Naaman The Leper

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on The Chosen People. 00:00:04 Speaker 2: You doubt yourself, huh? 00:00:06 Speaker 3: Master, of course I doubt myself. I've watched you stand alone against kings and slaughter false prophets. I've even seen you call down fire and part rivers. And now you're leaving me to take your place. I am not you, Master. I have no fire, no boldness, no strength. The only thing I know how to do is pray. 00:00:32 Speaker 4: Then you know enough. 00:00:37 Speaker 5: I told you not to give me false hope. 00:00:40 Speaker 2: I told you. 00:00:42 Speaker 3: I didn't ask for a son. 00:00:43 Speaker 6: I didn't ask for. 00:00:44 Speaker 3: Any of it. 00:00:46 Speaker 5: I would rather have been barren forever than feel this. 00:00:49 Speaker 2: Why? 00:00:51 Speaker 5: Why would God do this? Why would he give only to take? 00:00:57 Speaker 3: I don't know why God does what he does. I don't know why he allows grief to take root where joy once bloomed. 00:01:04 Speaker 1: He prayed, and this time it wasn't desperate. 00:01:09 Speaker 4: It was trust. 00:01:11 Speaker 2: A shudder. 00:01:12 Speaker 4: A gasp. Ace's body convulsed beneath him, and suddenly he was coughing, breath spilling back into his lungs like water bursting through a cracked dam. His eyes shot open, wide, confused, alive. Elisha stood back, watching, his heart pounding, his body light. This, this was Yahweh's work. This was grace. The roads to Samaria had seen kings before. They had seen caravans, traders, even conquerors. But they had never seen Naaman. He rode at the head of his company, his chariot gleaming in the midday sun, the armour on his chest polished to an almost mirror-like sheen. His face, sculpted by years of war, bore the look of a man who had never once been denied what he desired. Behind him, a column of horses and chariots stretched like a river of metal and silk. Foot soldiers, servants, banners flapping in the hot wind. Carried with them were the markers of his wealth and power. Silver, gold, fine garments. Naaman didn't come to beg. He came to purchase his healing. At the gates of Samaria, the guards scrambled at the sight, their hands gripping their spears with the uneasy tension of men who were suddenly aware of their own insignificance. 00:02:54 Speaker 2: They didn't need an introduction. 00:02:56 Speaker 4: Every soldier in the region knew Naaman, commander of Aram. His name was spoken in the kind of hushed, wary tones reserved for men whose victories were written in blood and fire. The palace doors groaned open before him, and soon he stood before Joram, king of Israel. If one could call what Joram did standing... The man was already wilting, his fingers twitching at the edges of his robe, his eyes darting between Naaman and the parchment in his hands. 00:03:33 Speaker 2: King Joram, I, King Naaman, have a request from my lord, the king of Aram. 00:03:43 Speaker 4: Naaman handed him the scroll. Joram's throat bobbed as he read it aloud, his voice cracking. 00:03:51 Speaker 6: With this letter I have Sending my servant Naaman to you that you may cure him of his leprosy. 00:03:59 Speaker 4: A thick, unbearable silence stretched tight over the room like the paws before a blade fell. Then fabric tore. Joram ripped his own robes, his breath coming in sharp, erratic bursts. The young king flailed dramatically as if crumbling under the weight of some unseen burden. 00:04:22 Speaker 5: Am I God? 00:04:24 Speaker 6: Can I kill and bring back to life? 00:04:28 Speaker 2: What am I supposed to do? 00:04:29 Speaker 6: Lay hands on him and hope for the best? 00:04:32 Speaker 2: Mother's going to have my head for this. 00:04:34 Speaker 4: She told me I was weak. 00:04:35 Speaker 5: She told me I'd ruin everything. 00:04:41 Speaker 4: His gaze darted between his advisors, searching desperately for someone, anyone, to tell him this wasn't happening. His fingers clawed at his hair, his breath shallow, his pupils dilated with fear. 00:04:55 Speaker 6: This is a trap, isn't it? 00:04:57 Speaker 2: Aram is looking for an excuse to start. 