2 Kings 4:7-13: a reflection

7Then she came and told the man of God. He said, “Go, sell the oil, and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 8One day Elisha went to Shunem, where there was a prominent woman; and she persuaded him to eat bread. So it was, that as often as he passed by, he turned in there to eat bread. 9She said to her husband, “See now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God who passes by us continually. 10Please, let’s make a little room on the roof. Let’s set a bed, a table, a chair, and a lamp stand for him there. When he comes to us, he can stay there.” 11One day he came there, and he went to the room and lay there. 12He said to Gehazi his servant, “Call this Shunammite.” When he had called her, she stood before him. 13He said to him, “Say now to her, ‘Behold, you have cared for us with all this care. What is to be done for you? Would you like to be spoken for to the king, or to the captain of the army?’” She answered, “I dwell among my own people.”

The Shunammite woman, perceiving that Elisha was a man of God who often passed her way, showed him generous hospitality, even having a room built for him where he could stay. When Elisha, grateful, offers to reward her, to speak on her behalf to the king or the commander, her answer is striking in its contentment: I dwell among my own people. She had not shown hospitality to gain advantage or reward; she was content where she was, among her own people, and sought nothing for herself. Her generosity was given freely, not as an investment for return; and when offered a reward, she declined it, content as she was. This shows a beautiful thing: hospitality and generosity given freely, without seeking reward, from a contented heart. She served the man of God generously, and sought nothing in return, content with her lot. To give hospitality and generosity without seeking reward, content as we are, is a gracious thing. The Shunammite gave freely and sought no reward, content among her own people. Generosity that seeks no reward, from a contented heart, is beautiful. She served freely and was content.

Notice the woman's contentment and freely-given generosity. She showed Elisha real hospitality, going to the trouble of building a room for him; and when offered a reward, some advantage she might gain through the prophet's influence, she declined, saying simply, I dwell among my own people. She was content where she was, sought no advantage, gave her hospitality freely rather than as an investment expecting a return. This reveals a gracious spirit: generosity given not to gain something, but freely, from a contented heart. We can give and serve with an eye to what we might get in return, to the reward or advantage our generosity might bring; but the Shunammite gave freely, content as she was, seeking nothing for herself. There is a beauty in hospitality and generosity given without ulterior motive, without seeking reward, from a heart content with its lot. To serve and give freely, not to gain but out of a generous and contented heart, is a gracious way to live. Generosity that seeks no reward flows from contentment. The freely-given hospitality of a contented heart is beautiful. To give without seeking return, content as we are, is grace.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to give hospitality and generosity freely, without seeking reward, from a contented heart. We can give and serve with an eye to the reward or advantage we might gain, seeing our generosity as an investment for return; but the Shunammite gave hospitality freely and, offered a reward, declined it, content among her own people, seeking nothing for herself. There is a beauty in giving freely, without ulterior motive, from a contented heart. Do not give and serve with an eye to reward or advantage; give freely, content as you are, as the Shunammite showed hospitality and sought no reward. Give hospitality and generosity freely, without seeking reward or advantage, from a heart content with its lot, as the Shunammite woman built a room for the man of God and, offered a reward, answered simply, I dwell among my own people; for there is a beauty in generosity given not as an investment for return but freely, out of a contented heart that seeks nothing for itself, and to serve and give without ulterior motive, content as we are, is a gracious way to live, so that we do well to give freely rather than with an eye to what we might gain, from a heart content with its lot rather than grasping for advantage.

Lord, the Shunammite woman, perceiving that Elisha was a man of God who often passed her way, showed him generous hospitality, even having a room built for him where he could stay. When Elisha, grateful, offers to reward her, to speak on her behalf to the king or the commander, her answer is striking in its contentment: I dwell among my own people. She had not shown hospitality to gain advantage or reward; she was content where she was, among her own people, and sought nothing for herself. Her generosity was given freely, not as an investment for return. Show me the woman's contentment and freely-given generosity. She showed Elisha real hospitality, going to the trouble of building a room for him; and when offered a reward, she declined, saying simply, I dwell among my own people. She was content where she was, gave her hospitality freely rather than as an investment expecting a return. This reveals a gracious spirit: generosity given not to gain something, but freely, from a contented heart. I can give and serve with an eye to what I might get in return; but the Shunammite gave freely, content as she was. There is a beauty in hospitality and generosity given without ulterior motive, from a heart content with its lot. Take that to my heart, for I do well to give hospitality and generosity freely, without seeking reward, from a contented heart. I can give and serve with an eye to the reward or advantage I might gain; but the Shunammite gave freely and, offered a reward, declined it, content among her own people. Keep me from giving and serving with an eye to reward or advantage; help me give freely, Lord, content as I am, as the Shunammite showed hospitality and sought no reward, from a heart content with its lot rather than grasping for advantage.