Elisha, Gehazi, & The Commander

 

Dear friends,

Greetings in Jesus name!

A little housekeeping first, please.

i.This post ends the focus on the Old Testament prophets for now; we will come back to 2nd Kings and Jezebel & then Isaiah in Lent of next year.  But as we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas in what continues to be a difficult and illogical year for obvious reasons, we should look at biblical teaching on character, lest we forget what the Bible says about such characteristics. Those topics are listed at the end of this post.

ii.Should you need to, all posts are on the Blog at dreliatjacobsladder.blogspot.com. These are just posts that are share as I walk. No mission, no donations, no church etc; let us continue…

Elisha & The Commander, 2 Kings 4:1-37

Going on from Elijah, this section shows Elisha doing several wondrous deeds; from the miracles which save children from debt slavery, to the Shunamite woman and her son, to purifying a pot of stew, and feeding a 100 strong crowd of hungry folk, with only 20 barley loaves and some grain. Interesting that just as Elijah brought salvation i.e. deliverance, to the widow of Zarepath in Sidon, who was both a widow and a foreigner and so a minority, Elisha heals no lepers other than Naaman the Syrian, no?.

God does not set boundaries in deciding whom God’s mercy falls upon. Our notions of ‘differentness’ - of race, color, custom, tradition, religion……..do not matter at all in God’s sight. Any claim along such lines will fail. All that matters is how we treat each other, and how we are treated.

The story begins with a conversation between the Commander’s wife and her Israelite housemaid about the Commander’s condition. The housemaid is a slave, and she remembers her background and heritage, and says that there is a prophet in Israel; there may be healing there!

This is a great man, Commanding General  of the Syrian King’s army.  But he has a life changing problem – he has leprosy! If he cannot fix this, it will be the end.

He asks the Syrian King about Elisha. But his King does not know and decides to send Naaman to the Israelite King, who gets very upset at such actions and expectations! This news comes to Elisha, who tells the Israelite King to send the Commander to him, so that he may know there is a prophet in Israel. Naaman sets out, bearing gifts to pay for the best available health care. With his entourage, he heads for Elisha’s location.

The prophet is not to be found. But a messenger comes out and tells him what the prophet says he is to do –  go and wash in the Jordan, seven times.

This is a bit much for the Commander. No special treatment; not even an assistant prophet to tend to him; just a messenger. And then to be told to just go and wash in the river 7 times? Some sort of test? No pomp and ceremony? Go wash, just as everyone goes down and washes in the river? I could wash in the river back home! In a rage, the General leaves.

But his servants convince him to try it out. After all, what has he got to lose? It is but a small and simple request, easily done. Finally, he goes, and to his astonishment, he is healed. Incredible! How could such a thing happen? Naaman is ecstatic and would like to pay for services rendered, but this is neither expected nor approved of. No compensation is needed. God is not interested in $. Struggling to show gratitude and yet satisfy his own transactional sense, Naaman decides to make a gesture instead, and takes earth from Elisha’s location back with him. This he may do.

Naaman now is certain that Israel’s God is the One God. And he asks future forgiveness when his duties require him to attend at a 'foreign God's temple' with the Syrian King.

But as he leaves, Gehazi runs after him, and speaks of a change of situation and that a gift would now be appreciated. Delighted, Naaman gives generously. Gehazi takes what he gets and leaves, putting these gains aside quietly once home.

But Elisha asks Gehazi where he has been, and Gehazi lies. And the prophet is fully aware of what has transpired and says but I was with you and saw. A judgment is passed, and Gehazi leaves Elisha’s presence, now a leper. He may not go wash in the Jordan.

What do we make of this? Let us deal with Gehazi first. Gehazi is clear that where there is profit to be made, it should be done. God’s actions are no exception! Why should I not profit from them, just because my Master does not wish to do so? So he grabs what he can. He is aware of the stories surrounding Elisha, yet does not realize that this might backfire. His greed overcomes all caution. But Elisha calls him out, and there is no forgiveness, no excuse. For there is always a judgement for taking the name of God in vain. You cannot cheapen the grace of God and put a price on it. The same applies today to anyone who seeks to use God for their own benefit. The One God is not mocked.

