Grace Notes // When We Were Kings Part 2
Week 7 // Healing, Wholeness and Muddy Rivers
Written by Kelsey Underwood
“Where is God inviting you to partner with Him in your healing?”
-Chris Moerman
This past Sunday, Pastor Chris introduced us to 2 Kings 5:1-14 where we met a man named Naaman who lived as a powerful military ruler and commander to King Aram’s army. In the first verse, we see the high regard, success, and favor Naaman carries in his life. Yet, we soon discover that he also bears a heavy burden despite his prosperity- leprosy afflicts Naaman.
Naaman’s wife has a servant who is a young Israelite girl that was captured during one of King Aram’s raids. Though a foreigner and lowly servant girl, she has the insight to point Naaman to the prophet Elisha to cure him of his leprosy.
Naaman goes to the king to inquire about the possibility of being healed by an Israelite and King Aram is all for it. He tells Naaman to go and that he will send a letter to the King of Israel to inform him of Naaman’s arrival and request of healing.
The King of Israel knows he can’t heal Naaman on his own. Fortunately, Elisha steps in and reminds the King he can send Naaman to his house to be cured. Naaman follows the orders of the Israelite King to go to Elisha’s house to be healed.
What unravels in the next several verses cuts me to the core.
We see Naaman’s grand arrival with chariots, horses, and his whole entourage making for a weird flex: Elisha had already agreed to heal Naaman, but Naaman came to his gate visually demonstrating how important he is despite his current health state. Prideful much?
Interestingly enough, Elisha doesn’t even come to greet Naaman at his own gate! Elisha sends his messenger to tell Naaman that he needs to wash himself in the Jordan River seven times to be healed. This enrages Naaman! His pride and ego are certainly bruised. Why on earth would he travel all this way to talk to a servant who tells him to bathe multiple times in a dirty river?! If he was going to bathe in the river, he could have done that at home.
This is the gut wrenching moment in the story for me because I identify so deeply with Naaman. I desperately desire to see healing in my life but sometimes I can be so blinded by my own expectations that I miss the actual work God is doing.
Too often we are distracted by our own pride, fears and expectations of God that we overlook what He is actually doing. Pastor Chris reflected on times when he has asked God to change his heat and what he was carrying, only to hear God respond asking, “When will you partner with me in your healing?”
I love the reminder that God doesn’t want to just heal our situation. God wants to heal us. Furthermore, He invites us to partner with Him in the process.
Through this story we see that God wasn’t only interested in healing Naaman of his leprosy, but using this situation to shift something in his heart. God was taking a holistic approach to heal Naaman of his pride and bigotry. God cared so much about the person of Naaman and who he would be after the leprosy was gone that He chose to do a whole work on his life.
And, the most amazing part? God desires that same total transformation for each of us as well.
In the end Naaman begrudgingly chose to go to the Jordan and bathe seven times. Once he was finished, he experienced his healing by the grace of God. (Often in the Bible, the number 7 can represent completion.)
Pastor Chris encouraged us that whatever our river is, we need to “keep dunking ourselves” and submitting to what God has asked of us. Regardless of when the healing or outcome occurs, it’s worth the continued effort and faithful sacrifice.
I’m grateful for the story of Naaman. It reminds me that God is always about total transformation - he won’t leave a work unfinished in me. Are we willing to lay down our expectations and partner with him in the process? ,
In The Word
2 Kings 5:1-14
John 5:1-6
Processing
Where are you in need of healing in your life?
Where do you see God inviting you to participate in your own transformation?
What steps can you take in your own healing/transformation?
What motivates you to persevere in trying times?