Pride is not our friend, it is an enemy that seeks to destroy us. Yes, it is good to have some “pride” in who you are and how you look, as well as having pride in the work you do. But to be so proud that it gets in the way of growing as a person and be likeable, then that kind of pride can hurt you. Look at these scriptures,

There are many more scriptures regarding pride but these are enough. Pride was the problem of the biblical character named Naaman.

Naaman was a great general and he was also a leper. Isn’t it interesting that Naaman was a general of the armies of the King of Aram and yet was not isolated like the lepers in Israel. It was quite possible that the leprosy that Naaman had was not the kind that caused debilitating results to the victim but may have been a minor kind that allow him to do his work and lead the soldiers under his command. Outside of the Israelite culture leprosy may have not been so feared and therefore some of those with leprosy could live within the society among other people.

God had placed a young Israelite girl in the home of Naaman as a slave captive, that was looking out for his great welfare. Naaman and his wife must have treated her kindly otherwise she would not have tried to help him. The young slave girl must have heard of Elisha and his healing powers before she was captured because she told Naaman’s wife about the miraculous healing powers of this prophet of Israel.

Having told Naaman what the slave girl said, Naaman went to the king and asked if he could go to Israel to be cured of leprosy. The king was all for it and even sent a letter with him to ask if the king of Israel would heal his servant Naaman. The king of Israel was confused and thought it must have been a trap of some sort possibly using this situation to start a war. He knew he could not heal this man, so in the fashion of the Israelites, he tore his robes and complained. When Elisha heard the king had torn his robes, he called for the king to send this man to him for there was a prophet in Israel. Isn’t it interesting that the young Israelite slave girl believed that the prophet of Israel could miraculously heal the general but the king didn’t even think of the prophet of God? Don’t you think that the king of Israel should have known that Elisha could cure the general of his leprosy?

Naaman went to the house of Elisha and expected to be royally welcomed because of who he was (because of his pride regarding who he was) but he was disappointed. Elisha sent a messenger to the general, who was at the door, and told him, “Go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored and you will be cleansed.”

Boy, was he not only disappointed but he was angry about the fact that Elisha didn’t come out to meet him and wave a hand over him and do the miracle of healing right there. But to just go to the dirty river of Jordan and plunge into it seven times is ridiculous. Naaman just declared that there were cleaner rivers in Damascus and why couldn’t he just go home and do it there? He just did not want to do what the prophet said to do to be healed because of his pride. He left Elisha’s house in a rage.

When the servant girl heard what had happened she went to the general and said to him, that if the prophet had asked him to do some act of bravery, he would have done it and not thought a second thought about it. But, when she said the prophet just told him to do a simple task to go and dip himself seven times in the river, he complained. She must have been a very brave young girl. She must have shamed him or just made sense to him because he went right away to the River Jordan and dipped in it seven times and after the seventh time going under the water of the Jordan River he came up with his skin cleansed of leprosy!

Naaman, without his pride, went back to the prophet to reward him with gifts and to declare, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel,” but the prophet met him this time personally and refused to accept anything from him for the miracle even though Naaman urged him to.

That is the story of Naaman being baptized not for his salvation but for his cleansing of the leprosy that covered his body. What can we learn from this biblical event in the life of Elisha and Naaman?

There is a God!

He is the God of Israel.

There was a prophet of Israel who had such wonderful powers from God to heal. But, if we are being truthful, it is God who heals and not the prophets of God. Elisha didn’t do what Naaman needed, he pointed to the God who could do this miraculous event for the man who was not even a Israelite.

Why would God heal someone who was not even a believer in Him? To show him and all who knew him that there was truly only One Holy and Righteous God and He was the God of Israel!

Why did God choose the Jordan River and not one of the clean ones in Damascus? It is not the method that is important in healing it is the Healer and the Giver of life.

God can do what He wants with whatever He chooses and He can use whatever instruments He desires to complete His will.

You can not out give God.

God will use the most insignificant person to have His will accomplished.

We all should share the good news about God with others: who He is and what He can do.

Our testimonies will make a difference for someone else’s life.

Baptism doesn’t cleanse you of sin, it is the obedience to God that is the agent of God’s so He can go forth and share His miracles with those who follow Him.

And finally, PRIDE could have caused Naaman to have missed his miracle. But submitting to the will of God and becoming humble before God brought healing to a sick man!

Today, some of you will be baptized into the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism doesn’t save you but it is done out of obedience to the Lord’s command. Be faithful to your Savior and Lord and He will guide you in your life as your Master and King of your life.