Jordan River

 

Then his servants came near and spoke to him and said, “My father, had the prophet told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”  2 Kings 5:13

Naaman was the captain of the host of the army of the king of Syria, and he had leprosy. He was given an Israelite maid for his wife, and the maid told her that there was a prophet in Samaria who could cure Naaman.

The king sent Naaman with a letter to the king of Israel. Naaman also took gold, silver, and clothes as gifts.

“Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man is sending word to me to cure a man of his leprosy?”

Elisha heard about the request and sent world to the king to send Naaman to him.  Naaman, his horses, chariots, gold, silver, and changes of clothes gathered outside Elisha’s doorway.

Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh will be restored to you and you will be clean.”

Naaman was furious.

Behold, I thought, ‘He will surely come out to me and stand and call on the name of the LORD his God, and wave his hand over the place and cure the leper.’ “Are not Abanah and Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.

Naaman must have treated his servants kindly. The maid showed she cared about him when she told his wife about Elisha, and the servants were bold enough to approach him and tell him that he would have done mighty things to be healed. Yet, washing in the Jordan was simple.

Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Naaman was free to let go of mighty works.

Free to let go of gold, silver, changes of clothes.

Free to let go of the great prophet waving his hand.

Free to obey.

Free to be cleansed.

Free to be healed.

What are you holding onto?

There is freedom in letting go.

My prayer for you

Our Father in heaven, we praise You that by Your very breath, we have life. By Your own dear Son, we have forgiveness. By You, we live, and move, and have our being. By You, we have everything we need. Teach us to let go of our works and cling to You. Thank You for healing. Thank You for who You are. Thank You for loving us. We open our hands to You. We let go of our works and rest in You.