Part 4 (2/2)

But there was one drawback in Naaman's case. Though he was willing to take the advice of the little girl, he was not willing to take the remedy. The stumbling-block of pride stood in his way. The remedy the prophet offered him was a terrible blow to his pride. I have no doubt he expected a grand reception from the King of Israel, to whom he brought letters of introduction. He had been victorious on many a field of battle, and held high rank in the army; perhaps we may call him Major-General Naaman of Syria, or he might have been higher in rank even than that; and bearing with him kingly credentials, he expected no doubt a distinguished reception. But instead of the king rus.h.i.+ng out to meet him, he, when he heard of Naaman's arrival and his object, simply rent his mantle, and said:

”Am I G.o.d, to kill and to make alive, that this man doth send unto me to recover a man of his leprosy? Wherefore consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel against me.”

Elisha heard of the king's trouble, and sent him a message, saying:

”Wherefore hast thou rent thy clothes? Let him come now to me, and he shall know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

I can imagine Naaman's pride reasoning thus: ”Surely, the prophet will feel very much exalted and flattered that I, the great Syrian general, should come and call upon him.”

And so, probably, full of those proud thoughts, he drives up to the prophet's humble dwelling with his chariot and his splendid retinue.

Yes, Naaman drove up in grand style to the prophet's abode, and as n.o.body seemed to be coming out to greet him, he sent in his message:

”Tell the prophet that Major-General Naaman of Syria has arrived, and wishes to see him.”

Elisha takes it very coolly. He does not come out to see him, but as soon as he learns his errand he sends his servant to tell him to dip seven times in the river Jordan, and he shall be clean.

That was a terrible blow to his pride. I can imagine him saying to his servant:

”What did you say? Did I understand you aright? Dip seven times in the Jordan! Why, we call the river Jordan a _ditch_ in our country.”

But the only answer he got was, ”The prophet says, Go and dip seven times in the Jordan, and thy flesh shall become like the flesh of a little child.”

I can fancy Naaman's indignation as he asks, ”Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel?

May I not wash in them and be clean? Haven't I bathed myself hundreds of times, and has it helped me? Can water wash away leprosy?”

So he turned and went away in a rage.

It isn't a bad sign when a man gets mad if you tell him the truth.

Some people are afraid of getting other people mad. I have known wives afraid to talk to their husbands, afraid of getting them mad.

I have known mothers who were afraid to talk to their sons because they were

AFRAID THEY WOULD GET MAD.

Don't be afraid of getting them mad, if it is the truth that makes them mad. If it is our foolishness that makes them mad, then we have got reason to mourn over it. If it is the truth, G.o.d sent it, and it is a good deal better to have a man get mad than it is to have him go to sleep. I think the trouble with a great many nowadays is that they are sound asleep, and it is a good deal better to rouse them even if they do wake up mad.

The fact was, the Jordan never had any great reputation as a river.

It flowed into the Dead Sea, and that sea never had a harbor to it, and its banks were not half so beautiful as those of the rivers of Damascus. Damascus was one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It is said that when Mahomet beheld it he turned his head aside for fear it should divert his thoughts from heaven.

Naaman turned away in a rage. ”Ah,” he said, ”here am I, a great conqueror, a successful general on the battlefield, holding the very highest rank in the army, and yet this prophet does not even come out to meet me; he simply sends a message. Why, I thought he would surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his G.o.d, and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper.”

There it is. I hardly ever knew a man yet who, when talked to about his sins, didn't say:

”Yes, but I _thought_ so and so.”

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