And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more than, when he says to you, “Wash, and be clean?”

II Kings 5:13 NKJV

Hoping David would be killed by the Philistines in I Samuel 19, Saul promised David he could marry Michal, Saul’s daughter, if David brought him 100 foreskins of the Philistines. David was pleased with such a challenge and reward before him. Through the strength of the Lord David brought king Saul not 100 but 200 foreskins of the Philistines.

Jacob loved Rachel so much he was willing to work a total of 14 years to gain her hand in marriage (Genesis 29).

With the promise from the Pope of the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in heaven, tens of thousands followed the Frankish and Latin led crusades to the Middle East to drive out the Muslims from the ‘holy land’ while the Muslims fought back for much the same reasons.

With the promise of great reward, men will pursue great deeds.

Naaman’s rage at Elisha’s message was directed at the manner and simplicity of it. The prophet himself did not even make an appearance and no great deed was required of Naaman. Furious, Naaman turned back to Syria where the rivers were far better than Israel’s Jordan. Naaman was done with Israel. But the Lord was not done with Naaman. Instead, the lowest in Naaman’s company, his servants, would again provide a message of deliverance.

As the little captive girl came to Naaman’s rescue at the beginning of the chapter so the servants of Naaman came to him in vs. 13 with a question: ‘What if Elisha had told you to do some great dead instead of a simple washing in the Jordan? Wouldn’t you have done it?’

These servants knew their master well. If Elisha had told Naaman to defeat Moab in battle in order to be healed, Naaman would likely have done it or died trying. If he told Naaman to bring double the silver and gold, Naaman would have brought it. If he had told Naaman to provide food for the prophets through the famine it would have been swiftly provided. Whatever the great dead Elisha had required, Naaman would have done it and his servants knew it. With that knowledge, the servants posed a question: If Naaman would do something great, why would Naaman stiffen his neck, harden his heart, and leave Israel in a rage without even doing the very simple thing Elisha told him to do?

The world around us scoffs at and scorns the church and servants of Jesus Christ for proclaiming such a simple message. “Salvation through the blood of some man that lived 2,000 years ago and died on a tree? That’s ridiculous! He didn’t stay dead but rose the third day, ascended, and is coming again? That’s crazy! If I repent of my sins and believe in that Jesus you Christians call the God Man, I will be saved? Foolishness! Give me something hard to do! Give me a set of rules to keep and I will get to heaven because my good deeds outweigh my bad. Give me a war to fight, a mission to carry out, a price to pay, anything and I will do it for heaven, but don’t give me the foolish message of salvation accomplished on the cross by Christ!” [1]

Though men may scoff and scorn God still has servants today continuing to present His message. He has servants in pulpits proclaiming the power and wisdom of God. He has servants in work places, neighborhoods, retirement homes, testifying to the world this simple truth: If you will pursue great deeds for salvation, why would you not repent of your sin and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation?

The wise of the world will ignore the simple message of the Bible because Satan has blinded their eyes. They will turn away in a rage or perhaps persecute the servants of the Lord but servants of the Lord cannot be afraid. They must continue to carry that message to a lost and dying world. They must continue to give an answer for the hope that is in them. For servants who have been given such great light cannot hide it.

Dear friends, Naaman only had to wash in the Jordan and be clean of his terrible leprosy. He initially rejected the message but his servants came to his aid. Will you as a servant of the Lord continue to spread the simple message of salvation and aid others who are turning from the truth? Perhaps by your testimony to God’s Word, some will heed the call of the Lord and be washed in the blood of the Lamb.

“And there is no other God besides Me, A just God and a Savior; There is none besides Me. Look to Me, and be saved. All you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isaiah 45:21-22).

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[1] The account of Naaman drives at the very heart of man today. Men will pursue worldly salvation that leads to hell. But when men hear the simple call of the gospel many turn their backs to Christ and scoff at the simple message of salvation. Remember the crowd at the tomb of Lazarus in John 11. Many turned from the glorious resurrection they just witnessed by the power of Jesus Christ and went to plot with the Pharisees as to how they might destroy Jesus. Others believed on Christ.

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