2 Kings 5:21-27: a reflection

21So Gehazi followed after Naaman. When Naaman saw one running after him, he came down from the chariot to meet him, and said, “Is all well?” 22He said, “All is well. My master has sent me, saying, ‘Behold, even now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’” 23Naaman said, “Be pleased to take two talents.” He urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and laid them on two of his servants; and they carried them before him. 24When he came to the hill, he took them from their hand, and stored them in the house. Then he let the men go, and they departed. 25But he went in, and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, “Where did you come from, Gehazi?” He said, “Your servant went nowhere.” 26He said to him, “Didn’t my heart go with you when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive groves and vineyards, and sheep and cattle, and male servants and female servants? 27Therefore the leprosy of Naaman will cling to you and to your offspring forever.” He went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow.

After Naaman is healed and Elisha refuses any payment, Elisha's servant Gehazi is overcome by greed. He runs after Naaman, lies about being sent by his master, and takes silver and clothing for himself, coveting the reward Elisha had refused. He grasps for gain from God's work of grace, and covers his greed with lies. And Elisha, knowing what he has done, pronounces judgment: the very leprosy Naaman was healed of would cling to Gehazi. His greed, and the deceit that served it, brought his ruin.

Notice the sin that undid Gehazi: greed, grasping for gain, and the lies that served it. Elisha had refused payment, keeping God's grace free; but Gehazi coveted the reward, and ran after it, lying to get it. He wanted to profit personally from what God had done, and was willing to deceive to do so. His greed corrupted him, and the deceit compounded it; grasping for gain from God's work, and lying to conceal it, was his undoing.

That is a sober warning about the corrupting power of greed, especially in relation to the things of God. We can be tempted, like Gehazi, to grasp for personal gain, even from God's work and grace, to profit from what should be given freely, and to deceive in order to do so. But such greed corrupts, and the deceit that serves it compounds the corruption. Guard your heart against greed, the grasping for gain that would profit from God's work or grasp what is not rightly yours; and against the deceit that serves it. Do not let the desire for gain corrupt you, as it corrupted Gehazi, grasping for what God's grace gave freely and lying to get it. Keep yourself free from greed, content rather than grasping, honest rather than deceiving; for the greed that grasps for gain, especially from the things of God, and the deceit that serves it, brought Gehazi to ruin, and can corrupt any heart that gives way to it.

Lord, after Naaman was healed and Elisha refused payment, Gehazi was overcome by greed: he ran after Naaman, lied about being sent, and took silver and clothing, grasping for gain from your work of grace and covering it with lies; and the leprosy Naaman was healed of clung to him. Show me the sin that undid Gehazi: greed, grasping for gain, and the lies that served it. Elisha kept your grace free; but Gehazi coveted the reward, and ran after it, lying to get it. His greed corrupted him, and the deceit compounded it. Give me that sober warning about the corrupting power of greed, especially in relation to the things of you. I can be tempted, like Gehazi, to grasp for personal gain, even from your work and grace, to profit from what should be given freely, and to deceive in order to do so. But such greed corrupts, and the deceit that serves it compounds it. Guard my heart against greed, the grasping for gain that would profit from your work or grasp what is not rightly mine; and against the deceit that serves it. Keep the desire for gain from corrupting me, as it corrupted Gehazi. Keep me free from greed, content rather than grasping, honest rather than deceiving, Lord; for the greed that grasps for gain, and the deceit that serves it, brought Gehazi to ruin.