2 Ki. 5: No Other Naaman

2 Kings 5:14 "So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy."

Naaman is Aram's army commander. He got leprosy. Naaman's wife had a servant girl captured from Israel who told her about Elisha. She told Naaman, and Naaman told the king. The king sent Naaman to Israel, along with a note asking for Naaman's delivery. The king (presumably Ahab or Joram) loses his mind, realizing he is not God, tearing his robes. He probably figured that if he let the king of Aram down, they'd have to go to war. Elisha heard about the robe-tearing (royal robe-tearing must have made headlines back a million years ago). Elisha reminded him that he was the prophet, and he can do something.

So Naaman and his entire entourage of chariots and soldiers and stuff show up and Elisha's house (can you imagine?) and ask Elisha to heal him. Naaman is told to wash himself in the Jordan seven times. The Jordan was apparently nasty, as Naaman suggests it would have been better to go to some rivers in Damascus that are cleaner.

As he's leaving, his servants tell him an amazing piece of advice:

"My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, 'Wash and be cleansed'!"

Its good advice, and it comes from someone subservient. So maybe we should listen to those on occasion who we may consider "beneath" us, in a spiritual sense. Sometimes....right? It ultimately convinces Naaman to do it, and he is healed. He offers monetary reward, and once again the prophet refuses reward. This concept probably hearkens back to the priestly code, where the priesthood was the reward.

Gehazi refused to heed this memo, and his greed is rewarded with leprosy, the disease cleansed from Naaman.