“If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD.”
2 Kings 5:17 (NIV)
Naaman wants to worship the LORD.
Want an amazing work of grace God did thru the little girl, the reluctant king, the prophet Elisha and the pagan servants! All of the people involved in this man’s conversion reminds me of our GO pastor’s message yesterday- as Mark reminded us that we all have a part together in the work of seeing people come to Christ!
Naaman wants to worship properly, so he states his intention to ONLY worship the LORD,
and then asks a very practical question about bowing to an idol’s temple as his king requires.
We forget when we read 1 Corinthians that Paul is writing to people like Naaman, that they are pagans who have given their hearts to Christ, desiring to worship Christ only, and yet have to deal with practical situations in their pagan lives. Paul is answering their questions to him about these situations, with the Words of Christ, and also with Words given to him by the Holy Spirit. Notice in this passage that Naaman received Elisha’s blessing but the servant of Elisha received the curse of leprosy. Money, money, money! Surely Christ spoke truth when He told us we can’t
serve two masters.
serve two masters.
May we have the heart of Naaman as we seek to worship Christ in very practical ways in our families, work and neighbourhoods. May we put ourselves in the way of Paul’s blessing.
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