00:04:59 Speaker 5: A war, and they're going to say I refuse their great commander. They'll crush us. 00:05:05 Speaker 4: Naaman exhaled sharply, shaking his head. He had seen kings in battle, seen them fall on their own swords, seen them scream for mercy, seen them stand unshaken as they were cut down. But this, this was new. A king who unraveled at the mere presence of a stronger man? 00:05:28 Speaker 2: Pathetic. 00:05:29 Speaker 4: But before he could turn and demand a real solution, a messenger burst into the chamber, eyes sharp, breath steady. 00:05:37 Speaker 2: My lord. 00:05:38 Speaker 6: The prophet Elijah has sent word. He says, Why have you torn your robes? Send the man to me, and he will know there is a prophet in Israel. 00:05:49 Speaker 4: Naaman's eyes flickered, his jaw tightening. A prophet? This was what Israel offered him? No audience with the king? No summons to their temple? No display of divine power? Just a prophet? 00:06:04 Speaker 5: Hmm. 00:06:06 Speaker 2: Yes. speaks of Dharam tearing robes, but he was not in the room to see it. 00:06:14 Speaker 4: Interesting. 00:06:14 Speaker 2: Fine. Let the prophet prove himself. 00:06:24 Speaker 4: A dust cloud announced Naaman's arrival long before his chariots rolled up to the modest home perched on the outskirts of the city. The contrast was almost comical. The finest military force in the region parked in front of a house barely large enough to fit a family of goats. Naaman stepped down from his chariot, his armor gleaming, his presence an unspoken demand. And then, nothing. No welcome, no servants scurrying out to greet him, no sign that anyone inside had even noticed. A flicker of irritation crossed Naaman's face. Inside the house, Elisha was very much aware of who had arrived. He sat at a rough-hewn wooden table, calmly stirring a bowl of lentils, his gaze fixed lazily on the ceiling as Gehazi stood near the doorway, watching the scene unfold. 00:07:25 Speaker 6: Master, if there was ever a time to make an impression, this is it. 00:07:31 Speaker 4: Elisha didn't look up, just blew on his spoonful of stew. 00:07:36 Speaker 3: Oh, I'm making an impression, just not the kind he's expecting. 00:07:39 Speaker 6: Elisha, listen to me. Your father would have handled this differently. 00:07:45 Speaker 4: That made Elisha pause. He set his spoon down, finally looking at Gehazi. 00:07:52 Speaker 3: Would he now? 00:07:54 Speaker 6: Yes. He would have known how to deal with men like Naaman. He would have met him with honour, leveraged this moment and made something out of it. 00:08:03 Speaker 2: But you. 00:08:04 Speaker 4: Gehazi gestured toward the door, exasperated. 00:08:08 Speaker 6: You won't even meet the man! 00:08:10 Speaker 4: Elisha leaned back, arms folding across his chest. He let the words settle between them before tilting his head slightly, a smirk curling at the edges of his lips. 00:08:23 Speaker 3: Naemin is outside, standing like a peacock in full display, expecting a show. I'd hate to disappoint him. 00:08:31 Speaker 4: Gehazi sighed, rubbing his forehead. 00:08:34 Speaker 5: This isn't just about him. 00:08:36 Speaker 1: This is about us. 00:08:37 Speaker 6: This man could fund God's work. He could bring us gold, land, influence. 00:08:44 Speaker 4: Elisha's expression sharpened. The humor flickered away just for a moment. 00:08:51 Speaker 3: I did not leave my father's fields to build another empire. 00:08:55 Speaker 4: Gehazi opened his mouth, then shut it. The words were there, but the weight of them had nowhere to land. Elisha sighed, shaking his head. 00:09:06 Speaker 3: Besides, look at Naaman. Do you see how high he's standing? The man could trip over his own pride. Go send him my message. 