Naaman's Ego

Greetings, Sisters, Brothers, and Friends,

Sunday’s reading in 2 Kings 5 was a good example of how our ego can get in the way of God’s healing powers.

Naaman was commander of the army of Aram, a great man and in high favor with his master. Even though he was a mighty warrior, he suffered from some form of skin disease.

Convinced by a little Hebrew girl to go see Elisha, Naaman gathered his horses and chariots, and silver and gold and garments, and went to see him. He was obviously expecting to have to pay a lot, and was expecting to be treated to an important ceremony for his healing: “I thought that for me Elisha would surely come out, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and would wave his hand over the spot, and cure the leprosy!”

But what did Elisha the prophet do instead? He sent a servant to Naaman with a message, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be clean.” It was almost as if Elisha called out of the kitchen window to Naaman in passing, “Oh, it’s you. Well, just go down to the river and wash up, and you’ll be OK.”

Not being treated like he thought he should, Naaman got angry (or rather his ego got angry), and he left “in a rage.” His ego got in the way of his cure.

Sometimes God’s cures will come in the simple things in life, but we don’t see them because we think we deserve more or we expect more. We are blinded by our ego that wants to be “puffed up.”

Please slow down this week and watch for the little things that God does for us to make our lives whole and healthy. It doesn’t take much. He speaks in a whisper, a breeze in the trees, a smile from a friend, the color of a bird or flower, a bite of good food that nourishes our body, a beautiful Bible verse that nourishes our soul.

Your too-fast Brother,

Daniel-Joseph