The Appreciation

After God healed a commander from Aram named Naaman, when Naaman followed some unusual-sounding instructions from God’s prophet Elisha, those involved had witnessed an impressive miracle. And, in the interest of time, some lessons might stop there. Now, I don’t fault children’s Bible story books for not including every detail of some of the more complicated parts of the Bible, but there is even more to learn in this chapter for those who are willing to keep going! Let’s see what we can find…

To Naaman’s credit, he not only returned to Elisha with appreciation, but he also gave God – the true God – credit for his healing. He offered a gift, having previously received quite a bit from the king of Aram (see 2 Kings 5:4-6), and perhaps including some of his own wealth.

Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

2 Kings 5:15 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/2ki.5.15.NIV

We might think that this was basic human courtesy, but thinking ahead to Jesus’ day, nine of ten particular lepers that He healed didn’t turn around to say thanks like the one who came back right away (see Luke 17:11-19). And, given Naaman’s earlier frustration with Elisha’s feedback (see 2 Kings 5:8-12), I think that I could probably relate to him if he had returned to Aram directly. After all, I have probably been “that guy” who was, 1) mad at someone, 2) did what they said when I didn’t want to and then, 3) didn’t want to thank them for the result.

It’s possible that Elisha was still communicating with Naaman through a messenger, but verse 16 reads to me as if they were probably talking face to face at this time. I also wonder if Elisha was communicating through a messenger earlier because Naaman’s condition made him ceremonially unclean. If so, that might no longer be a problem once Naaman was healed.

Elisha’s response was not necessarily what we would have expected, though: he declined the gifts, despite Naaman’s insistence! So, why didn’t he accept them? Your own thoughts are welcome in the comments, but here are some ideas to start with:

To ensure that God got the credit.
Because Elisha wasn’t the one responsible for the healing. [ref. Long, cited below, p.326]
Because this wasn’t a business transaction.
To show how God is different from false gods, who might have required offerings.
So that other sick people wouldn’t come and try to “buy” healing.
To affirm Elisha’s faith that God could provide for him without this gift.

I’m not sure of the specific reason(s), but just as we could envision ways that Elisha could have used this gift for good, I think that we can agree that there were legitimate reasons for Elisha to turn it down. This isn’t a permanent precedent, though. The apostles appear to have accepted gifts for distribution within the early church, per Acts 4:32-35, so making the right decision in cases like this should include checking with God for each situation.

I don’t know if you can currently relate to either or both parties in this passage, but I think that each has something to teach us. If you’re in a situation like Naaman, where God took care of you through the words or actions of another believer, I encourage you to take the time to thank that person (or people) who God used in your life to make a positive change. Maybe that’s just sending someone a quick note to let them know that you appreciate them praying for you, and sharing how God worked things out for good. Opportunities like that are also a good reminder about the credit that God deserves, and they provide us with testimonies that allow us to glorify God both privately and publicly. They might also be good reminders for us to get back to faithful worship of God, especially in those times (which I think that most of us need, I’m afraid) where God allows us to experience a trial in order to bring us closer to Him.

Or, if you’re in a situation like Elisha, where God used you as part of His plan to work good in someone else’s life, don’t forget to point people back to Him. After all, if they were to somehow rely on you for things that only God can provide in their lives, they will eventually be disappointed. I don’t think that it’s wrong to accept someone else’s thanks under the right circumstances, but let’s never forget that “Every good and perfect gift is from above…” (see James 1:17) and that anything good we achieve in this life traces back to God.

From Sunday School lesson prepared for June 29, 2025

References:

Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete). Matthew Henry. 1706, via BibleGateway.com.

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