Analyze The Motives Of Naaman, Elisha, And Behazi

In this essay, I will analyze the motives of the following characters from 2 Kings 5: Naaman, Elisha, and Behazi. They all have a role in the healing of Naaman’s leprosy or the outcome of it. Each man had a reason for doing what they did in this story and I will show a few possibilities of them according to the evidence in the text. Naaman was a captain of the king of Syria and he was sent by the king to Israel to be healed from his leprosy: “And he brought the letter to the king of Israel, saying, Now when this letter is come unto thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee, that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy”. (2 Kings 5:6) Naaman was a mighty man in valor and even though he had leprosy, he was valuable to his
Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel”. (2 Kings 5:8) The king of Israel had felt that the Syrian king was making a joke of him. How could he cure this man of leprosy? He does not give or take life. The news had reached Elisha and he knew that God would show himself through him so that others may appreciate that He is real. Elisha did not come out to greet Naaman and deliver the instructions of the healing himself because he wanted Naaman to regard the healing as a miracle from God, not a work of man: “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”. (2 Kings 5:11) In this verse, Naaman recognized that Elisha would call out on God. However, he thought Elisha would touch him and heal him. Elisha needed Naaman to recognize that by sending him to the Jordan River, he would not lay a hand on him, but God
“And he said unto him, ‘went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and olive yards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever’”. (2 Kings 5: 26-27a) Elisha had refused Naaman’s gifts and Gehazi went behind his masters’ back to receive the gifts. In fact, he lied to Naaman about whom the gifts were for. Gehazi betrayed Elisha for greed so leprosy was placed upon him. Gehazi lied to Naaman and Elisha so that he would keep the collected gifts of Naaman for himself out of greed. “But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him”. (2 Kings 5:20) Gehazi was aware that Elisha did not accept the gifts. In addition, he saw that Naaman went back to Syria with the talents and garments. He wished to take some of it for