retort, “You don’t even know me! You’re not even that good yourself, what gives you the right to say me?” Whether the person who points out the wrong is lacking himself is one thing, but whether the wrong he has pointed out of you is true is another. Why focus on his wrong when what he has pointed out about us is true? Do they say this out of evil intention? If it is, we don’t need to entertain them. But if it’s good, should we not consider it and try to change? We have all been baptised in Christ, we shouldn’t have the remnants of the old man anymore. Will we listen like a little child? Or refuse to listen to others, insisting that we are right? Even if a little child points out our wrong according to the Bible, we should listen. Even if someone we have bad relations with reasonably points out our wrong according to the Bible, we should listen. This is what it means to be a little child, to be willing to listen and be taught.

Naaman had the attitude of a little child. This was why he was able to receive healing, and was even mentioned in the Bible.

After Naaman was healed, was that the end of the story? After being healed, Naaman started to believe in the Lord God.
2 Kings 5:13-18
Naaman did not just receive healing, he received an understanding that the God of Israel was the true God; his faith developed. “Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” Besides believing in God, Naaman also wanted to worship and serve Him. This was evidenced by the gifts he wanted to give (v15) and the concern he raised about sinning against God (v18 “Yet in this thing may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master goes into the temple of Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand, and I bow down in the temple of Rimmon—when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the Lord please pardon your servant in this thing.”). For some of us, after believing in Jesus, we lack concern about sinning against Him.

Because Naaman was humble like a little child, he was able to gain a faith to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. If we turn it the other way: if we are not humble like a little child, we will not be able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Who was the glory of God shown to?
1. Naaman and his servants
When he returned back, he would bring this faith back to his family, and they would in turn experience God’s glory.

2. The king of Israel
2 Kings 5:8
He was Joram, the son of evil King Ahab. His reaction when he received the letter - tearing his clothes - reflects his lack of trust in God. But through this miracle, he was able to see God’s glory and abidance in Israel.

3. The king of Syria
He may not have believed the words of the servant girl that Naaman first told him about, but he would’ve been able to witness the healed Naaman when he returned.

4. The Israelite servant girl
She introduced prophet Elisha to Naaman. This may not have been easy to do, given she had been taken captive. During the time of Ahab, few people still worshipped God, and she was one of the few. Despite being taken captive, she still worshipped God; she believed God and His prophet had power. When Naaman returned healed, the servant girl would be able to worship her God in a foreign land. She no longer needed to do it in secret; she could worship together with her master. She was able to see the glory of God and His grace.

5. Gehazi
2 Kings 5:15-27
He had seen the power of God through Elisha, but he now experienced the power of God for himself, because of his greed. Naaman had offered Elisha some gifts but Elisha turned them down. Greedy Gehazi went after Naaman, lied and asked for two talents of silver and two changes of garments. This sullied the miracle God had performed, but God showed His glory by pronouncing judgement on him. It wasn’t just Gehazi who contracted leprosy; all his descendants would have it. This was a simple miracle by Elisha but God’s glory was manifested.

God’s glory was shown through the small actions of these people. Do we consider whether our actions reflect the glory of God? We often do not consider God in our actions. Remind ourselves of this. We may be weak but we should strive to show God’s glory in our daily life. God would be pleased with us if we do so.