Deceitful Greed

 2 Kings 5:20-27 

    20 But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, "Look, my master has spared Naaman this Syrian, while not receiving from his hands what he brought; but as the LORD lives, I will run after him and take something from him." 21 So Gehazi pursued Naaman. When Naaman saw him running after him, he got down from the chariot to meet him, and said, "Is all well?"
     22 And he said, "All is well. My master has sent me, saying, 'Indeed, just now two young men of the sons of the prophets have come to me from the mountains of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two changes of garments.'"
    23 So Naaman said, "Please, take two talents." And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and handed them to two of his servants; and they carried them on ahead of him. 24 When he came to the citadel, he took them from their hand, and stored them away in the house; then he let the men go, and they departed. 25 Now he went in and stood before his master. Elisha said to him, "Where did you go, Gehazi?"  And he said, "Your servant did not go anywhere."
    26 Then he said to him, "Did not my heart go with you when the man turned back from his chariot to meet you? Is it time to receive money and to receive clothing, olive groves and vineyards, sheep and oxen, male and female servants? 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to you and your descendants forever." And he went out from his presence leprous, as white as snow.

Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the prophet, was not satisfied with his master turning down an opportunity for gain after Naaman the Syrian was healed by the LORD at His word.  He swore to God to get something for himself, and ran to catch his chariot.  Unlike in Acts 8:28-29, 35-37 where the Lord directed Philip to the servant of great authority under Candace the queen of the Ethiopians to bring the gospel, this Gehazi was in pursuit of wealth and personal gain.  The thankful Naaman who had been completely healed of his leprosy was more than eager to give what was asked.  However, when Gehazi came back with the filthy lucre to his master, Elisha knew (he was a seer), and confronted him.  Like Adam in the garden, Gehazi hid from his sin behind a lie.  Elisha expressed grief with his heart following Gehazi when he had gone after the personal gain which was God’s gift of grace to Naaman, and so the LORD passed the curse of the leprosy to Gehazi in place of ill-gotten gain.  Furthermore, the curse of this debilitating disease would then pass to his servant’s descendants forever as well.  The wages of sin are not pleasant, especially when God’s grace is sold for personal gain instead of to bless others.  Acts 8:20 records such an incident when the sorcerer tried to buy the power of God’s Spirit with money, and we all know what the greed of Judas Iscariot bought him when he could have had the blessings of the Lord as the other disciples.  The lesson here is to give overflowing grace without seeking our own gain (Luke 6:38), materially or spiritually.  All is God’s and is given as a stewardship to us to grace others with, not to fill our barns or banks. Matthew 13:22 warns of those thorns (the deceitful greed of riches) which choke out the gospel’s kingdom of God growing in us.