#108: The World’s Search for God’s Favor
Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.” So he departed and took with him ten talents of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing.
II Kings 5:5 NKJV
Phillip the evangelist went to Samaria with the gospel in Acts 8 and many believed and were baptized, including one Simon the sorcerer who claimed to believe the Word of the Lord. When Peter and John came to strengthen the growing church in Samaria and the Holy Spirit came upon many, Simon wanted the gift to lay hands on people like Peter and John. In exchange for this ability, Simon foolishly offered Peter and John money as if the Holy Spirit could be purchased.
While foolish to approach God and His free gift as something that can be bought, this is the way that most of the world expects to obtain glory, Heaven, or some form of salvation. The Jews seek to obtain salvation through their law keeping. Interestingly, Muslims seek to obtain salvation the same way, just with a different law. Buddhists seek a higher level through their own meditation and focus. Roman Catholics applaud God’s grace and merit for conversion but add man’s personal works in order to get to heaven, so that salvation is received by grace plus one’s works (semi-pelagianism).* Either with money, with works, or a combination of the two, the result is the same, nearly everyone is trying to buy their way to Heaven. But eternal life, and freedom from sin and its curse are not received by our works or money but are received by the grace of God alone. For this reason, it is amazing and powerful grace.
When Naaman departed Syria to find the prophet in Israel spoken of by his young captive he made great preparations to purchase this healing. He brought ten talents of silver (perhaps as much as 50-90 lbs) and six thousand shekels of gold (likely 10-20 lbs) along with ten changes of clothing. To put this in perspective, King Amaziah hired 100,000 soldiers from Israel to join him in battle at a cost of 100 talents of silver (II Chron. 25:6). Naaman brought enough silver to hire 10,000 soldiers for war. This was a massive gift that matched his desperate need of healing. Naaman would not hold back any expense.
If the gods of the world are expected to show favor they require great works and sacrifices from their followers. The king of Moab offered his son as a sacrifice on the wall in an attempt to gain favor. Naaman assumed that he would need to bring a great financial gift in order to receive the healing of the Lord.
The gift of God cannot be bought with money or earned by mighty deeds of the flesh. Eternal life and salvation are entirely free gifts of God, such that adding to the gift is denying the work of the gift giver, Jesus Christ, who died that we might have life to the uttermost. So God calls us, “Ho! Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price… Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live…” (Isaiah 55:1, 3a).
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* “Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgives and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal good like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions” (Roman Catholic Catechism #2010 – emphasis added).
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