Spiritual Leprosy

Humility is something that is rewarded. Genuine humility is something that is greatly rewarded by God. The Bible talks over and over about how God exalts the humble but brings down the proud. God uses the humble in ways that He will not be able to use the proud because the humble are willing to serve in any capacity that God asks. Those who are proud limit, if not remove, themselves from service because they are unwilling to do whatever is asked.

As I've continued my Bible study into 2 Kings I've noticed this principle in the life of Elisha. He was the humble servant who was blessed, but his servant was a proud and greedy man. In 2 Kings 3.11b it says, "Elisha the son of Shaphat is here, who used to pour water on the hands of Elijah."

I haven't researched this, but I'm using some other information from things I learned while preaching through the Gospel of John. Elijah the prophet had Elisha as a servant. He would go with him and minister to his needs. Part of the task would have been preparing for ceremonial washing. In the New Testament, and probably in the Old as well, a rabbi would have had a servant/disciple who would go with them and be responsible for washing his feet when he entered a house. I'm guessing that was part of Elisha's duties as well.

In 1 Kings 19 God tells Elijah to go and find Elisha, who will become his successor. As Elisha learns from Elijah he also ministers to him. He serves before he can lead. And because he is a humble servant, willing to do even then lowest task, he is greatly blessed and greatly used by God.

Before Elijah is taken up to heaven he to Elisha, "Ask what I shall do for you before I am taken from you." and Elisha responds, "Please, let a double portion of your spirit be upon me." Elisha wants to be used greatly by God. He asked to be Elijah's successor and God granted his request because his motives were pure. Elisha did not seek position and power for his own gain, we see throughout his ministry that he refuses gain for his services. God uses the humble because they seek His good, not their own.

Elisha was a great man. He had a ministry that lasted five decades and had great influence in four nations. We have more miracles recorded from Elisha's ministry than Elijah's, but he lacks the fame that Elijah had; although I highly doubt he minds.

Enter the servant of Elisha, Gehazi. Unlike Elisha, he is not a humble man concerned with doing the work of God. His motives and actions are portrayed as selfish and, based on the account of the Shunammite woman's son, lacking faith. Because of these things God will not use him.

Gehazi is with Elisha, he sees and observes him, but he never appears to learn humility from him until it is too late. After the healing on Naaman from leprosy, Elisha refuses the payment Naaman offers. Gehazi, who has failed to learn the lesson that this is for God not personal gain, goes secretly after Naaman and takes a small amount of what he offered Elisha by lying. Then he lies to try and cover it up, but nothing is hidden from God, and Gehazi and all of his descendants carry the leprosy of Naaman.

A leader must primarily be a humble servant. This is the model that Elisha sets, and later Jesus Himself. A leader must be humble because first and foremost He is a servant of God. God cannot use anyone to their fullest potential if they are not willing to be humble. All Christians must be humble servants. This is given all through the teachings of Jesus, and it's the example that Jesus Himself sets. But it is one that has been greatly misplaced, especially in the American Church.

Here, many Christians don't seem to have any interest in serving others. For many the Church is about meeting their needs and making them comfortable. If that doesn't happen, they usually move to a Church where they can slip in and out of the crowd. Many simply refuse to serve and make excuses for why they can't. But honestly, I really don't think it's much different than Gehazi, or even the disciples of Jesus. How much potential is untapped, how much good is undone, because Christians aren't humble enough to serve?

I think it starts with leadership. As leaders we must set an example of humble service for the people to follow. Those who we lead must follow us as we follow Christ. We must live for God not for ourselves. Our motives must be pure, as Elisha's were, and when they are God can use us greatly because there is no task that we are unwilling to do for Him. Those who are motivated by greed, by hope of gain, focused on the Prosperity Gospel, where God's will is for Christians to be financially blessed, miss out on all God wants to use them for. They end up with a spiritual leprosy that is usually passed down from generation to generation.

