Two Servants…

So my last post was on Naaman his account is in 2 Kings 5, but his account has other people in it.  Namely two servants.  The first one is a young girl.  She was kidnapped from her homeland, Israel, during a raid and brought to Naaman’s house to serve his wife.  We don’t know her name, nor her age, but she is called a servant girl.  So she was not very old.  She cared enough about her master Naaman to tell his wife about the prophet in Samaria, Elisha.  This girl risked quite a bit by saying that if ONLY her master went to this prophet she KNEW he would be healed.  She had quite a view of God.  I can only imagine how servants were treated who sent their masters on a fool’s errand.  However she understood that God was powerful, that Elisha was His spokesman, and that Naaman could be healed.  Her testimony and her willingness to speak up shames me.  How often do I keep the truth to myself for fear of being laughed at or thought crazy.  How often do I know the cure, the cure to what ails you…The disease is sin the cure is Christ and I hold it to myself…Because I am afraid of people, not God.  Oh Father forgive me and make me more like this servant girl.

At the tail end of the account of Naaman’s healing is another servant.  This man was a faithful servant to Elisha.  His name is Gehazi.  You see after Naaman was healed of leprosy, he went back to Elisha and tried to pay him.  Elisha refused knowing that it wasn’t he who did the miracle, but God.  Elisha refused to steal God’s glory and he sent Naaman on his way a changed man, healed of disease and honoring God.  Now Gehazi didn’t like it.  He thought Elisha was too easy on Naamnan, this Aramean.  So Gehazi runs after Naaman, lies to him to get some payment, and hides it in his house.  Elisha finds out his sin and Gehazi has to deal with leprosy himself and in his descendants because of his hypocrisy.  So essentially Gehazi thought, Naaman isn’t even an Israelite, he isn’t one of God’s chosen people, so WHY should he get off that easy?  Don’t we do the same to ourselves and others.  It can’t be that easy to be saved, we have to do something more than just believe right?  I mean at least do a few good works.  Believing is just too easy.  Or we look around at those in the world and decide that God cannot save him or her.  When they do come to a saving faith instead of rejoicing, we think that was too easy…Their sin was too great for them to just accept Jesus.  It isn’t fair.  Oh, it reminds me of the Prodigal son’s older brother who asks where is my party when the Father rejoices over his brother returning; or the workers in the field that worked all day but got the same wages as those who worked only a few hours.  It is as if we demand justice, but don’t realize what that would mean.  JUSTICE means we all, you, me, everyone goes to hell.  That is just, that is fair.  However in God’s GREAT MERCY, He forgives us all.  Regardless of our heritage, regardless of our past, regardless of our future sins, God’s amazing grace extends to ALL of us who accept Jesus as our savior.  Even if it is someone we don’t particularly like.  Even if it is an enemy.  Don’t let us forget that we were all once enemies of God and Christ died for us while we were His enemies…WHY?  So that we, His enemies, could spend eternity with Him.  Oh Father forgive me that I shout UNFAIR, when You are just and gracious.  Forgive me for being judgmental and harsh to those who come to You broken and scarred.  Father remind me that I am broken and scarred too.  That without Your Son I have nothing.  Thank You that it is only by His blood that I can come to You.  That through His sacrifice on the cross, You call me righteous.  That because He shed His blood, I get to be called a child of God.  Oh Father give me Your heart for those lost without You.  May my words and deeds point them to You.