Help Others without Needing to Be Repaid

Note from today’s Bible reading: 2 Kings 5-8

Naaman, the captain of the army of Aram, was afflicted with leprosy. After hearing there was a prophet in Israel who could help, he received permission from his king to go and find the one who could cure him (2 Kings 5:1-5).

When he came to Elisha, the prophet sent his servant to deliver his message to Naaman – to wash seven times in the Jordan River and be clean (2 Kings 5:9-10). Initially, Naaman rejected this; but when he obeyed the prophet’s instructions, he was healed (2 Kings 5:11-14).

Naaman returned to Elisha to offer him a gift, but Elisha refused (2 Kings 5:16). However, his servant followed Naaman, lied about Elisha changing his mind, and took the gift from Naaman for himself (2 Kings 5:20-24). Elisha knew what his servant did and said, “Is it a time to receive money and to receive clothes and olive groves and vineyards and sheep and oxen and male and female servants?” (2 Kings 5:26). In other words, helping Naaman did not warrant such repayment. It should have been enough simply to do the good deed as he was able to do it.

So help others without needing to be repaid. We should not decide whether or not we will do good for someone based upon what we can gain from them. It is good to work and be compensated for it, but helping those in need should not be done for the same purpose.