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A Look at blindness 4:Blinded by Greed
by Grace Tom-Lawyer "But the leprosy of Naaman shall fasten upon thee,and upon thy seed for ever.And he went out from his presence leprous as snow".-2 Kings 5:27 "He that is greedy of gain troubleth his own house ,but he that hateth gifts shall live".- Proverbs 15:27 This week,the World remembered one of its oldest and most stigmatized diseases,Leprosy.Although advances in Science have made some beneficial changes, it is still a cause of concern especially in India.In the Old Testament times, the priest usually pronounced the diagnosis(Leviticus 13:3,44) and lepers were isolated.The mode of transmission is still repeated contact with infected individuals however some particular individuals in the Bible contracted Leprosy through unusual means.One of them is Gehazi,the armour bearer of Prophet Elisha(2 Kings 4:12,8:14). It was Captain Naaman's best kept secret(2 Kings 5:1) until his wife's maid mentioned that healing was possible in Israel for his Leprosy(2 Kings 5:3).His belief made him travel several miles to meet Elisha.He also took several gifts which he urged him to receive after he received his healing but Elisha declined (2 Kings 5:16).It is not every gift we should accept as depicted here and with Abraham and the King of Sodom (Genesis 14:21-24).Gehazi his assistant however thought otherwise.Without permission,he intercepted Naaman and collected the things his master refused deceitfully.He returned after hiding these items to his master,who unknowingly had followed him in the spirit.He got rebuked and because of his greed,Leprosy was pronounced upon him and his family(2 Kings 5:9-27). Leprosy may have some spiritual undertone as it can also be compared to Sin in several ways.Sin is the world's oldest and most problematic issue.Just like Leprosy is caused by microscopic bacteria,Sin is caused by our invisible human nature.They both can be contracted through repeated contact.No wonder the Bible warns that "evil communication corrupts good manners"(1 Corinthians 15:33).There are several presentations of Leprosy as well as several manifestations of the sinful nature(Galatians 5:19-21) The hallmark signs of leprosy are hypothesia(an abnormally weak sense of pain,cold,heat or touch),skin lesions and peripheral neuropathy (loss of sensation in the extremities) with a pronenesss to inability to blink the eyes which may result in blindness.How much like sin which can begin to dull our senses spiritually and cause spiritual blindness. Thankfully,these days free drugs for the treatment of Leprosy are available and distributed to those in need via the support of several organizations.But greater still is the fact the Blood of Jesus(Hebrews 9:22) has the efficacy to cure the problem of sin and this blood is free(Hebrews 10:10-20).Leprosy and Sin both bring isolation with the latter being more severe with separation from God, but we have been made closer by the Blood of Jesus(Ephesians 2:13).Its power is still as powerful today as it was 2000 years ago to pronounce cleansing(Romans 5:9, 1 John 1:7;Revelation 1:5). Nowhere in Scriptures is greed commended (Proverbs 12:9;1 Timothy 6:6).Unfortunately,it is one of the most glorified vices of the 21st Century and has robbed many of the ability to live contently.We should therefore take heed as in its pursuit,there is a tendency to become dulled and blinded to the things that really matter. Gehazi was more concerned about acquiring those items that he was ready to leave the presence of his master forfeiting the benefits.No wonder Jesus warns that we cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).As we make the Kingdom business our business and seek to remain in the presence of God(Matthew 6:33), we are unlikely to be blinded by greed. Grace Tom-Lawyer is a writer who lives in the United Kingdom and loves to share a message that brings dignity to the lives of people with a passion for the practical application of Biblical truths in everyday living. 2014 Grace Tom-Lawyer. All rights reserved. wwwflourish.blogspot.co.uk Article Source: http://www.faithwriters.com |