The people of Syria were at war with Israel. The commander of the army, Naaman, was a strong man but also sick. Really sick! He had leprosy—a terrible, uncurable skin disease. In his household was a little girl from God’s people. She was the servant of Naaman’s wife and had been kidnapped and forced to serve them. But instead of hating her enemies, she loved them. When she learned of her master’s leprosy, she told Naaman’s wife that there was a prophet in Israel who would cure him: Elisha! Naaman wasted no time. He traveled to see the prophet. When he arrived in Israel, Elisha told him: “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean” (2 Kings 5:10). Naaman was furious! “What? Why would I do that dirty thing in your dirty river? We have better rivers back home.” He got into his chariot and started to ride away. One of his servants, however, asked him to just try what the prophet asked and see if it works. Naaman humbled himself. His great need led him to obey God. He returned, walked down into the river, and dipped his whole body under the waters seven times, just as God had said. And do you know what happened? It worked! The prophet’s word worked. “His flesh,” the Bible says, “was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean” (5:14). Next Naaman stood before Elisha and said these important words, “I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel” (5:15). A little girl had told him about this God. In his great need, he’d looked to this God. And now he knew this God was real. He then offered the prophet some money for this miracle. He didn’t know that Israel’s God operates by grace. Elisha refused the money. He knew about God’s grace. God’s work was a gift, not something to buy. The end.

Well, not exactly. Later Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, wanted that money. So he tricked Naaman. While the servant girl had told the truth about God to Naaman, Gehazi lied about God and said Elisha now wanted the money. Gehazi cared more about his own profit than letting this foreigner know about God’s free grace. To cover his tracks, he lied to Elisha too. Not a good move. Two really bad moves. God then made his move. He judged Gehazi’s greed and dishonesty by giving him leprosy. Quite the reversal, huh?