But when Naaman had gone from him a short distance, Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, thought, “My master has let that Aramean Naaman off too lightly by not accepting from him what he offered. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something out of him.” So Gehazi went after Naaman. When Naaman saw someone running after him, he jumped down from the chariot to meet him and said, “Is everything all right?” He replied, “Yes, but my master has sent me to say, ‘Two members of a company of prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim; please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.'” Naaman said, “Please accept two talents.” He urged him, and tied up two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of clothing, and gave them to two of his servants, who carried them in front of Gehazi. When he came to the citadel, he took the bags from them, and stored them inside; he dismissed the men, and they left. He went in and stood before his master; and Elisha said to him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” He answered, “Your servant has not gone anywhere at all.” But he said to him, “Did I not go with you in spirit when someone left his chariot to meet you? Is this a time to accept money and to accept clothing, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, and male and female slaves? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you, and to your descendants forever.” So he left his presence leprous, as white as snow. (2 Kings 5:19b-27, NRSV)
Elisha took no payment from Naaman because this was the work God has led him to do and there was no need for any extra payments. We receive from the Lord…
Yet you still think in the back of your head, really is that it? As if what God will give you needs this question.
Yet we all wonder from time to time what’s in it for me? We want to get our fair share and here Gehazi sees a way to get a little bit from this. And so he goes and gets silver and clothing…
But what did he really get? He got a disease and removed from community, because he was not content with what Elisha gave him, or God gave him. We need to be content with what we have, and with what God gives us.
It is far better than whatever we will come up with when we start asking what’s in it for me…
aSacredRebel 