Forming Faith Blog

Elisha Heals Naaman (2 Kings 5)

Posted on October 27 2026 by Gregory Rawn

When Naaman, a commander of a foreign army, seeks healing in Israel, he has greater faith in God than Israel’s own king does.

A river scene in Jordan. Naaman bathed in the Jordan River.
Photo by Leon Hellegers
About the Story

King Solomon was known for his wisdom, but his policies put his nation at risk. He cared more for wealth than the unity of the kingdom and for wives than faithfulness to the one true God. After his death, this led to the division of the kingdom. The ten northern tribes of Israel broke away from the southern kingdom, which would become known as Judah. During this time, the prophets spoke, urging the people to faithfulness and a return to God’s ways. One of these prophets was Elisha, whom we read about today.

Now we hear of Naaman, a commander in a foreign army that had recently been victorious over the army of Israel. Captives from Israel had been taken, including a young girl who became a servant to Naaman’s wife. Despite being a powerful man, Naaman had a major problem—leprosy. Leprosy is a skin disease that can cause the loss of limbs and a slow, painful death. Perhaps even more significant, leprosy led to people with the disease being rejected by the community. (Note: The term leprosy included a wide variety of skin diseases, not all of which had such severe consequences.)

In a surprising reversal of power, the powerful warrior became helpless, and an enslaved girl held his future in her hands. Instead of withholding the information, the girl shared what she knew. She told Naaman about Elisha, a prophet of God back home in Israel, whom she believed would be able to help Naaman. Naaman listened to her, and so did Naaman’s king, who sent Naaman to Israel with a letter for their king.

The king of Israel was distressed when a letter arrived requesting that Naaman be healed. To him, this looked like a political trap. If he could not heal this official, it could be an excuse for his kingdom to be attacked again. The king’s fear revealed that the king also had misplaced faith: if he had true faith in the God of Israel, then he would know that God could accomplish anything. 

This is where Elisha entered the scene. Elisha announced that all it would take for Naaman to be healed was a simple bath in the Jordan River. It was not a glamorous, expensive, or difficult task. It only required a willingness to follow God’s directions. Naaman was at first reluctant and upset. Yet, he eventually followed Elisha’s instructions and was healed. This is the greatest reversal in the story: the king of Israel, who should have trusted in the power of God, showed no faith, but Naaman, the foreigner, was healed by God and went away with great faith. (Adapted from Living the Word: Small Groups)

Context Insights

The following are a few insights found in our background resource Living the Word: Contexts & Connections. Within the Contexts portion of the resource, all factual and interpretive statements are cited in the endnotes, although those citations are not included here.

  • Linguistics: The Hebrew word wayyāšāḇ, translated as “restored” in 2 Kings 5:14, literally means “turned around,” which has the same root word as “return” and “repent.”
  • Geography/Setting: Aram, the country for which Naaman was commander of the army, was a powerful neighboring state north of Israel. The Bible records several confrontations between Israel and Aram, most notably in 1 Kings 11 when Aram seizes control of Damascus, creating a very hostile situation for King Solomon. Thus, it is particularly notable that Naaman would come to Israel for help, and even more remarkable that Elisha would offer assistance to him.
  • Culture/Religion: In many ancient cultures, leprosy would have been considered a curse from god, but here Naaman is described as “highly favored” by the king of Aram and by God (2 Kings 5:1). In Leviticus 13–14, leprosy is treated with seven days of social isolation followed by washing the body and clothes. The text does not suggest that Naaman is socially isolated in Aram nor in Israel. His condition is talked about with his king, his wife, and several servants. However, the text does suggest that Naaman, the king of Aram, and the king of Israel fear for his life because of his leprosy. 
Connections and Suggestions

We have Narrative Lectionary resources for 2026-2027 for all age groups. Here are a few activity summaries you can use. The full activity descriptions and much more are available in the product noted. 

  • Kids: Naaman had to follow Elisha’s directions to be healed. Play a game of Telephone where students sit in a circle while the leader whispers an instruction (e.g., give the leader a high five or turn off the light). The last student to receive the instruction stands up and does it. Discuss what is easy and what is hard about following directions. (From Living the Word: Kids Mini Lessons (PK-6th))
  • Youth: Have the youth, individually, in small groups, or as a large group, search online for information on leprosy, both in ancient times and today. Focus on learning about the disease itself and how those who had contracted the disease were treated. Ask the pastor or worship leader if it is possible for the youth to present this information to the congregation in worship. If so, work with the youth to determine the best way to present the information. (From Living the Word: Youth)
  • Intergenerational worship: Have worshippers gather with three to five people seated near them. Ask these groups to choose one of the characters in the story (the enslaved girl, Elisha, Naaman, or the king of Israel) and discuss how that character’s actions reflect their faith, or lack thereof, in God. (From Living the Word: Cross+Gen Worship)
Daily Bible Readings

Throughout both the Narrative Lectionary year (roughly September through May) and the summer, we have created a daily Bible lectionary that corresponds with the Narrative Lectionary readings. These readings are used throughout our NL products, and you can subscribe to them digitally through our Daily Readings Calendar.

DateDayLectionTitle
11/8/2026Sunday2 Kings 5:1-15aElisha Heals Naaman
11/9/2026Monday2 Kings 6:1-7Elisha and the Axe Head
11/10/2026Tuesday2 Kings 16:1-20The Reign of Ahaz
11/11/2026WednesdayIsaiah 7:1-17Isaiah’s Message to Ahaz
11/12/2026ThursdayPsalm 46:1-11A Song of Hope for the City
11/13/2026FridayIsaiah 11:1-9A Promised Hope, part 1
11/14/2026SaturdayIsaiah 11:10-16A Promised Hope, part 2
11/15/2026SundayMicah [1:3-5] 5:2-5a; 6:6-8Mercy, Justice, and Peace
Previous Posts

This is our blog’s third go-around in the Narrative Lectionary, Year 1. Here are some previous posts on this particular passage if you are interested:

I hope you find this all useful! If you have any questions or feedback on this blog post (or anything else), comment on this post below or on Facebook, or send me a message.

In Christ,

Gregory Rawn (Publisher)

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