As leprosy made one an outcast in the Bible, spiritual leprosy in a way makes us an outcast from God. Lepers couldn't engage in normal life. They couldn't work, couldn't attend worship in the Temple or Synagogue, they couldn't celebrate the festivals because they were unclean. In the same way spiritual leprosy has us miss out on the life that God has for us. Pride keeps us from serving, greed keeps us from giving and helping others. As we fail to live as Christ we grow farther from God.

Gehazi is only mentioned one more time in the Bible after he receives the curse of leprosy. In 2 Kings 8 we find him telling of the works of Elisha. We don't know if he stayed proud and greedy while growing bitter. We aren't told if he humbled himself and repented. I do know that he had an incredible example to learn from. Elisha was a humble servant whose focus was the work and glory of God. I want that to be said of me. I want to be a leader who serves, who people can safely follow because I fully follow Christ. I don't want spiritual leprosy, but a clean, pure heart.

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you

Part 5: Greed

"Then He said to them, 'Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed;'..." Luke 12.15a.

Greed, "excessive or rapacious desire, especially for wealth or possessions." It's a desire that is never satisfied and always needs more. It never gives but hoards everything. It is the exact opposite of the Christian life style.

The word used in Luke 12 is pleonexias and it's translated as covetousness. This word means, "inordinately or wrongly desirous of wealth or possessions; greedy." It's a desire for more, and it has no place in the life of a Christ follower.

In Luke 12 Jesus warns us to be on our guard against every from of greed, and then tells the parable of the rich fool. Ephesians 5.3 says, "But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints;" We're told in the first two verses of the chapter to imitate God, and to walk in love as Christ did. Greed is in no way to be associated with us because it cannot be associated with God.

Greed has no place in our lives because it causes us to focus on wealth and possessions rather than on God. It ruins our lives. I think of Gehazi in 2 Kings 5. He's the servant of Elisha, probably in a role similar to what Elisha had with Elijah. In 2 Kings 5 Naaman comes to Elisha with leprosy, and Elisha tells him how to be healed. After the healing takes place Naaman returns and offers Elisha a reward, but he refuses to take it. Gehazi goes after Naaman and lies to receive part of the reward. He had a bright future, possibly as Elisha's successor, but greed cost him not only that, but also his health and the health of all of his descendants. 2 Kings 5.27, "'Therefore, the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.' So he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow."

Greed has no place in the life of those who seek to serve God. 1 Timothy 6.10 says, "For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." Earlier in 1 Timothy 3 Paul gives a list of the characteristics of Church leaders. In this list it says, "free from the love of money." Hebrews 13.5 says, "Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “ I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,”

Colossians 3:5 states, "Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry." Greed amounts to idolatry. Jesus said in Matthew 6.24, "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth." If we aren't serving God we're serving an idol.

There is nothing wrong with wealth or having nice things. I think Christians miss this point. Wealth is not evil, money is not evil. The love of money is evil, devotion to wealth is evil. The issue is not having wealth and possessions, but when that wealth and those possessions take the place of God and our desires are not for God but instead for more wealth. If our thirst is for God then it will be satisfied, Jesus talks about this in John 4. But if our thirst is for wealth it's like drinking salt water, the more you drink the thirstier you get. Wealth is never satisfied, greed is never satisfied. It's the perfect foothold of the devil because it keeps demanding more.

We cannot serve God and money, we cannot love both of them, Jesus said so. So which is it God or money? Generosity or greed? It's ok to have wealth, just use it humbly for the glory of God and for building His Kingdom.

If greed is a foothold that Satan has in your life, then I want to turn to the solution Jesus gives to a rich young man seeking eternal life. He's seeking God's quality of life, a life that is lived for the glory of God. Jesus says to Him, "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." In the parable of Luke 12, we are told to be rich towards God, and that we don't have to worry because God will take care of us.

I close with Psalm 37.25, "I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

Be generous, refuse to love and serve wealth and give the devil the foothold of greed in your life.

Peace be with you