Cheap Grace?

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Opening Prayer

Mighty God, You are the one who spoke and still speaks. You are the one who came and still comes. I wait before You.

Read 2 KINGS 5:15-27

^[15] Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.” ^[16] The prophet answered, “As surely as the LORD lives, whom I serve, I will not accept a thing.” And even though Naaman urged him, he refused. ^[17] “If you will not,” said Naaman, “please let me, your servant, be given as much earth as a pair of mules can carry, for your servant will never again make burnt offerings and sacrifices to any other god but the LORD. ^[18] But may the LORD forgive your servant for this one thing: When my master enters the temple of Rimmon to bow down and he is leaning on my arm and I have to bow there also-when I bow down in the temple of Rimmon, may the LORD forgive your servant for this.” ^[19] “Go in peace,” Elisha said. After Naaman had traveled some distance, ^[20] Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said to himself, “My master was too easy on Naaman, this Aramean, by not accepting from him what he brought. As surely as the LORD lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” ^[21] So Gehazi hurried after Naaman. When Naaman saw him running toward him, he got down from the chariot to meet him. “Is everything all right?” he asked. ^[22] “Everything is all right,” Gehazi answered. “My master sent me to say, ‘Two young men from the company of the prophets have just come to me from the hill country of Ephraim. Please give them a talent of silver and two sets of clothing.'” ^[23] “By all means, take two talents,” said Naaman. He urged Gehazi to accept them, and then tied up the two talents of silver in two bags, with two sets of clothing. He gave them to two of his servants, and they carried them ahead of Gehazi. ^[24] When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men away and they left. ^[25] When he went in and stood before his master, Elisha asked him, “Where have you been, Gehazi?” “Your servant didn’t go anywhere,” Gehazi answered. ^[26] But Elisha said to him, “Was not my spirit with you when the man got down from his chariot to meet you? Is this the time to take money or to accept clothes-or olive groves and vineyards, or flocks and herds, or male and female slaves? ^[27] Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever.” Then Gehazi went from Elisha’s presence and his skin was leprous-it had become as white as snow.

Meditate

“If you’re serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it” (Col. 3:1, The Message).

Think Further

We could give Gehazi the benefit of the doubt–as Elisha’s right-hand man, perhaps he is overseeing his household expenses–but the lie about where he has been gives him away (25). Seduced by the wealth Naaman brought with him, Gehazi can’t bear to see it go back with Naaman to his own country. This is a sad but minor footnote to the demonstration of the God of Israel’s power just displayed to all, including to the great general, winning his allegiance and commitment to worship the one true God, even as he returns to his own country.

Gehazi’s action is trading on God’s free grace. Do we too take grace for granted, even using all we have been given exclusively for our own benefit? It can sometimes be seen with churches whose leadership is very inward looking. The wealth of the church is spent on itself, without any thought of the needs of others. This doesn’t reflect the open “embrace of the cross” (Miroslav Volf) nor the principle of generosity taught by the old covenant (provisions such as gleaning and jubilee; Lev. 19:9-10), nor Paul’s injunction to practice hospitality (Rom. 12:13). Some Christians are responding to people in immediate need of support on a person-to-person basis, but it is very difficult to turn around a society where consumerism is the driving force. However, we are called to demonstrate to the world the difference Jesus Christ makes.

Greed drives many dysfunctional actions: the exclusion of needy people, people with jobs working excessive hours, exploitation of natural resources, human beings being treated as commodities. The best antidote is thankfulness–a recognition that all we have comes from a gracious God who gives freely and seeks only our acknowledgment of our creaturely dependence on him.

Apply

“Cheap grace” (a phrase attributed to Dietrich Bonhoeffer), takes God’s offer of forgiveness but refuses to live God’s way in costly discipleship. If you have been presuming on cheap grace, read again Colossians 3:1-17.

Closing prayer

Lord God, I know I do not always live what I profess. Grant me the ability to live a life consonant with my profession of being Your disciple.

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