The REST of the story ~
(You can read the story : 2 Kings 5:19-27)
- - - - -
"But that wasn't the end of the story, was it, Uncle Gehazi?"
"No, Sweet." said Gehazi absent-mindedly scratching at his arm. He sat heavily in the chair next to his niece Hadassah. "No, not for me."
"You went after Naaman, right? Why? I have always wondered."
"I have no good reason to tell you. It was stupid -- I suppose . . . greed, plain and simple. And I learned my lesson -- too late -- but I learned!"
"Can you tell me the story?"
"Ah!" Gehazi chuckled ruefully, and poured a glass of wine. He sat and stared out the window a long while, his eyes looking down the road into the past. "It galled me -- Naaman and all his men so finely dressed, bearing wealth untold. The silver is what caught my eye ~ and my heart, I think. The sun hit it as Naaman laid it out before Elisha. I remember my breath caught. When he brought out the silver and beautiful cloth ~ I saw a new home, and food -- lots of food. There had been a famine -- for a long while. That apostate king and his Baal worshiping prophets were to blame, yet we suffered. I was tired of going without.
Then Elisha said "No" to him -- "No, take it all back to your king. I'll take none of your wealth -- I'll not be paid for what God has done." Naaman left and Elisha went off to take a nap. I stood muttering to myself the rest of the morning. Telling myself lies it was ~ really :
'He ought to pay -- would have if he'd gone to a physician. How long would he've stayed a high & mighty general with that leprosy? What was he doing here anyway? Worships Baal -- then comes looking down that arrogant nose of his at us, even while he wants our God to heal him. The way he spoke to Elisha ... lucky there are no bears in these parts. Elisha was just too easy on him. That silver isn't even his...' Nonsense like that till I'd heard myself say, "why I have half a mind to go get that silver and those garments . . ."
Well, once I'd said it, seemed like there was nothing but to go. In about no time, I found myself hurrying off after Naaman. Thought up a great lie on the way ... said two young men had just arrived and Elisha had changed his mind. Naaman was only too happy to give me all I asked for ~ and more: I asked for one talent of silver and he insisted on giving me two. I told myself it was a sign from God that I had done the right thing. Had myself convinced too -- till I saw Elisha.
Those eyes ... did you ever meet him? No? Well let me tell you, there is nothing ~ NOTHING ~ I can compare to looking into those eyes. At first he said nothing ... he just looked at me. He was sad, sad like I had personally broken his heart. And mixed into that ocean of sad ... throw in a good measure of mad as a wet hen. I knew I'd lost his trust. Some bells you can't unring. I lied to him too -- dang fool that I was. When he asked me where I'd been, I told him I hadn't gone anywhere. That did it! The sad melted away and his eyes poured out pure fire rage ~ 'bout seared the hair from my head. I had hair then. I remember . . . some nights in my dreams . . . Anyway, in dead whisper he said, "Didn't go anywhere?! Oh, Gehazi! Was not my spirit with you when that man got down from his chariot to meet you?" And I knew it -- when I shut off those lies barking in my head ... I knew. Hadn't I lived and traveled with him? He was quiet for a while. Probably only a minute -- seemed forever then. Then the words came out like steel, "Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and your descendants forever." Pushing up his sleeves, then rubbing his hands on his face, Gehazi said, "And ... it has."
"You don't seem angry -- are you? And you stayed with him ... stayed his aide. You stayed and he kept you?"
"OH! Of course I stayed ... stayed with him till he died. And I'm so glad he let me! No -- it was just -- hard, but but a just consequence. Leprosy eats at you ... rots you from the outside in. But there had been greed in me ... and greed ~ greed will rot you from the inside out. No, it was a hard lesson, but a good one...maybe the best one anyone is fortunate enough to learn."
- - - - -
"But that wasn't the end of the story, was it, Uncle Gehazi?"
"No, Sweet." said Gehazi absent-mindedly scratching at his arm. He sat heavily in the chair next to his niece Hadassah. "No, not for me."
"You went after Naaman, right? Why? I have always wondered."
"I have no good reason to tell you. It was stupid -- I suppose . . . greed, plain and simple. And I learned my lesson -- too late -- but I learned!"
"Can you tell me the story?"
"Ah!" Gehazi chuckled ruefully, and poured a glass of wine. He sat and stared out the window a long while, his eyes looking down the road into the past. "It galled me -- Naaman and all his men so finely dressed, bearing wealth untold. The silver is what caught my eye ~ and my heart, I think. The sun hit it as Naaman laid it out before Elisha. I remember my breath caught. When he brought out the silver and beautiful cloth ~ I saw a new home, and food -- lots of food. There had been a famine -- for a long while. That apostate king and his Baal worshiping prophets were to blame, yet we suffered. I was tired of going without.
Then Elisha said "No" to him -- "No, take it all back to your king. I'll take none of your wealth -- I'll not be paid for what God has done." Naaman left and Elisha went off to take a nap. I stood muttering to myself the rest of the morning. Telling myself lies it was ~ really :
'He ought to pay -- would have if he'd gone to a physician. How long would he've stayed a high & mighty general with that leprosy? What was he doing here anyway? Worships Baal -- then comes looking down that arrogant nose of his at us, even while he wants our God to heal him. The way he spoke to Elisha ... lucky there are no bears in these parts. Elisha was just too easy on him. That silver isn't even his...' Nonsense like that till I'd heard myself say, "why I have half a mind to go get that silver and those garments . . ."
Well, once I'd said it, seemed like there was nothing but to go. In about no time, I found myself hurrying off after Naaman. Thought up a great lie on the way ... said two young men had just arrived and Elisha had changed his mind. Naaman was only too happy to give me all I asked for ~ and more: I asked for one talent of silver and he insisted on giving me two. I told myself it was a sign from God that I had done the right thing. Had myself convinced too -- till I saw Elisha.
Those eyes ... did you ever meet him? No? Well let me tell you, there is nothing ~ NOTHING ~ I can compare to looking into those eyes. At first he said nothing ... he just looked at me. He was sad, sad like I had personally broken his heart. And mixed into that ocean of sad ... throw in a good measure of mad as a wet hen. I knew I'd lost his trust. Some bells you can't unring. I lied to him too -- dang fool that I was. When he asked me where I'd been, I told him I hadn't gone anywhere. That did it! The sad melted away and his eyes poured out pure fire rage ~ 'bout seared the hair from my head. I had hair then. I remember . . . some nights in my dreams . . . Anyway, in dead whisper he said, "Didn't go anywhere?! Oh, Gehazi! Was not my spirit with you when that man got down from his chariot to meet you?" And I knew it -- when I shut off those lies barking in my head ... I knew. Hadn't I lived and traveled with him? He was quiet for a while. Probably only a minute -- seemed forever then. Then the words came out like steel, "Naaman's leprosy will cling to you and your descendants forever." Pushing up his sleeves, then rubbing his hands on his face, Gehazi said, "And ... it has."
"You don't seem angry -- are you? And you stayed with him ... stayed his aide. You stayed and he kept you?"
"OH! Of course I stayed ... stayed with him till he died. And I'm so glad he let me! No -- it was just -- hard, but but a just consequence. Leprosy eats at you ... rots you from the outside in. But there had been greed in me ... and greed ~ greed will rot you from the inside out. No, it was a hard lesson, but a good one...maybe the best one anyone is fortunate enough to learn."
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