00:09:16 Speaker 4: Gehazi huffed, frustrated, but said nothing. Elisha pushed his bowl aside and gestured toward the door. Gehazi hesitated. Then, with a final glance at his master, he left. The door creaked open. Naaman straightened, but the face that appeared wasn't the one he was expecting. Not Elisha, just a servant. Gehazi stepped forward, keeping his voice level. 00:09:49 Speaker 6: My master says to you, go, wash yourself seven times in the Jordan, and your flesh will be restored. You will be cleansed. 00:09:58 Speaker 4: Silence. 00:09:59 Speaker 6: No. 00:10:00 Speaker 2: Blinked. 00:10:01 Speaker 4: Wait, that was it? He stared at the servant, waiting for something more. A ceremony, a prayer, something. But Gehazi just stood there, waiting for him to leave. Naaman took a slow step forward, His voice dangerously quiet. 00:10:22 Speaker 2: Your master sent a servant to speak to the great Naaman? 00:10:29 Speaker 4: Gehazi said nothing. Naaman's breath hissed through his nose, nostrils flaring. 00:10:38 Speaker 2: I thought surely, surely he would come out to meet me himself. Call on the name of his God. Wave his hand over my disease. Perform some great act. I mean, the Jordan? Are not the rivers of Damascus, Abun, and Fafar better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean? 00:11:06 Speaker 4: Naaman spat on the ground, his heart full of venom, and then he turned and stormed away. Gehazi stormed through the door, the dust from the road still clinging to his robe. His face was flushed, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides, like a man trying and failing to hold his tongue. Elisha sat at the table, tracing slow circles in the last remnants of his lentil stew with a piece of bread, waiting. 00:11:39 Speaker 2: Then, finally. 00:11:40 Speaker 4: Never in my life have. 00:11:43 Speaker 2: I been so. 00:11:44 Speaker 6: Humiliated, he was to Elijah. Do you have any idea how angry Naaman was? 00:11:50 Speaker 5: The man nearly exploded, face redder than Edomite sand, and twitching for a sword like he was debating whether he should murder me or the Jordan River. 00:12:01 Speaker 3: Ah, well, I suppose it could have gone worse. He could have actually murdered us. 00:12:06 Speaker 4: Gehazi exhaled sharply, pacing now, rubbing a hand over his face. 00:12:12 Speaker 6: Master, please be serious. 00:12:15 Speaker 2: This... this was Naaman. 00:12:18 Speaker 3: The great Naaman. 00:12:20 Speaker 6: The man who could crash us if he wanted to. 00:12:22 Speaker 5: And you sent him away with a servant and a command to go bathe like a peasant? 00:12:29 Speaker 3: I don't know, Ghazi. It sounds like you're describing a man in need of a good scrubbing. 00:12:33 Speaker 6: You could have at least met him. 00:12:35 Speaker 2: That's what your father would have done. 00:12:38 Speaker 4: Give him the respect of. 00:12:39 Speaker 6: A proper greeting... This is not the way a prophet behaves. Why, your old master Elijah would have. 00:12:46 Speaker 4: He stopped himself, but the words were already out. Elisha stilled. For a brief moment, his face betrayed something, a flicker of something deeper, something wounded, before he pushed it down, shoving it beneath the surface like a stone sinking into deep water. He set his bread down, exhaling softly. 00:13:11 Speaker 3: Trust me, you would have hated the way Elijah would have handled this much more than what I am doing. 00:13:17 Speaker 4: Gehazi crossed his arms but wouldn't meet his gaze. Elisha leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table, his voice quieter now. 00:13:27 Speaker 3: Gehazi, you practically raised me. You were there when my father wasn't. I know what he would have done, but my question is. 00:13:36 Speaker 4: He paused, locking eyes with the older man. 00:13:40 Speaker 3: What does Yahweh want us to do right now? 00:13:44 Speaker 4: Gehazi's jaw tightened, but he said nothing. Elisha gestured toward the door, toward the road where Naaman had left, still seething. 