Driven: Compelled to Missions by Christ’s LoveSýnishorn

Kindness for an Aramean

Leprosy often robbed sufferers of first their circulation and then their fingers, toes, and facial features. A brutal disease more common in the time of Israel’s kings, leprosy left people unable to function and forced them to live apart from society. Dr. Paul Brand, in Fearfully and Wonderfully Made, says that even in the modern-day world people can shrink in disgust from lepers and their disfigurements.

The writer of Second Kings lists the successes of Naaman as commander of Aram’s army, then concludes with the foreboding phrase, “but he had leprosy.” Even with all the resources of Aram’s military and his superiors, Naaman’s case probably felt hopeless. Then Israel’s loving God intervened in the form of a compassionate servant girl.

We would excuse this young unnamed girl, taken captive from Israel and made Naaman’s wife’s servant, if she had simply kept her head down and minded her own business. We’d even expect her to mumble under her breath about Naaman, “Serves you right for keeping slaves.” Instead this girl told Naaman’s wife about Elisha, “the prophet who is in Samaria.” Remarkably, this slave hoped for a cure for the people who’d stolen her from her family.

Elisha not only healed Naaman, he also assured him that the Lord would not blame Naaman for kneeling before a false god to help his Aramean master kneel. When Gehazi lies to Naaman and then Elisha, trying to cheat the foreigner, Elisha pronounces that the Aramean’s disease will fall on the Israelite.

Naaman’s healing encounter with Elisha shows not only that God would cure an Aramean, but that the Lord would use an anonymous servant girl whose kindness would be remembered for many centuries.