I’m sure all of us have experienced a moment where we are presented with something that is unbelievable! For some it may be finding a twenty dollar bill in the laundry, for some it may be discovering that it is half-price day at Dairy Queen (which by the way is this Sunday, October 26), and yet others it may be that there is a declaration of peace in the Middle East. Whatever surprises you, whether light or serious, the response of unbelief is a mark of wonder and skepticism in humanity. We wrestle and rejoice with it.

In 2 Kings 5, the writer relays the story of Naaman the Syrian general, and within the story, there are two surprising heroes, and one surprising outcome. Naaman is a leper, yet in the hopelessness of his illness, he hears news from the first heroine, a slave from Israel, that he could be healed by the prophet in Israel, Elisha. Naaman goes to Israel’s king, which produces nothing except a spectacle in Samaria, but then he is sent to Elisha. Upon arrival, Naaman is met by Gehazi, Elisha’s servant, and told to go wash, dipping himself seven times in the Jordan river. Naaman is completely offended – a servant met him and tells him to go and bath in that nasty Jordan river! He’s offended, He’s angry, and He’s leaving!

Then the second hero of the story: one of his servants asks a wonderfully wise question:

“My father, it is a great word the prophet has spoken to you; will you not do it? Has he actually said to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’”

The wisdom of this servant shows the heart of belief. Though, perhaps, there is some uncertainty about the outcome, the servant at least believes that the promise is wonderful, and therefore worth the risk. His common-sense question convinces Naaman to obey, and the outcome is a miraculous cleansing of the leprosy.

Naaman’s arrogance to be upset and put-off from the good news of cleansing is the same arrogance that turns people away from the Gospel of Jesus Christ today. We are told in the Scriptures that if we confess our sins and repent, if we believe in our hearts the Lord Jesus, that God has raised Him from the dead for our salvation, and we confess Him as Lord, we can be cleansed and saved from our sin, our death, our hell (1 John 1:9, Rom. 10:9-10, 13).

But this is too “great a word” to be believed by many today. They do not believe that they will be forgiven that easily, or do not believe that their lives will be healed that completely, or they do not believe that this method of faith in Christ and submitting to the fountain of His blood for the forgiveness of sin is going to work for them. It’s offensive, it’s troubling, it’s even angering, and much of the world will say, “I’m outta here!”

Dear friend, in the humble reply of the Syrian servant, “It is a great word that the Bible has spoken unto you: Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Rom.10:13).

Will you walk away from it? Will you leave this world still in your sin and condemned, or will you find forgiveness and cleansing, life and joy, in Jesus Christ? Yes, to some this is a stumbling block and to others foolishness, but to those who obey this great news, it is life and healing.