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?” So Naaman turned and went away in a rage. But his officers tried to reason with him 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 5:11-13 NLT
Naaman was a great warrior, admired by his king. He was used to getting respect. He had leprosy and no one could heal it. Though it was clearly in its early stages, it would end life for him as he knew it long before it killed him. It was so contagious and debilitating that he could not stay around people, even his family or his army, with it. A little servant girl in his household said she knew a prophet in her home country of Israel, a place that had been conquered by Aram’s army. Because he was desperate, he humbled himself enough to try. When he arrived there, he was outraged that Elisha treated him like an ordinary person. The prophet didn’t even come out to see him. Instead, he sent his servant to tell Naaman that he needed to wash himself in the Jordan River, dipping seven times, and he would be healed.
Naaman was infuriated at what he received as treatment unsuitable to him and his position. The help he was offered had no resemblance to what he had assumed he would receive. Getting in the small dirty river Jordan was beneath him. But his officers were wiser than their commander. They reminded him that it was likely he would have something great and dignified had he been asked; so why wouldn’t he obey the simple direction he had been given? They were right. It was not just humbling himself enough to ask for help. Naaman had to humble himself enough do what Elisha commanded to be healed.
I have witnessed this mistake many times. Someone asks for help, but it ends up being futile. They won’t be humble enough to take the insights, the help, when it is offered. Help generally doesn’t come in the form of a magic wand. It requires cooperation. Many times, we know we need help and we humble ourselves enough to ask. But when the help doesn’t look like we dreamed, we don’t take it. As a counselor/pastor my “help” has been rejected many times. There’s where humility must figure in for me. I must let them refuse the help without exasperation. There’s no future in trying to heal lepers who won’t step into the water. Giving help without expectations also requires humbly going to God for my own help.
- Humility and help go hand in hand. It’s as essential for the giver as the recipient. Help me, Father.