The prophet Elijah is named twenty-nine times in the New Testament while Elisha is named only once. “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian” (Luke 4:27). Naaman was a Gentile and the commander of the Army of an enemy nation – the Syrians. He was an enemy officer who kidnapped little Jewish children and then became leper who would have been isolated and left to die. These Syrians knew nothing of the grace of God – yet Naaman was seeking to buy such favors.

The story of the healing of Naaman in 2 Kings 5:1-27 is the account of a man with a very serious medical problem - leprosy. He found no hope in his own country, but he had heard that there was a cure available in Israel. He commenced a “top down” approach to bring about his healing, but, to his dismay, found that this method didn’t work. He learned that God had a “bottom up” solution to his problem. As we know, God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble! (Psalm 138)

Our text Sunday describes how God quietly frustrates Naaman’s “top down” approach and offers a “bottom up” solution. God is not impressed or motivated by man’s “top down” efforts, because it is God who is at the top - not men! Men like Naaman, or the kings of Syria or even the kings of Israel did not hold sway with Jehovah – the little Jewish girl did. We should listen well to learn about this “bottom up” approach because it is normally the way that God works, especially when it comes to the salvation of men.

“We don’t rise to God’s level – He rises to the level of our needs.”

See you Sunday,

Pastor Mike