Elisha healed Naaman’s leprosy not with mud but by commanding him to wash in the Jordan River, emphasizing obedience and humility over ritual or spectacle. Naaman, a Syrian commander, was a leper who sought healing through Elisha after being advised by a captive Israelite girl. Elisha did not meet Naaman personally but sent a message:
“Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” (2 Kings 5:10)
Naaman was initially offended:
“Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me… and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.'” (2 Kings 5:11)
He expected a dramatic display or some mystical action, perhaps even involving better rivers in Syria. But God used the simplicity of washing in the Jordan to confront Naaman’s pride and highlight the need for faith.
At the urging of his servants, Naaman obeyed:
“So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan… and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child.” (2 Kings 5:14)
The method was not magical; it was a test of submission. Healing came through obedience to God’s word, not through any property of the river itself.
Naaman’s response afterward confirmed true conversion:
“Indeed, now I know that there is no God in all the earth, except in Israel.” (2 Kings 5:15)
This event shows that God’s power is not limited to Israel and that humility and obedience are prerequisites for receiving His grace. The story corrects misconceptions of healing as spectacle and points instead to the authority of God’s word.
Elisha’s instructions stripped away Naaman’s expectations and replaced them with faith. His healing became both a physical restoration and a spiritual awakening.
