Annie
Scriptures
2 Kings 5:1-14
What often fascinates me about the characters we are introduced to in our Bible, is that many of them are integral to the story of God’s love, grace and greatness, yet they are nameless. We meet one of these amazingly brave, yet nameless, people in the 2nd Book of Kings, and her story speaks so clearly that courage comes in many guises.
Our story begins with a description of a man called Naaman, a renowned member of the King of Syria’s army. He is described as “a great and honourable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valour, but a leper”.
In Naaman’s household was a young Jewish girl who had been taken captive when the Syrian army had defeated Israel. She became his wife’s maid, a position that allowed her to witness so much of the relationship between Naaman and his wife. Being a leper in those days was tragic. The disease was incurable, its effects upon the person carrying it was nauseating, both to the diseased and to others around them. The stench of their rotting flesh as their bodies were ravaged was dreadful. And this young slave girl would have seen the anguish of her mistress, Naaman’s wife, who had to watch her husband suffering, knowing that nothing could be done to stop the inexorable march towards eventual total decay.
The hallmark of a good servant is their ability to serve whilst being almost invisible, so that they can be trusted to be in the background, observing all yet keeping silent and not gossiping to anyone. Imagine the courage it would have taken for a slave, a young girl whose upbringing and religion was totally alien to Naaman and his wife, to approach her mistress and declare “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy." She could have faced being removed from her position, being physically punished or even killed for daring to mention such a personal and emotionally traumatic subject. But she did.
Reading the next several verses reveals that Naaman was indeed healed of his leprosy after he visited Elisha and, eventually, was obedient to what the prophet told him he must do. More significantly, he turned his heart away from his worship of the pagan god Rimmon, and turned to the One he knew had healed him, the only True God, the God of his wife’s servant girl, the God of Israel.
If you were in the place of this young girl who had been dragged from her family and taken to a strange, frightening land, all alone, would you have dared to speak as she did? There had to be a foundation that underpinned all that she did, and the way that she looked at the situations she found herself in. She had been brought up in Israel until her captivity, so she would be very aware of the history of her nation and how God had upheld them, both as a nation and as individuals. She would know about Joseph who was upheld by God all the years of his captivity and consequent imprisonment, who was given the courage to face lies and deceit yet he kept his faith and was brave enough to speak what God gave him to say. And Moses, whose task involved facing the most powerful leader of the known world and leading an often rebellious nation through 40 years of wanderings. Great ancestors who showed courage in the face of enormous odds, courage born of faith in their faithful God who supported and inspired them in all their journey. A courage that this young girl drew upon to make a huge life changing decision. Through her absolute assurance that God would be all the courage she needed, the life of Naaman, and who knows how many of his household, was changed forever as he began his journey of walking with the One True God.
Prayer: Abba Father, when we face situations that we know are impossible for us to accomplish, may we always remember and emulate the young girl who knew You so well and trusted You to be all the courage that she needed. Through the name of Jesus Christ and the power of Holy Spirit we give You thanks. Amen.
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