Whilst Naaman was thus wavering in his mind, and thinking on what was
best to be done, one of his servants drew near and made a very
sensible remark: "My lord, if the prophet had bid thee do some great
thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he
saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?" Yes, and there is a great deal of
truth in that.
Why, if Elisha had said to him, "Go back to Syria on your hands and
knees," he would most likely have done it. If he had said, "Go back
all the way on one foot," he would have tried to do it. Or if he had
said, "Give ten thousand pieces of gold for the medicine I shall offer
thee, and thou shalt be cleansed," no doubt he would have done it. But
to tell him merely to dip in the river Jordan seven times, why, it
seemed absurd on the face of it. Well, this servant suggested to him
that he had better go down to the Jordan and try the remedy, as it was
a very simple one.
I can fancy Naaman, still reluctant to believe in it, saying, "Why, if
there is such cleansing power in the waters of Jordan, would not every
leper in Israel go down and dip in them, and be healed?" "Well, but
you know," urges the servant, "now that you have come a hundred and
fifty miles, don't you think you had better do what he tells you; for
after all you can but try it; and he sends word distinctly, my lord,
that your flesh shall come again as that of a little child." And so
Naaman accepts this word in season. His anger is cooling down; he has
got over the first flush of his indignation, and he says, "Well, I
think I might as well try it." That was the starting-point of his
faith, although still he thought it a foolish thing, and could not
bring himself to believe that the result would be what the prophet had
said.
How many men have told me right to my face they did not believe a man
could be saved by simply obeying God. Faith, they thought, was not
enough, they must do something. They will have it that there must be a
little asking, and reasoning, and striving, and wrestling with God,
before they can get the blessing.