Physical Illness 2 Kings 5:1-14

Physical Illness
2 Kings 5:1-14

As a Christian one of the more difficult things to understand is physical illness and healing in the Bible. The Bible seems to send us mixed messages about illness, healing, faith, and even judgement, all connected to physical illness and healing. In our scientific and logical mind, we want to get a rule, a law, a formula, for healing that works all the time, do this and get that. But when it comes to healing or physical illness the more we try to grasp it the more it slips through our hands and our minds.

I will not try to give you everything the Bible says about healing, but I want us to see what we can learn from the experience of Naaman.

Naaman is a commander of the Syrian army who has leprosy. In his house is the servant woman from Israel who tells him of the prophet of God in Israel who can heal him. So Naaman sets out with silver, gold and fine cloths to offer in exchange for his healing. When he gets there the prophet does not want the money. Elisha tells him to go dip under the water in the Jorden river seven times to be healed.

Why does God heal this man who as part of the Syrian army, has inflicted harm on God’s people? Verse 8 tells us “That he may know that there is a prophet in Israel.” Healing is not about physical comfort it is about knowledge.

This makes sense if just remember we all must die of something. So, if we are healed by God it must have a reason. In John 9 when the disciples ask Jesus why the man was born blind, his sin or his parents? Jesus says, “that the works of God might be displayed by his healing”. God heals us for His glory and that people might know Gods power, not just our comfort.

Second, Naaman asked. In James 4:2 it says, “you do not have because you do not ask”, and “you do not receive because you ask wrongly to spend it on yourself.” We often fail to receive healing because we do not ask, and when we do ask we seek it for our self and not for the glory of God.

Listen to what God says and do it. Naaman is asked to dip in the Jorden river seven times. The Jorden river is a dirty, muddy and filthy river. Naaman’s response is should I not wash in a clean river? Yet Naaman finely obeys and is healed.

Often, we are so busy asking that we forget to listen and obey. We want to do something that makes sense like pay some money or do some great charitable thing or great act of faith, all the while God is telling us to dip seven times in the dirty river. Will we listen and obey?

So how do you pray a healing prayer?

Lord Jesus this is my trouble, my illness. You know how I suffer and you know my desire to be healed. (be clear and ask)

Lord Jesus I believe in you and that you can heal me, I put my faith and trust in your knowledge and power. (have faith in God’s power and love)

Show me how I can bring glory to you and proclaim your power to the world. (ask that your healing bring glory to God not you)

Lord I await your answer and will obey you in all you command me. Amen (listen for and accept God’s answer, whatever it might be)

Will you ask, will you believe? Will you be willing to obey even when God tells you to submerse yourself in a dirty old river? Will the glory go to God or to you? Will people speak of your great faith and power or will they speak of the greatness of the Lord Jesus you serve?