Naaman's Journey: Humility, Healing, and God's Grace
Naaman's Journey: Humility, Healing, and God's Grace
Summary
Today’s passage from 2 Kings 5 tells the story of Naaman, a powerful and successful military commander who, despite all his achievements, is brought low by leprosy—a disease that no amount of status, wealth, or wisdom can cure. Naaman’s journey is a mirror for all of us: no matter how much we have going for us, we all carry wounds and needs that we cannot fix on our own. The story reminds us that the deepest problem in our lives is not just our circumstances, but the spiritual sickness that comes from being separated from God.
Naaman’s first instinct is to solve his problem through his own resources—he brings gifts, leverages his connections, and expects a dramatic solution. But God, through the prophet Elisha, offers him something radically simple: wash in the Jordan River. Naaman is offended by the simplicity and humility required, but it’s only when he surrenders his pride and obeys that he is healed. This is a picture of the gospel: we cannot heal ourselves, but God offers healing as a gift, received by humble trust.
God’s pursuit of Naaman is relentless and surprising. He uses a young servant girl—someone wounded by Naaman’s own actions—to point him toward healing. God often pursues us through unexpected people and circumstances, even through our suffering and loss. The story shows that God’s grace is not limited by our past, our status, or our failures. Anyone—no matter how far from God—can receive healing.
When Naaman is healed, his life is changed. He wants to worship God, even as he returns to a complicated life in a foreign land. Healing is not just about relief from suffering; it’s about being made new and learning to live in that newness, even when it’s messy and slow. God’s work in us is ongoing, and he is faithful to help us walk in the new life he gives.
Ultimately, Naaman’s story points us to Jesus, the true healer who was wounded for our healing. The invitation is simple: trust in what God has done for you in Christ. Whether you are seeking healing for the first time or realizing you’ve been living as if you’re still sick, God is ready and eager to heal, restore, and lead you into new life.
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Key Takeaways
- We All Need Healing, No Matter Our Status
Naaman’s story exposes the universal human condition: even the most successful, admired, and powerful among us are not immune to brokenness. Beneath the surface, we all carry wounds—spiritual, emotional, or physical—that no amount of achievement can cover. This truth humbles us and invites us to be honest about our need for healing, rather than masking it with temporary solutions. [27:33]
- We Cannot Heal Ourselves—Only God Can
Naaman tried every resource at his disposal—wealth, influence, wisdom—but none could cure him. The healing he needed required humility and surrender, not self-reliance. In the same way, our deepest wounds cannot be fixed by our own efforts, morality, or religious performance; true healing is a gift that only God can give, received by simple trust. [35:48]
- God’s Pursuit Is Relentless and Often Comes Through the Unexpected
God pursued Naaman through a young servant girl, through suffering, and through a prophet’s simple command. Often, God uses unlikely people and difficult circumstances to draw us to himself. Even our pain and loss can be the very means by which God gets our attention and leads us to healing. [41:38]
- Healing Leads to a New Way of Life, Not Just Relief
Naaman’s healing didn’t just restore his body; it changed his heart and his direction. He wanted to worship God and live differently, even though he didn’t have all the answers yet. True healing from God always leads to transformation—a new life marked by growth, worship, and a desire to walk in the health God provides, even when it’s messy and slow. [47:19]
- The Simplicity of the Gospel: Trust in Christ’s Finished Work
The story of Naaman points us to Jesus, who was wounded so that we could be healed. The invitation is not to perform or prove ourselves, but to trust in what Christ has done. Healing is not earned; it is received by faith, as simply as flipping a light switch. This is the miracle and the simplicity of the gospel: by his wounds, we are healed. [52:26]
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Youtube Chapters
[00:00] - Welcome
[02:11] - Christmas Lights and Simple Solutions
[24:37] - God Still Works Miracles Today
[26:03] - Naaman: Success and Sickness
[27:33] - The Universal Need for Healing
[32:42] - Naaman Seeks Help and Faces Disappointment
[33:47] - The Simplicity of God’s Command
[34:53] - The Limits of Self-Reliance
[36:51] - Naaman’s Obedience and Healing
[38:41] - God as the Ultimate Healer
[41:38] - God’s Pursuit Through Suffering and People
[44:25] - The Servant Girl’s Forgiveness and Risk
[45:28] - Living in New Health
[52:26] - Responding to God’s Healing
[58:10] - Communion: Remembering Our Healer
[01:10:54] - Sending and Blessing
[01:15:34] - MomCo Ministry and Closing Prayer
Study Guide
Small Group Bible Study Guide: The Healing of Naaman (2 Kings 5)
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### Bible Reading
2 Kings 5:1-19 (ESV)
*(Please read the full passage together as a group.)*
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### Observation Questions
1. What were some of the ways Naaman tried to solve his problem before he obeyed Elisha’s instructions?
[[32:42]]
2. How did Naaman react when Elisha told him to wash in the Jordan River, and why was he upset?
[[33:47]]
3. Who were some of the unexpected people God used to point Naaman toward healing?
[[43:19]]
4. After Naaman was healed, what did he ask Elisha for, and what does this show about his heart?
[[45:28]]
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### Interpretation Questions
1. Why do you think Naaman was offended by the simplicity of Elisha’s command to wash in the Jordan? What does this reveal about his expectations of God?
