1 Now Na`aman, captain of the host of the king of Aram, was a great man with his master, and honorable, because by him the LORD had given victory to Aram: he was also a mighty man of valor, [but he was] a leper.
2 The Aram had gone out in bands, and had brought away captive out of Eretz-Yisra'el a little maiden; and she waited on Na`aman's wife. 3 She said to her mistress, Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Shomron! then would he recover him of his leprosy.
4 One went in, and told his lord, saying, Thus and thus said the maiden who is of Eretz-Yisra'el. 5 The king of Aram said, Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Yisra'el. He departed, and took with him ten talents of silver, and six thousand [pieces] of gold, and ten changes of clothing. 6 He brought the letter to the king of Yisra'el, saying, Now when this letter is come to you, behold, I have sent Na`aman my servant to you, that you may recover him of his leprosy.
7 It happened, when the king of Yisra'el had read the letter, that he tore his clothes, and said, Am I God, to kill and to make alive, that this man does send to me to recover a man of his leprosy? but consider, I pray you, and see how he seeks a quarrel against me.
8 It was so, when Elisha the man of God heard that the king of Yisra'el had torn his clothes, that he sent to the king, saying, Why have you torn your clothes? let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Yisra'el. 9 So Na`aman came with his horses and with his chariots, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. 10 Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, Go and wash in the Yarden seven times, and your flesh shall come again to you, and you shall be clean.
11 But Na`aman was angry, and went away, and said, 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 recover the leper. 12 Aren't Amanah and Parpar, the rivers of Dammesek, better than all the waters of Yisra'el? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage.
13 His servants came near, and spoke to him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid you do some great thing, wouldn't you have done it? how much rather then, when he says to you, Wash, and be clean? 14 Then went he down, and dipped [himself] seven times in the Yarden, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh came again like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.
15 He returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and came, and stood before him; and he said, See now, I know that there is no God in all the eretz, but in Yisra'el: now therefore, please take a present from your servant. [2 Kings 5:1-15 HNV]
If you Google “person of influence,” the search will take you to various lists of “the most influential people in the world.” These lists usually include political leaders; business entrepreneurs and athletes; along with people in science, the arts, and entertainment. You will not find the names of cooks and cleaners who work for them. Yet those in so-called lowly positions often influence the people they serve.
The story of Naaman, a high-ranking military commander, includes two kings and a prophet of God (2 Kings 5:1-15). Yet it was the servants in the background whose words led to Naaman being cured of leprosy, a career-ending, life-changing disease. A young servant girl taken captive from Israel told Naaman’s wife that a prophet in Samaria could heal him (vv.2-3). When Elisha’s instructions to bathe in the Jordan River angered Naaman, his servants urged him to follow the prophet’s orders. The result was Naaman’s restoration to health and his declaration, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel” (v.15).
What a beautiful picture of our role as followers of Jesus Christ! We are called to be people of influence—the Lord’s servants who point others to the One whose touch can change their lives.
Lord, I would like to live a life of influence like
Naaman’s servant girl—to be brave and bold
to touch the lives of others by pointing them
to You. Fill me, Holy Spirit, with Your power.
