Word for the day by Christian Education Forum

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Compassionate Healing

2 Kings 5:8-14


Dr. Anila Thomas M.D.
Epiphany MTC, NY

13 But his servants approached and said to him, “Father, if the prophet had commanded you to do something difficult, would you not have done it? How much more, when all he said to you was, ‘Wash, and be clean’?”

In this passage, we witness the healing of Naaman who was afflicted with leprosy.  At the beginning of this chapter, we see Naaman’s desperation to be healed as he requests permission from the king to go and seek the healing power of the prophet Elisha.  However, this desperation is quickly tainted by Naaman’s pride when he questions Elisha’s command to wash himself in the Jordan river.  Naaman is then humbled by the words of his servants in verse 13 and eventually his health is restored.
Compassionate healing cannot occur without humility; especially in the one who seeks to be healed.  In Naaman’s story, we see that the voices of clarity here were heralded by 1) the servant girl of Naaman’s wife who identified Elisha and 2) Naaman’s servants who revealed his own pride.  The humility of these servants allowed them to recognize the opportunity for healing.  
In parallel to Naaman’s story, in Luke 5, we see the healing of another man afflicted with leprosy.  This time, Jesus is the healer.  In contrast, however, the leper comes and falls at the feet of Jesus and begs “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean” (Luke 5:12).  This man not only humbled himself before Jesus but also recognized His ability to perform this miraculous healing.  
Jesus tells us in Luke 5:31, “it is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick”.  The first step in healing is to acknowledge that we are sick. This applies not only to physical ailments but emotional, mental and spiritual disease. We must first acknowledge that there is a problem and then recognize our inability to fix those problems on our own.  We must humble ourselves and acknowledge that “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matt.19:26) We were never meant to bear these burdens on our own.  God is bigger than our disease, our brokenness and our shame.  Through Him, all things are made new (2 Cor 5:17).  

PRAYER

Father, You invite those who are weary to come and find rest in Your presence for You are gentle and humble in heart.  We ask that Your Spirit would humble our hearts and accept the compassionate healing that only You can provide.  Amen.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
Complete healing comes from a place of humility and trust that with God, all things are possible.   

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