GEHAZI was the servant of Elisha the man of God; but he was not like his master. He was covetous, untruthful and a thief. Elisha would take nothing for the healing of Naaman. It was not Elisha’s power, but the power of God, that healed the Syrian leper, and the healing was the free gift of God, just as salvation is. It cannot be bought; it cannot be paid for with money. Christ Himself has paid the price of it, in the shedding of His blood, and we must not only receive it freely for ourselves, but we must not try to sell it to others, nor take a price for showing others the way of salvation. This is what Gehazi did. When he saw the silver and the gold and the goodly raiment, he coveted them, and told the Syrian a lie, and took the money and the raiment which did not belong to him, and then came and told his master another lie. He also misrepresented his master, the man of God, and conveyed the idea that, after all, he would take something in payment for the cure. All this was wickedness. He took from Naaman two talents of silver (something over three thousand dollars) besides the two changes of raiment. But he was not permitted long to enjoy these fruits of wickedness. The man of God called him to account, and not only rebuked his covetousness, but left him under the judgment of God. “The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.”
May we, dear children, avoid the sin of Gehazi. We must not try to make money out of the salvation God gives to sinners freely. To do this is to tell a lie about God, and about Christ, and about His salvation. If we have received this salvation freely ourselves, we can rejoice to show others this great salvation, taking no price from them. And what a privilege it is! How many of you, dear children, have been saved, and are showing others the way? A. H. R.
ML 12/31/1899