There are moments when we must plunge into the Jordan River to draw near to the greatness of God. The Jordan carries profound significance. Its name, of Hebrew origin (Yarden, derived from yarad, meaning “to descend,” “to flow,” or “to run”), symbolizes “that which flows” or “he who descends.” Like the river, our spiritual journey often requires us to descend from our pride to receive divine blessings.
The Pride That Blinds
Often, the titles, ranks, and positions we hold fill us with pride, obscuring the greatness of God around us.
Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great man in the sight of his master, and highly respected, because through him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. (2 Kings 5:1)
Naaman was a man of great importance, a commander of the Syrian army through whom God granted victories to Syria. Yet, behind this valiant warrior was a leper. More severe than his physical leprosy was the affliction of his ego, which blinded him to God’s solution.
The Faith of a Captive Girl
Among the captives taken from Israel by Syrian raiders was a young girl who served Naaman’s wife. Despite her condition as a captive, she did not deny her faith or her love for God.
If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy. (2 Kings 5:3)
This unnamed girl, an unsung hero, knew a living God capable of healing Naaman. Her story teaches us that wherever God places us, He desires us to be His instruments to transform lives.
For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
God’s ways transcend our understanding. Even in the hardship of servitude, God used this girl to reveal His power.
The Call to Humility
Naaman shared the girl’s words with the king of Syria, who authorized him to seek the prophet in Israel, providing a letter to the king of Israel, along with 350 kilograms of silver, 72 kilograms of gold, and ten festal garments. The letter stated:
With this letter I present my servant Naaman, that you may cure him of his leprosy. (2 Kings 5:6)
Upon reading the letter, the king of Israel tore his clothes, exclaiming:
Am I God, to kill and make alive, that this man sends word to me to cure a man of his leprosy? Therefore please consider, and see how he seeks a quarrel with me. (2 Kings 5:7)
Elisha, the man of God, heard of the king’s distress and sent a message: “Why have you torn your clothes? Let him come to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Naaman then went to Elisha’s house with his horses and chariots.
Naaman’s Frustrated Expectations
Naaman expected a grand reception, imagining the prophet would personally greet him and, with a gesture, heal him. Instead, Elisha sent a messenger with a simple instruction:
Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean. (2 Kings 5:10)
Naaman was furious, saying:
Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’ (2 Kings 5:11)
Naaman’s pride prevented him from accepting that healing would come through such a humble act. He questioned:
Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean? (2 Kings 5:12)
Naaman rejected the Jordan, a despised river, because his ego expected something grander. Often, we too reject God’s simple solutions due to our selfish expectations.
The Obedience That Transforms
Naaman’s officers confronted him with wisdom:
My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’? (2 Kings 5:13)
These words touched Naaman. He realized the miracle required not something impossible, but obedience. So, he went down to the Jordan:
So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean. (2 Kings 5:14)
The miracle happened when Naaman set aside his pride and obeyed. The Jordan River, a symbol of humility, became the channel for God’s blessing.
Timeless Lessons
Naaman’s story leaves us with valuable lessons:
- From the captive girl: We learn that wherever we are, we must seize opportunities to speak of our God, serving as instruments of transformation.
- From the prophet Elisha: We understand that obeying God’s voice enables lives to recognize His power and sovereignty.
- From the officers: We realize that when we consider giving up, we must remember that God asks only what is possible; the impossible, He Himself accomplishes.
God is faithful to fulfill His promises. When He speaks, His word never returns void. Naaman’s dip in the Jordan teaches us that obedience, however simple, is the path to receiving miracles.
