THE story of Naaman has been written about many times, yet its wonderful lessons are never exhausted. The material thought of the world has hidden a large part of the very practical help which can be gained from the narrative when it is interpreted in the light of Christian Science, a light which opens the human understanding.
In the fifth chapter of the second book of Kings we read that Naaman the leper was a mighty man, captain of the king's host, one who had influence with the king, because "by him the Lord had given deliverance unto Syria." Now the Syrians had taken captive a little maid from Israel, and she became an attendant to Naaman's wife. She told her mistress about the prophet Elisha, who could heal her master's leprosy. Naaman was informed of this, and after consulting the king about it, he decided to make the journey and see if he could be healed. Here the analysis of motives which Christian Science teaches lends a deep interest. From the study of the chapter it is gained that Naaman was proud and haughty, probably because he stood well with the king. He was also full of preconceived opinions as to how he was going to be cured, all of which militate against the healing of any kind of disease. When he arrived at his destination, instead of alighting and going into the house of the prophet, he remained seated in his chariot.
Realizing the necessity of rebuking Naaman's pride and egotism, Elisha, whose wisdom was from God, sent him a message which today might be called an absent treatment. It was this: "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." The mere promise of healing should have been enough to insure a ready obedience, but circumstances and environment had built up such an abnormal sense of self that the spiritual import of "wash," which points to mental cleansing, did not reach him. He was disappointed, and because of wounded pride he answered: "Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper." From this speech it would appear that he wanted to be healed in a dramatic way.
