Contemplative Bible Reading

2 Kings 5:6-8 (New International Version 2010)

⁶ The letter that he took to the king of Israel read: “With this letter I am sending my servant Naaman to you so that you may cure him of his leprosy.”

⁷ As soon as the king of Israel read the letter, he tore his robes and said, “Am I God? Can I kill and bring back to life? Why does this fellow send someone to me to be cured of his leprosy? See how he is trying to pick a quarrel with me!”

⁸ When Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Israel had torn his robes, he sent him this message: “Why have you torn your robes? Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

These verses continue the (hi)story of Naaman, the general afflicted with a skin disease who was cured by washing in the dirty Jordan River seven times. At this point in the (hi)story, Naaman has gone to his king and asked for diplomatic papers for the King of Israel. The king of Aram sends a brief note to the king of Israel. It says:

Cure my man of his incurable disease, thanks, have a nice day.

The king of Israel tears out his hair. He has been set up for failure, and once he fails, the king of Aram will have just cause for a little invasion and all sorts of mayhem. To all this angst over international politics, the prophet Elisha has a simple response.

I am a man of God. What’s the problem? Send him over.

Maybe my retelling of the (hi)story is a bit flippant. The king of Israel did have plenty of international problems as well as internal idolatry. His life was miserable and he didn’t need any more provocation. All this stress caused him to lose sight of God and God’s power.

Elisha lived a much simpler life. He was also much closer to God. Maybe those two things aren’t coincidental. Maybe there is a big lesson there. I think so.