POWERFUL WEAKNESS
Susan Murray
Today's Scripture: “Now the Syrians on one of their raids had carried off a little girl from the land of Israel, and she worked in the service of Naaman's wife. She said to her mistress, ‘Would that my lord were with the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.’” 2 Kings 5:2-3, ESV
Theme: Even when we are in difficult circumstances, we have an opportunity to show Jesus’ love by going above and beyond in serving others.
TRAUMA
A young girl is living with her family in Samaria, capital of the northern kingdom of Israel. One day, the Syrians, enemies from the north, invade. Pause and imagine the fear, chaos and danger. Don’t rush past it. Most likely, some if not all of her family, especially the older males, were killed in front of her. Greatly traumatized, she is ripped from her home and taken to a foreign land with unfamiliar customs and language. She is all alone. It would be a reasonable assumption, based on ancient history, that she was possibly raped. Scholars believe she was only twelve years old, so she was too small and weak to be a threat, yet old enough to be useful. She finds herself in the home of the invading army’s top commander, Naaman. He most likely gave the orders that brought about all her loss and pain.
Are you curious about the emotions that she felt, although they are not told to us? Surely, she felt angry at the injustice. Did she hate Naaman and wish him or his wife harm? She was powerless to do anything, tempting her heart toward contempt. When Naaman contracted leprosy, was she secretly gleeful at his suffering, thinking finally some form of divine justice? If she initially had contempt (which I think is highly probable), it was gone by the time Naaman contracted leprosy. We do not know the timeframe between her kidnapping and his disease. Her words and actions showed that she had grown to love her enemy and his family, and her heart was full of compassion for his suffering. How was this possible?
REMEMBERING A PROPHET
We don’t know her name. But her story is crucial because she remembered. She remembered what she had seen and heard as a very young girl. She remembered the prophet Elisha and how he had the power God had given to him, demonstrating that power through healing. She remembered the stories she learned of how God had led the Israelites for many years. Although as a nation they were sinful and unfaithful to God by worshiping other idols, He had promised future deliverance if they would repent.
She remembered the undeserving love, merciful goodness, and faithfulness of God. God’s love toward her and in her overflowed to Naaman. She didn’t have the power to cure Naaman, but she knew who did and she spoke up. She was small and insignificant, but her God was big and Naaman, who was proud and self-sufficient, needed God, too. Instead of contempt, she had compassion.
TRUER PROPHET
God’s promise of future deliverance was a promise that this girl could only believe from a distance. All the Old Testament prophets gave warnings to repent, along with the promise of restoration. Jesus came preaching, like the prophets before Him - “Repent for the kingdom of God is near” (Matthew 4:17, NIV). He came healing, just like the prophet Elisha - “A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill” (Matthew 12:15b, NIV). He called men without power, low on the socioeconomic ladder, to follow Him as His disciples. They spoke up, just like this little girl, and introduced others to Jesus, the promised Deliverer to whom all the Old Testament stories point.
Make It Personal: Despite the difficult situations in which we may find ourselves—whether as the consequence of our own sin, the sin of others, or just that this is a fallen world—we have a promised, glory-filled, eternal future with our Lord and Savior. Jesus came not only preaching and healing, but He lived the perfect life we cannot live. He died on a cross, unjustly, to pay our debt to God. He took our place. As we sense our unworthiness and at the same time sense God’s compassion, our hearts will move away from contempt and grow in joy and compassion. It does not matter how small and insignificant we are in this world. If God can use a little slave girl’s word to point someone like Naaman to God, then our words can be used by our powerful God to point others to the truth and compassion of Jesus.
Examine your heart. Do you see contempt for others or yourself? I invite you to be like the little girl and remember. Remember the Gospel and what Jesus did for you, until your heart is filled with compassion, and then go tell. It’s not about you, your words, or your importance, but it's about the power of the living Gospel. Maybe you have not yet experienced what Jesus did for you. Then I invite you to consider the Good News now and seek out others to share with you what Jesus has done for them.
Pray: I praise You, God, for Your faithfulness when I am unfaithful. It blows my mind that Jesus, though ridiculed and despised while hanging on the cross, chose to stay. You stayed there for me, despite my rebellious heart and sin, giving me salvation from future judgment. How merciful You are! I confess that I often forget, so please help me to remember the Gospel, especially when I am in a difficult situation. Keep my heart from contempt; help me be full of compassion, wanting others to know You. I am small, but You are big. Your promises are sure. Amen
Read: Hebrews 1: 1-3; Luke 4:16-21, 8:38-39; John 1:40-42, 14:2-3; Romans 8:18; Psalm 105:1-7
Weekly Memory Verse: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.” Philippians 2:5-7, ESV