Seven Times in a Muddy River

The Story

Naaman was the commander of the Syrian army, a great man and a mighty warrior. But he had leprosy.

In his house lived a young Israelite girl who had been captured in a raid and made a servant to Naaman’s wife. Instead of being bitter, she said, “Would God my lord were with the prophet that is in Samaria! for he would recover him of his leprosy.”

So Naaman traveled to Israel with horses, chariots, silver, and gold, and pulled up at Elisha’s door. Elisha didn’t even come out. He sent a messenger: “Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.”

Naaman was furious. He had expected the prophet to come out, call on his God, and wave his hand over him. And the Jordan? Syria had cleaner rivers than that muddy one. He turned and left in a rage.

His servants stopped him. “If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?”

So Naaman went down to the Jordan. He dipped once. Nothing. Twice. Nothing. Six times. Still nothing. On the seventh time, he came up, and his skin was like a little child’s. He was completely clean.

Naaman went back to Elisha and declared, “Now I know that there is no God in all the earth, but in Israel.”

Reflection