Devotional on 2 Kings 5:19-27
A few months after we were married, Diana and I had to buy a new car. So we went to a car dealership, and it was an experience we never forgot!
After roaming the lot for a while, we found a car we thought was a good fit for us and our budget. So we went inside with the salesman and did some paperwork. Then the manager said he would bring the car up for us to test drive.
When the car pulled up to us, something was strange. It wasn't the car we wanted to look at. It was a newer car. A nicer car. A more expensive car.
When we questioned the salesman about this, he tried to get us to test drive it.
"You deserve this car!" he said enthusiastically.
Deserve it?
I don't know about you, but anytime I've thought I "deserved" something, I've gotten into trouble!
Yesterday, we looked at the story of when the prophet Elisha healed a big-shot army commander named Naaman. Today, we are continuing the story.
After Naaman is healed of leprosy, he is overcome with gratitude. To show his appreciation, he wants to give gifts to Elisha. But Elisha refuses.
I think Elisha refuses because he wants to show Naaman that gifts from God can't be bought. Naaman was used to buying his way to the front of the line. But that's not how things work in God's kingdom. So Elisha sends Naaman home in peace.
And that's when things get interesting. Because Elisha has a servant named Gehazi. And Gehazi thinks Elisha is being a bit of a pushover. He should have taken Naaman's gifts!
Here's what happens:
But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha, the man of God, said to himself, "My master should not have let this Aramean get away without accepting any of his gifts. As surely as the Lord lives, I will chase after him and get something from him." So Gehazi set off after Naaman. When Naaman saw Gehazi running after him, he climbed down from his chariot and went to meet him. "Is everything all right?" Naaman asked. "Yes," Gehazi said, "but my master has sent me to tell you that two young prophets from the hill country of Ephraim have just arrived. He would like 75 pounds of silver and two sets of clothing to give to them.” (v. 20-22)
"We deserve this!" thought Gehazi. "And if Elisha is too naive to see that, then I'm going to do something about it!"
So Gehazi chases Naaman down and lies to him. It turns out, Gehazi says, that Elisha does want some money after all. Naaman is all too happy to oblige and gives Gehazi double what he asks for.
Then Gehazi goes home and hides the gifts in his house. He knows Elisha wouldn't be too happy about this...
I think we all have a little Gehazi in us, whispering that we deserve something. We've worked hard. We've paid our dues in life. Don't we deserve "this" (whatever "this" is?).
Maybe we do deserve it, at least by the world's standards. But the problem comes when we try to take what we deserve. It's easy to grow bitter and envious when we think we deserve something.
I know I've been there. It's so easy to think, "Hey, I've worked way harder than that guy! Why does he seem more happier/wealthier/successful than me?"
But the comparison trap is a dangerous game no one wins.
The story of Gehazi doesn't end too happily. Elisha knows what went down. He says these chilling words to Gehazi:
”Because you have done this, you and your descendants will suffer from Naaman's leprosy forever." When Gehazi left the room, he was covered with leprosy; his skin was white as snow. (v. 27)
Indeed, it would be easy to say that in the end, Gehazi DID get what he deserved. But I can't judge Gehazi for his sin. I have been in Gehazi's shoes many times.
Gehazi's punishment seems harsh, and it can make us uncomfortable. Whenever I run up against a Bible story like this, I try to lean into the tension and not resolve it too quickly. I sit in it for a moment and remember that I am no better than any of the characters in it. I need to remember Gehazi's story whenever I feel resentful or entitled. I need God's grace so much.
One thing I do know is that Gehazi's story wasn't over. We see him again in 2 Kings 8, telling the king of Israel about the great things Elisha has done. Some commentators point out that perhaps Gehazi was healed of his leprosy at this point. We can only speculate.
If he was healed, he probably knew he didn't deserve it.
And maybe that's when the whole thing finally clicked!
As we begin our day, here are some questions to ponder:
Why do you think Gehazi was upset that Elisha refused Naaman's gifts?
Have you ever thought you "deserved" something? How did it make you feel and act?
How can you let go of the things you "deserve" and trust God to provide for you today?
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If you enjoyed this devotional, please take a moment to check out my Nobody Left Out series of devotionals. They were written to help ordinary people (like me!) grow in their relationship with Jesus.
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