Greed.

The Story of Naaman continues...

Treasure laden, the two lowly servants using the pretense of being the sons of prophets, returned to the Prophet Elisha's home with Gehazi. When he no longer needed their services, the greedy, lying, deceitful, money-loving servant took the treasures and released the men from his charge. Hiding the ill-gotten treasure in the house, he returned outside to watch the men leave. No one would be the wiser for what he'd just done. He would keep his riches to himself until he could make plans. Perhaps he'd leave the prophet's service and go out on his own, he certainly had enough wealth to do that now. In fact, that might be for the best because otherwise, people would question where he gained his fortune from. Yes, Gehazi had a lot of planning and plotting to do, but for now, he had to continue in his role as a servant as if nothing had changed.

Entering the room where Elisha was seated, Gehazi gave his master a curt bow in greeting.

Looking at his servant, the prophet did not return any sign that he'd accepted the greeting, his demeanor wasn't quite normal. "Where have you come from, Gehazi?" The prophet asked the question softly, sadly.

A quick flicker of surprise touched the servant's face before he gathered himself. Why would his master ask him this? He never inquired such a thing of him before when he'd been out of his presence. Had he been looking for him while he was gone? Surely, Elisha didn't really care that he'd been indisposed, right? The prophet had always been quite laid back in his treatment of his servant.

Hesitating, Gehazi steeled his resolve not to give himself away. "I didn't go anywhere, I was here all the time," he lied.

Rising up from his seat, Elisha walked over to Gehazi and stopped when he was only a few steps from him. A great sadness tinged with flashes of anger played across the prophet's expression.

"Don't you know my heart was with you when the man left his chariot to meet you?"

Gasping incredulously, Gehazi took a stumbling step backward, his legs weak in fear. The prophet knew! The sight God gave to Elisha to use for the LORD'S will had been used upon him! Why?! He was just a servant! He hadn't hurt anyone! The man had been willing to part with his treasures! It wasn't as if he'd stolen them, not really.

Elisha continued while Gehazi looked at him horrified. "Is it time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive yards and vineyards, and sheep and oxen and menservants, and maidservants?"

Gehazi knew exactly what Elisha meant, he had done a horrible wrong. The prophet hadn't accepted the gifts because it was not what God wanted of him. God worked in His own time and there was a time for all the things Elisha mentioned, but now was not that time. The servant had gone against God's wishes. The servant had disobeyed God's will. He knew it, he did, even if he wanted to pretend he didn't. He'd done it all with subterfuge hiding it from the prophet. He hadn't gone to his master and asked permission, he followed his own greedy, selfish desire wanting his own will to be done before any others.

The prophet took a step back away from Gehazi and sighed heavily. "The leprosy that was Naaman's shall now be yours, and unto your seed forever."

No! Caught, punished with such an awful punishment Gehazi cried out in horror as his flesh became as white as snow, covered in the lesions of leprosy! Cursed! Cursed forever! Gehzai ran from Elisha's presence and out of the house his cries of despair echoing out behind him. He'd sinned a great sin and he'd been caught! He'd felt no real remorse whatsoever in what he'd done! He'd tried to justify it to himself even as Elisha had confronted him. Cursed by his own hand! Defying Elisha, defying the LORD! For Gehazi there would be no healing, none.

That day one man had been given a life free of disease, while another given the disease. One man had his heart right before the LORD, the other was far from the LORD, his heart closed off to Him. One man had been a pagan worshiping idols and false gods, the other a servant of the prophet of God, not a pagan, not worshiping idols and false gods. The very one you’d think would be rewarded of God had not been rewarded at all. The one who put on a pretense of loving God as the blood of God's people ran through his veins, was every bit a pagan in his heart- worshiping riches, worshiping self-gratification.

God keep us from this end, let our worship be true to You, let our hearts be true to You, keep us in You LORD, we would be wholly Yours! So much threatens to destroy our walk with You LORD. Forgive us our failings of which there are many. Please LORD, if there is any wicked evil way in us destroy it, and lead us in Your way everlasting! You are our HOPE.

2Ki 5:24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.

2Ki 5:25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.

2Ki 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?

2Ki 5:27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.