Don't Overcomplicate Things

In II Kings 5, we read about Naaman. Naaman was a good man, honorable and courageous, but he also had a debilitating disease. He had leprosy.

Naaman was told of a prophet in Israel who could heal his leprosy, so he departed on a journey to Israel to be cleansed of his leprosy. When Naaman came to the prophet Elisha, he was instructed to, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean” (II Kings 5:10). Naaman became furious at this command and said to himself, “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” (II Kings 5:11). Naaman thought that something more interesting or spectacular would happen.

In verse 12, he questions the prophet’s command to dip in the Jordan seven times by saying, “Are not the Abana and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?” (II Kings 5:12). What Naaman is really saying is, do I have to obey this prophet of God? Can’t I be cleansed some other way? Naaman, filled with anger, turned away in rage.

            His servants came to him and said, “If the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, wash, and be clean?” (II Kings 5:13). Naaman was complicating things. He was allowing his own opinion to stand in the way of a command given by an inspired prophet. There is a lesson to be learned here. When it comes to spiritual cleansing, there are a lot of opinions out there. Some say all you have to do to have salvation is say the “sinner's prayer.” Others say that won’t do any good because God has already decided whether we will be in heaven or hell. They say we have no choice in the matter.

            God says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

            Don’t complicate things; let us obey!

Brad

West End church of Christ•October 11, 2026