Not all, however, goes well for Naaman. He suffers from leprosy. But in his household lives an Israelite girl kidnapped during one of his raids. She slaves for his wife. Even so, she still chooses to live as a faithful witness to the one odd god of vitality. She tells Naaman’s wife that there lives a prophet in
Naaman is told and believes these words. This is odd too. The general of the Syrian army believes that the words of a young Israelite slave girl are true. This is the work of the one odd god who loves Naaman too.
Then the kings of
The king of
Happily, Elisha the prophet remains a faithful witness to the one odd god. He tells the king to stop worrying and send Naaman to him.
Naaman is an Olympian. In Olympianity, very important people always receive lots of kind words and special acts of gratitude from very unimportant people. Naaman arrives at Elisha’s house and expects such words and acts from Elisha. They don’t happen. Elisha doesn’t even come to the door. Instead, Elisha sends a messenger who tells Naaman to go wash himself in the Jordan to get healed. That’s all.
Naaman rages. To his Olympian way of thinking, such behavior is wicked. It should be punished. But with no special words, Naaman’s servants persuade him to wash in the
Now everything is different for Naaman. He is no longer an Olympian. He returns to Elisha and tells him that indeed the one odd god of Israel is the one and only true god.
Naaman wants to give gifts to Elisha. Elisha says no to them. Elisha does not serve Pluto the god of money.
Before leaving, Naaman asks two things of Elisha. One, he wants to take some Israelite dirt with him back to Syria. Naaman is thinking that he can’t make offerings to the god of
The last odd words to this very strange story: Elisha says to him, “Go in peace.”
Copyright © 2012 by Steven Farsaci.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.
All rights reserved. Fair use encouraged.