The last seven verses of the fifth chapter of II Kings recount an incident in the life of a servant of the prophet Elisha which cannot be too deeply impressed upon the thought of those who have caught a glimpse of what it means to have the vision of good, the recognition of the ever presence and all-power of God, the God who is good.
The great prophet. Elisha had brought to this man through his daily life and demonstration the vision of the allness of good, the understanding that God’s kingdom is on earth as it is in heaven, and the power which accompanies this understanding. It would, seem, however, that Gehazi had not firmly grounded himself upon this rock, for when he saw the wealth of Naaman, the Syrian captain, the priceless privilege of serving for the attainment of this spiritual ideal seemed nothing, and the vision of good as wholly spiritual vanished. Following this loss came the desire to attain by any means the so-called good; deceit, dishonor, and retribution followed. What Gehazi failed to see was that in gaining the material sense of good, he must necessarily lose the divine sense. “Ye cannot serve God and mammon.” Also he failed to see that in gaining a material sense of good he would also acquire its inevitable results—material belief in sin disease, and death.
Elisha, on the contrary, was wise enough to desire only what comes from God. He had proved the worth of the vision of good and heard the divine message too clearly to turn aside for material wealth, human wisdom, or fame. This perception and appreciation of good is the inward vision referred to in Proverbs, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Jesus warned us not to lose this vision, when he said, “What I say unto you I say unto all. Watch.” Watch that we be not lured away from this steadfast consciousness of the allness of God, good, for “Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever.”
