Would you be motivated to go out and steal after witnessing a magnificent miracle? I think I’m usually motivated to do the opposite – praise God and be generous with others! Well, Elisha’s servant wasn’t too happy with the way Elisha rejected Naaman’s gifts after God miraculously healed Naaman.
II Kings 5:19b-24 After
Naaman had traveled some distance, 20 Gehazi, the
servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on
Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as
the Lord lives, I will
run after him and get something from him.”
21 So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward
him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he
asked.
22 “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say,
‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the
hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of
clothing.’”
23 “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to
accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two
sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them
ahead of Gehazi. 24 When Gehazi came to the hill,
he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent
the men away and they left.
Wow! I can’t believe Gehazi! I see a correlation
between Gehazi and Judas. Both men watched God/Jesus perform amazing miracles,
yet focused on what was in it for them in the short-term. God had been faithful
to them and to those around them, yet it wasn’t enough.
How about you and me? Maybe we aren’t motivated to
steal, but maybe we wonder what’s in it
for me, when is it my turn or why God doesn’t do something that “big” for me? Instead
of focusing on ourselves, let’s praise our faithful God when we see an amazing
miracle in the life of someone else!
Alice
