By Not Known
There are no little people and no little places. Thus spoke Francis Schaeffer, a twentieth century Christian philosopher and theologian. I first heard those words while driving to preach in a little place where the sheep in the surrounding paddocks outnumbered the little congregation. What an encouragement! The smallest deeds and the least of God’s people matter.
Let’s meet someone so little that she is not named. We read about her in 2 Kings 5.
“_” was a young Jewish woman who was a domestic helper to the wife of a man from Aram. The husband was a senior military officer . “_” had been captured in a raid on Israel and sent to his home.
This big shot soldier had a name, but so did his disease: leprosy. In popular view, this was like being HIV AIDS positive today. And that’s where “_” came into the picture. She spoke up and pointed her mistress’s husband to seek help from the one true Lord who was his enemy’s God. It was a big blow to the husband’s pride, but eventually he accepted the help provided through God’s prophet. Thus he was healed and the fame of the Lord’s name spread in Aram.
It is thought provoking story. “_” is so small that she is not named, yet the Lord’s name was lifted up because of her. Perhaps unintentionally, she sets an example for all of God’s people as she did her best but remained anonymous. There are several lessons for us:
- Like “_” we all have our part to play in the story of God’s deeds.
- We are to play our part rather than to be silent and leave our task undone, for there are no deeds so little that their absence makes no difference.
- Further, we are to play our part as well as we can, for God is the ultimate audience and not the soldier whom “_” served nor the people whom we serve.
- Yet again, what matters is not that our name is even remembered, but that the Lord’s name is exalted. Thus a Christian leader of vast influence left instructions that he was to be buried in an unmarked grave lest he be exalted and God’s glory be robbed.
Who are we making a name for? “_” made a name for the Lord. Let’s copy her so that his name is hallowed amongst us and through us.
David Burke