Love your enemies

Love your enemies!
Pray for those who persecute you!
—Jesus Christ (Matthew 5:44)

Today during our Kids in the Kingdom Week, the kids will learn about Elisha healing Naaman of Leprosy and the Samaritan woman at the well. The two stories are tied together not merely because of water. In both stories, godly compassion is shown to two people who most would view as enemies of Israel.

In the first, Naaman is a Syrian General who has been leading Aramean raids into Israel. Among the captives was a young girl given to be maid to Naaman's wife as a maid. One day the girl said to her mistress, "I wish my master would go to see the prophet in Samaria. He would heal him of his leprosy." Naaman's wife told the general who put together a king's ransom in order to sway the prophet into healing him. But when he came to Elisha, the prophet would not meet with him, sending word that the general should wash seven times in the (rather muddy) Jordan River to be made clean.

Naaman was enraged that the prophet would not even see him and was even more incensed that the so-called great healing was merely to wash himself in the Jordan seven times. The general went away in a rage, but later, calmed by his servants he did as the prophet had commanded and was healed. Naaman went back to Elisha to pay him and give thanks. The prophet refused the reward for the healing, which was God's action and not his own. And the opposing army's general proclaimed, "I know at last that there is no God in all the world except in Israel." Elisha's healing Naaman of leprosy is a very Christ-like act.

In the archives is a sermon on the Samaritan Woman at the Well called See yourself as God sees you.