The story of “Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria” (5:1). Now, “he was a mighty man of valor, but he was a leper” (5:1). And around this illness does the story resolve. Given the solution to his leprosy – to dip in the River Jordan (such a simple thing to do!) – he stubbornly refused, and “His servants came near and said to him, ‘My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, Wash, and be clean'?’” (5:13) Such stubbornness! Such pride! How do we often put the matter? He was willing to “cut off his nose to spite his face.” How foolish!
All this makes me think about the gospel. It is such good news – Repent and believe and have abundant and eternal life! – that people, in their stubbornness and pride, say, “I can’t rely upon another. I’ll do my best and hope that it’s good enough.” Now, there’s the story of Gehazi and his greed and several stories of deliverance and of miracles. But this thing with Naaman . . . until he was willing to humble himself and dip in the river, he would remain a leper. But if he dipped in the river, well, healing and joy. It’s amazing to me that it was such a problem for Naaman to do such a simple thing. It’s amazing to me that people turn away from the goodness of the gospel.
Bring all your sin to the Crucified One,
Jesus will wash it away;
Haste for your life! unto Calvary run,
Jesus will wash it away.
Come, come, and his bidding obey,
Come, come, and believing you’ll say,
Jesus hath saved me praise him today,
Jesus hath washed my sin away. -- Eliza E. Hewitt (1899)
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