July 6, Ordinary 14C (2 Kings 5:1-14)

It could be on the front page of a tabloid: “Prestigious Army Commander Healed by Bizarre Ritual from Prophet.” Naaman’s story is a dramatic tale with surprising twists. But even though the storyline is compelling, it’s the peripheral characters that capture my attention for deeper reflection. The young Israelite girl who serves in Naaman’s house, his personal servants who accompany him to visit Elisha—these are the unassuming voices that propel him toward healing. They are not the heroes of the story, but their actions are noteworthy because without them Naaman would continue to suffer from his disease. It’s faith affirming to pause and remember the people in our own life stories whose influence altered our choices and turned us toward a new wholeness. God’s saving work is never too big for ordinary moments or casual conversations.

Naaman’s first turn toward healing isn’t the result of a direct request. Desperation and pain prompt people to take chances, and Naaman is suffering. So he leans into an unlikely source of help, following the one-off lead of his wife’s servant girl. This young Israelite surely has her own traumatic story of being removed from her home and forced to serve her captors. Is she a naturally compassionate person, genuinely concerned about his suffering from chronic pain? Or is she merely thinking out loud, wistfully remembering her home, where she knew love, comfort, and wholeness? Whatever the reasons, her innocent musings begin a cascade of conversations and action.

It’s easy to dismiss the value of a younger person’s perspective because they seem too inexperienced, too naive, or too literal. But Jesus is clear when he commends the value of a childlike faith: “Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it” (Luke 18:17). Children are not a peripheral oddity to Jesus but an essential doorway toward God’s intentions. When we seriously consider ideas from members of a younger generation, we can glean unexpected insights. Are we open to unlikely sources for new hope? What voices are we willing to listen to?