A Tale of Two Servants…okay make that three! 2 kings 5

Whether we know it or not we are all serving somebody. It could be our parents at home, managers at work or our governmental leaders. The truth is we all serve someone. Jesus made this point in Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount: you cannot serve two masters, you will either love the one or hate the other or be devoted to the one and despise the other; you cannot serve God and mammon (Matthew 6:24). Is there ever more a contemporary word that we need to hear than this one? Society teaches us to be empowered with our choice and call that freedom. It’s all about you and what aids and fuels your dreams. It infects us all with varying measures. 


Today’s Scripture from 2 Kings 5 is about two servants: Naaman and Gehazi. This story contrasts a Syrian and an Israelite. Naaman is a leprous war general who is described as a great man with his master (5:1). In other words, his greatness is measured in connection with his service. The surprising detail given concerning Naaman’s life is that the Lord, the God of Israel is with the Syrian commander. What is the Lord doing here? Isn’t He supposed to be fighting Israel’s battles? Why then is God with the enemy? It is a sobering reminder that God does not wear the colours of our flag when wars are fought.

On the other hand we have Elisha’s servant Gehazi. He serves the man of God and runs various errands and carries word of Elisha’s bidding. Gehazi comes to us in this story when Naaman is healed by dipping in the Jordan River in Israel seven times (5:14). Gehazi sees the healing and that his master refuses any reward from Naaman even though there is a handsome amount offered (5:5b). Gehazi gets greedy and wants to capitalize on this missed opportunity. Gehazi is looking for a "get-rich-quick" scheme in light of God's righteous deed. Observe that Gehazi is seeking to longer be a servant here and that leads to his demise. He chases after dreams of wealth and status and fame and Naaman and says that there are guests who have come and we’ll take some of what you offered. After Gehazi snatches the two talents (150 lbs of gold) and two changes of clothing that afford a lump-sum of money to say the least. When Gehazi comes back Elisha, his master questions him where he has been and Gehazi lies. The man of God uncovers what Gehazi did and then pronounced the leprosy that was removed from Naaman is now on him. The story ends with Gehazi leprous until his death. One wonders where the money and clothing went that Gehazi collected afterward. Not of much use when you are isolated from society.

So then, the two servants here both have issues. Naaman whose name means pleasantness or beautiful which suggests something of his appearance and character struggles with not having Elisha doing a miraculous deed for him. He must submit to the Jordan River in Israel (sound like what Jesus did?). Naaman is healed of his leprosy! Meanwhile Gehazi’s name means valley of vision. This appears to suggest Gehazi sees but as the story is told he sees with self-interest and dollar signs in his eyes. The story begins with a great servant Naaman having leprosy and it ends with an unfaithful servant having leprosy. Naaman is reported to have the living God at His side fighting along with him in war (against Israel no less). Gehazi is described as being a servant to the man of the same living God who is with Naaman. Naaman in the end finds healing because of the unnamed servant girl in Israel who refers him to Elisha (5:3). Gehazi relies on his own sight and greed and that blights his life and destroys him. What a contrast! The outsider from Israel turns out to be more righteous than the insider in Israel. What a reversal!

Two things we must hear in a way that encourages our life with the Lord is: (1) we all have involvement of the Holy God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit in our lives; (2) will we be found to be faithful or unfaithful to the service we are put in? May we all indeed be found as servants who watch and labour when our Master, the Lord Jesus Christ comes suddenly and unexpectedly! Give glory to God and to Him alone for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.

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