Full Sermon Gehazi Shows Us Money’s Tempting Side based on 2 Kings 5:1-27

Let us pray: Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Amen.

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I. Forrest Fenn’s treasure. 14 years ago, a man named Forrest Fenn buried a treasure chest in the Rocky Mountains of the United States. He gave people clues through a poem he wrote to help locate the buried treasure estimated to be worth over 1 million dollars. He wanted people to enjoy the outdoors in their search. Before you go out searching for that treasure, you need to know that the treasure was found 4 years ago in the state of Wyoming. Thousands of people are thought to have searched for that hidden treasure for 10 years. Some people were injured and at least 5 people died in the hunt for the treasure. Jack Stuef, a man from Michigan, found the treasure a few months before Fenn died at the age of 90. The treasure was auctioned off and sold for 1.3 million dollars.

II. Money says, “You will never have enough of me, so run hard, run hard to get me, even if that kills you.” The point is Money Talks. What does money say, “You will never have enough of me, so run hard to get me, run hard, even if that kills you.” Money Talks. That is the name of the three-week sermon series that we started last week. Last week we looked at the life of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, who lost everything due to his desire for more money. Lot was overcome by money’s dark side. Today we think about a man named Gehazi, a servant of the prophet Elisha. Gehazi shows us money’s tempting side.

III. God’s grace given to Naaman. 2 Kings 5 tells us about God’s grace given to Naaman, a commander of the Syrian army. Naaman seemed to have everything anyone could want—he was a successful commander and the king of Syria was very pleased with him. Naaman’s big problem was having the skin disease of leprosy.

IV. Naaman wants healing and 2 Kings 5:10. Naaman learned that a prophet in Samaria, the northern kingdom of Israel, could heal him. The prophet Elisha, not to be confused with the prophet Elijah, would not meet with the commander. 2 Kings 5:10 states, “And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, ‘Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored, and you shall be clean.’”

At first, Naaman was angry, because he wanted to see the prophet wave his hand over him and heal him. His servants convinced him to do as the prophet had instructed him. After washing in the Jordan River seven times, his skin disease of leprosy was cured. Then, Naaman offers money and gifts to the prophet for his healing. Elisha refused to accept any money or gifts from Naaman. This is an important part of the chapter. Elisha was content and refused the money.

V. 2 Kings 5:20 and Gehazi’s greed. 2 Kings 5:20 tells us what Gehazi thought about all of this: “See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” Unlike Elisha, Gehazi was full of greed. Like Forrest Fenn’s treasure hunters, Gehazi went running after Naaman to get some money and clothing. Gehazi was thinking, “My master, Elisha, is a great prophet but he is not a good businessman. I will get some money from Naaman. He has plenty of money to give and he does not need to take all that money back to Syria with him.” Gehazi ran after Naaman. Money talks! “You will never have enough of me. So run and run hard to get me, even if that kills you.”

VI. We are tempted by money to get rich quick, too. Gehazi is not the only one tempted by money. We are tempted regularly to get rich quick, too. A commercial says that you can make thousands of dollars by working at home in only a few hours a week. Another commercial says that you can win lots of money by betting on football games. Or play the lottery and win millions of dollars. Casinos do not stay in business by letting people win lots of money. Casinos stay in business by getting lots of people to bet money and lose. You do not have to work. You can have a lot of money right now. Or so the temptation goes.

VII. Read 2 Kings 5:22 and comment. Gehazi ran after Naaman and says, “My master has sent me to say, ‘There have just now come to me from the hill country of Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of clothing.’ ” (2 Kings 5:22) By the way, a talent of silver is about 67 pounds of silver and is worth about $15,000 in today’s money. Naaman believed Gehazi’s lie. Naaman gave Gehazi 2 talents of silver and 2 changes of clothing.

VIII. Elisha’s response in 2 Kings 5:26-27. That is not the end of the story though. Gehazi did not get away with his deception. He lied to Naaman. Gehazi was asked about where he had been. He lied by saying that he had gone nowhere. Elisha was not a good man to lie to. 2 Kings 5:26-27 gives us the response of Elisha, [“Did not my heart go when the man turned from his chariot to meet you? Was it a time to accept money and garments, olive orchards and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male servants and female servants? Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and to your descendants forever.” So he went out from his presence a leper, like snow.] At the start of 2 Kings 5, Naaman was a leper and Gehazi was serving God. At the end of 2 Kings 5, Gehazi was a leper and Naaman was serving God.

IX. God has a gift for you that is far greater than 130 pounds of silver and 2 changes of clothes. God’s gift is priceless and you do not have to run somewhere to find that great gift. That gift is right here. That gift is Baptism. Martin Luther, the German reformer, in his Large Catechism, talks about Baptism in this way, “Suppose there were a physician who had so much skill that people would not die, or even though they died would afterward live eternally. Just think how the world would snow and rain money upon such a person! Because of the throng of rich people crowding around, no one else would be able to get near. Now, here in baptism there is brought, free of charge, to every person’s door just such a treasure and medicine that swallows up death and keeps all people alive. Thus, we must regard baptism and put (baptism) to use in such a way that we may draw strength and comfort from (baptism) when our sins or conscience oppress us, and say: ‘But I am baptized! And if I have been baptized, I have the promise that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body.’”[1]

X. Conclusion. Elisha was generous with the gifts God gave him. He did not heal people for money. Gehazi was greedy for money. We can follow the example of Elisha and be generous or we can follow the example of Gehazi and be greedy.

Money talks. Money keeps saying, “Your will never have enough of me so keep running—even if that kills you.” But generous people talk back to money! “Mr. Money! You are not my master. Jesus is my Master. Mr. Money, I refuse to think you will solve all my problems. Go, Mr. Money! Go serve Jesus and his church!” We end up living like Elisha—full of joyful generosity!

We have a choice to make. Will we be like Gehazi, full of greed, or like Elisha, full of joyful generosity? What will move us to take the step towards joyful generosity? God’s gift. In Holy Baptism we are forgiven and loved by God and adopted into God’s family. Holy Baptism connects us the dying and rising of Jesus for us. Life’s greatest treasure is right here! We can stop running!

And we can start talking back to money. What will we say? Matthew 10:8 in the NIV84 gives us good words to think about based on saving faith in Jesus, “Freely you have received. Freely give.” Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

[1]Robert Kolb, Timothy J. Wengert, and Charles P. Arand, The Book of Concord: The Confessions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church(Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2000), 461–462.