You are familiar with the story: A young girl is taken from her home on a raid by Syria into Israel. She is forced to work as a servant in the home of Naaman, captain of Syria’s armies. Naaman is taken ill with leprosy, a serious disease even outside of Israel.
Amazingly, the young girl tells her master of the prophet of God in Israel who can heal Naaman’s illness. Naaman goes to Israel, contacts the prophet and returns healed and evidently a believer in the one true God of Israel.
From the young girl’s experiences and responses we can learn a great deal about sharing the good news of the gospel with others:
She was in a lowly position, yet she spoke out boldly
She was in a bad situation, yet she served faithfully
She endured a personal tragedy, yet she reached out compassionately
She had been mistreated, yet she shared the good news unselfishly
So what does this have to do with ministry to political leaders?
The young girl had been captured and taken away from her home and her family. She was forced to serve in a foreign land of pagan idolaters, perhaps in the household of the very man who had planned the raid that led to her predicament. She easily could have been bitter, angry, and vengeful toward those who had taken her. Yet she cared about her captors and was willing to share the good news with those whom she easily could have considered her enemies.
In the midst of the current heated political campaign, it is so easy to begin to think of and treat people on the “other side” as enemies to be defeated. We lose sight of the fact that each and every one, from the presidential candidates down to those running for statehouse or courthouse seats, are individuals who need to hear the good news of the gospel and grow in their walk with Christ.
During this election season, let us be careful of our attitudes towards all those running for office or already serving in positions of leadership. We must watch as we hear campaign rhetoric and take care in our own speech that we do not become disrespectful or hateful towards others. We should not be surprised at the moral or social stands taken by those who do not follow Christ. We need to remember the plight of those who do not know Him. Like the young girl, we have the only answer for those suffering from the ailment of sin.
(Read Spurgeon’s evangelistic message on this passage.)
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