Day 174

2 Kings 4:18–5:27; Acts 15:1-35; Psalm 141:1-10; Proverbs 17:23

IN OUR READING today, we encountered dramatic stories in both Old and New Testaments. In 2 Kings, we read of the Aramean military hero Naaman. Although Naaman was a celebrated and powerful person in Aram, he had a degenerative disease known as leprosy.

Hearing that there was a prophet in Israel who might be able to help, the king of Aram sent Naaman with royal papers of introduction so that he might pursue healing. Eventually, Naaman found himself on the doorstep of the prophet Elisha, expecting him to recite healing incantations. Instead, Elisha sent his servant to simply tell Naaman to dip seven times in the Jordan River.

Naaman was used to being treated with respect and awe, and the fact that Elisha didn’t even greet him in person enraged him. “Aren’t the rivers of Damascus, the Abana and the Pharpar, better than any of the rivers of Israel? Why shouldn’t I wash in them and be healed?” he fumed (2 Kings 5:12). And then he left in a tizzy.

Attempting to persuade him, his attendants said, “Sir, if the prophet had told you to do something very difficult, wouldn’t you have done it? So you should certainly obey him when he says simply, ‘Go and wash and be cured!’” (2 Kings 5:13). They were essentially asking Naaman what he had to lose.

Naaman’s pride had clouded the simple instructions that held the key to his restoration —and he nearly went home as sick as when he left. His story invites us to examine the ways our own pride interferes with the obedient path to restoration.

Naaman dipped in the Jordan River and was made whole. Moving beyond his pride, he found that simple obedience was all that was necessary —a lesson we would all do well to remember.

In Acts, we witnessed the first church council —and it was a pivotal turning point for the church. The issue up for debate was how Gentile converts were to be handled.

One side of the argument stated that “the Gentile converts must be circumcised and required to follow the law of Moses” (Acts 15:5). The argument on the other side was this:

God knows people’s hearts, and he confirmed that he accepts Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us. He made no distinction between us and them, for he cleansed their hearts through faith. So why are you now challenging God by burdening the Gentile believers with a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors were able to bear? We believe that we are all saved the same way, by the undeserved grace of the Lord Jesus.

Eventually, the decision was made: Gentiles did not need to convert to Judaism to believe in Jesus. Although this might seem less important now, it was a distinction that fundamentally changed the way the church was viewed. Prior to this, faith in Jesus was considered a subsect of Judaism —and followers of Jesus received the religious protections within the Roman Empire that the Jews received. The Jerusalem Council affirmed a distinction that clearly welcomed anyone who believed in Jesus and put the church at odds with traditionalists. We will continue to see this issue arise as we move through the New Testament.

PRAYER:

I look to you for help, O Sovereign LORD. You are my refuge.