Next, what happens here and why? It is a witness. The phrase ‘that there is a prophet in Israel’ tells all. In a time of corruption, where God’s name is bandied about and leaders feign worship but practice hypocrisy, there is a prophet in Israel. When misery and suffering abound and it seems that nothing can change it, there is a prophet in Israel. When events are totally depressing, God works through Elisha changing it into what it should be.

It is salvation. And salvation is life changing deliverance in the here and now. Not some nebulous concept of feeling good for a while. Oil flows and saves children from slavery; a comfortable but childless woman gain’s a child, and when the child dies Elisha brings him back to life; and a hundred people are fed with 20 barley loaves, the shape of things to come!

And yet even the note in the Oxford Annotated Bible, perhaps the most respected interpretative tool around, says ‘we are fortunate in having preserved for us this fine collection of prophetic lore’. Is this the case? We are probably just as fortunate then, in having all ofJesus’ work preserved for us as well.  A fine collection, no doubt. I tend to go with Brueggeman, who says that this is the established Canon of the Old Covenant, which has come about because people have recounted significant events for generations. This is neither lore nor fantasy nor myth nor legend. Canon is testimony. We will talk more about this next year. For in the formulation of that which is Canon we seem to have lost some 20 yrs of Jesus's life amongst us, which began with his teaching in the temple at 12! Those events just happened a long time ago. And we have lost touch with their spiritual reality. Israel has lost touch. The church has lost touch. Look at the gap between the life changing power of the New Testament amongst the disciples and apostles and what happens in church history in later years. We are reduced to talking about history, and that’s it. And of what use is that? Well, its inspiring. Wonderful, no? We may certainly keep on being inspired. But there is more. Much, much more.

You cannot dare to say a thing will happen unless you know that it will. And you cannot know that it will unless God has given you that information. Some may take the safe way out and play the game of hope. But children do not hope from their parents, they ask, knowing they are loved. Their needs are always met. When I was a practicing Minister I once had a couple come to the altar rail after worship and tell me, crying, that ‘we want a child. We have waited and waited. Nothing. Can you help?’ My answer was ‘no I cannot, but God can’. And I laid the prayer that Samuel gave Hannah upon them. All I said was ‘God has heard your prayer. You will have a child.’ No more, no less. And the next year there was a child to baptize. I have no easy answers. Only God knows. But somewhere in there were elements of deep compassion and care and will, and an overarching sense that God never refuses genuine need when brought to Him. What I am trying to say is that this, from Jesus, is a caring action enabling that we are all invited to participate in. There is no need for ‘special’ people anywhere! God reaches out to all, enables all!

But this is the challenge, you see. Elijah and Elisha are forerunners of that which Jesus is and does. Jesus says that all I have done you can do and more. There are no limits. Not even to move mountains. Why would any of us need to move mountains? But that refers to the weight of the task before us! This is the prototokos challenge of new creation. Not just saying stuff. But making a real life-situation difference. Talking about, sure, but also doing. There are, in the tradition and the Canon, prophetic books of sayings, of prophets who speak of good and evil, who bring words of comfort, assurance and of the shape of things to come. Jesus’ focus is on both the Word that is alive (this is why you cannot just say it, for that will not work and may backfire on you, for it is the very presence of God – the true word is an energy from God!), and on the deed which transforms. It is always existential and makes a critical difference here and now. One that not only says stuff, but then does it. All for the glory of God. That there are no prophets these days does not mean that there cannot be. The prophet is no more than a manifestation of Jesus Christ! So it all comes down to our tightness with Jesus. Beyond belief and faith, but of relationship that manifests in all you say and do. Build it, grow it, cling to it. It will take you into the Kingdom while you are still in this world. Grace and peace, G.

And the upcoming on Character & Christian character….

Nov: 9^th - Discipline & Self-control; 

16^th – Criticism, courage, and not judging?

23^rd – Responsibility, accountability, anger, conflict;

30^th – Empathy, compassion, forgiveness, integrity.

Dec: 7^th – Worry & Anxiety; 

14th – Loyalty, faithfulness & stewardship; 

21^st – Love;

28^th – Light. And so endeth the year….