[[33:47]]
2. The sermon says that Naaman’s real problem was not just leprosy, but a deeper spiritual sickness. What does this mean, and how does it relate to our own lives?
[[27:33]]
3. How does God’s use of the servant girl in Naaman’s story challenge our ideas about who God can use to bring healing or point others to Him?
[[44:25]]
4. After being healed, Naaman wanted to worship God but still had to return to a complicated life. What does this teach us about what it means to live in “newness” after God’s healing?
[[47:19]]
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### Application Questions
1. The sermon says, “We all need healing, no matter our status.” What are some “wounds” or needs in your life that you tend to hide or try to fix on your own? What would it look like to be honest about them with God or others?
[[27:33]]
2. Naaman tried to use his wealth, status, and connections to get healed, but it didn’t work. Are there ways you try to “fix” your own problems or earn God’s favor instead of simply trusting Him? What would it look like to surrender those efforts?
[[35:48]]
3. God pursued Naaman through unexpected people and hard circumstances. Can you think of a time when God used an unlikely person or a difficult situation to get your attention or help you grow? How did you respond?
[[41:38]]
4. The servant girl forgave and helped Naaman, even though he had hurt her. Is there someone in your life who has wronged you, but God might want to use you to show them grace or point them to Him? What would that look like?
[[44:25]]
5. After his healing, Naaman wanted to worship God, even though he didn’t have all the answers and his life was still messy. Are there areas in your life where you feel “not ready” or “not good enough” to follow God? How can you take a step of obedience anyway?
[[45:28]]
6. The sermon compared trusting God’s healing to flipping a light switch—simple, but sometimes hard to believe. What makes it hard for you to trust in the simplicity of the gospel? How can you remind yourself this week that healing is a gift, not something you earn?
[[52:26]]
7. If you have already experienced God’s healing in your life, are you living in that “new health,” or are there ways you’re still acting like you’re “sick”? What is one practical step you can take this week to walk in the new life God has given you?
[[47:19]]
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Close in prayer, asking God to help each person trust Him for healing and to walk in the new life He gives.
Devotional
Day 1: We All Need Healing
No matter our success or status, we all carry wounds and brokenness that we cannot ignore. Like Naaman, who had everything the world could offer yet was afflicted with leprosy, each of us faces a deep need for healing that goes beyond what we can achieve or acquire. Beneath the surface, we long for life, joy, and peace that this world cannot fully satisfy, pointing us to a deeper spiritual sickness that only God can address. [27:33]
2 Kings 5:1
Naaman, commander of the army for the king of Aram, was a man important to his master and highly regarded because through him, the Lord had given victory to Aram. The man was a valiant warrior, but he had a skin disease.
Reflection: What is one area of your life where you’ve tried to ignore or cover up your need for healing? Will you bring that specific area honestly before God today and ask Him to begin His healing work there?
Day 2: We Cannot Heal Ourselves
Our own strength, wisdom, wealth, or status cannot bring the healing we truly need; only humility and surrender open the door to God’s restoration. Naaman tried every resource at his disposal—power, money, influence—but none could cure him. It was only when he humbled himself and obeyed God’s simple instruction that he found true healing, reminding us that self-reliance falls short and we must depend on God’s grace. [35:48]
2 Kings 5:13-14
But his servants approached and said to him, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more should you do it when he only tells you, ‘Wash and be clean’?” So Naaman went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, according to the command of the man of God. Then his skin was restored and became like the skin of a small boy, and he was clean.
Reflection: Where are you still trying to fix yourself or control your own healing? What would it look like to lay down your pride and trust God with that area today?
Day 3: God Is Our Ultimate Healer
God alone is able to heal the deepest wounds of our souls, offering restoration, forgiveness, and new life through His miraculous grace. Naaman’s story shows that healing is not found in rituals, resources, or even the “right” place, but in encountering the living God who heals not just bodies but hearts, making us whole and clean from the inside out. [38:41]
Isaiah 53:5
But he was pierced because of our rebellion, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on him, and we are healed by his wounds.
Reflection: What is one wound, regret, or area of shame that you need to bring to Jesus, trusting that He alone can heal you by His wounds?
Day 4: God Is Pursuing You
Even when we are far from Him or feel unworthy, God actively pursues us with His love, often through unexpected people and circumstances, inviting us to receive His healing. Just as God used a young servant girl and a series of unlikely events to reach Naaman, He is at work in your life—sometimes through suffering, sometimes through others—drawing you toward Himself so you can experience His grace. [41:38]
Luke 19:10
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
Reflection: Who or what has God used in your life recently to draw you closer to Him? How can you respond to His pursuit today?
Day 5: Healed to Live a New Life
When God heals us, He calls us to walk in newness of life, empowered by His Spirit to grow, change, and live out our faith in practical ways. Like Naaman, who returned home determined to worship God alone and live differently, we are invited to embrace our new identity and let God’s work in us shape our daily actions, trusting that He will continue to grow us even when the journey is slow or messy. [47:19]
2 Corinthians 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Reflection: What is one specific step you can take today to live out your new life in Christ—whether it’s a conversation, a commitment, or an act of obedience you’ve been putting off?
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