00:13:54 Speaker 3: Look, Naaman has built his entire life on his own power, his own strength. And now that strength is rotting off his bones. Yahweh isn't just healing him, he's breaking him. teaching him something. If I had met him, if I had honored him the way that he wanted, he wouldn't have learned a thing. He would have walked away thinking he'd earned his healing, that he had bought Yahweh's favor with silver and gold. 00:14:24 Speaker 4: Elisha leaned back, shaking his head. 00:14:28 Speaker 3: But this way, this way he has to choose, pride or humility. If he really wants healing, he'll take it the way Yahweh offers. If not, then, well. 00:14:40 Speaker 4: He shrugged. Gehazi ran a hand over his face, shaking his head. 00:14:44 Speaker 6: I still don't like it. 00:14:47 Speaker 2: I know. 00:14:52 Speaker 4: The chariot wheels cut deep grooves into the dirt as Naaman and his men tore down the road, the weight of their failed mission pressing like an iron yoke on their shoulders. Naaman sat rigid, his knuckles white around the reins. His breath came shallow, nostrils flaring, the same way it did right before he sent men to their deaths. His officers knew that look. They had seen it on battlefields, had seen it when villages were burned, had seen it before blood was spilled. It was the look of a man who was one order away from destruction. 00:15:33 Speaker 2: The arrogance. 00:15:37 Speaker 4: No one spoke. 00:15:39 Speaker 2: The words tasted like poison in his mouth. One of his officers cleared his throat carefully. 00:15:47 Speaker 3: The force of it. 00:15:48 Speaker 2: Made his men flinch. Naaman's breath was ragged. 00:16:07 Speaker 4: His pride boiling over like water left too long on fire. 00:16:11 Speaker 2: Are not the rivers of Damascus better than all the waters of Israel? Abana, Vapar, clear, mighty rivers. Not this, this swamp. 00:16:29 Speaker 4: He gestured toward the distant Jordan, refusing to even say its name again. 00:16:36 Speaker 2: That's not healing. That's mockery. Come, men. We ride home. 00:16:50 Speaker 4: Suddenly, a voice, soft but steady. One of his younger servants. A boy, barely of age, riding just behind him. 00:17:00 Speaker 3: My lord, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? 00:17:06 Speaker 4: Naaman's grip tightened. 00:17:08 Speaker 6: Would you not have climbed mountains, crossed deserts, slain enemies, paid any cost? 00:17:15 Speaker 3: Then why not this? 00:17:17 Speaker 6: Why not something simple? 00:17:19 Speaker 4: Naaman's chest rose and fell, his breathing heavy. Then the words sank in. He had been ready to fight for his healing, to conquer it, to take it by force, by coin, by will. But could he accept it? Could he take it as it was offered? Not through power, but through humility. A muscle in his jaw twitched. The road forked ahead. One way led back to Damascus, the other.... 00:17:53 Speaker 2: Navi. So wise for one so young. Perhaps wiser than the great Naaman. Oh, all right. Onward to the Jordan. 00:18:15 Speaker 4: The water lapped lazily against the banks, murky and unimpressive. It was small, almost unworthy of the task set before it. Naaman stood at the edge, staring. His men watched in silence. No one moved, no one breathed. Naaman exhaled and stepped forward. The water was cold at first, a shock against his skin. He walked further. The filth of the river swirled around him. The taste of pride lingered bitter on his tongue. And then he dipped beneath the surface. 00:18:55 Speaker 2: Once. Twice. Again. 00:18:59 Speaker 4: The water closed over him. The filth clinged to him like a second skim. Four, five, six. He lingered, his breath pressing tight in his chest. And on the seventh, he rose. And the sickness was gone. The sores, the rot, the shame, gone. Naaman staggered. His hands grasped at his arms, his chest, his face, searching for what was missing. 00:19:30 Speaker 1: But only new flesh met his touch. 00:19:34 Speaker 6: Hold. 00:19:34 Speaker 4: Clean, a warrior reborn. His men stared. Naaman fell to his knees, breathless. 00:19:43 Speaker 2: There is no God in all the world but Yahweh. 00:19:57 Speaker 4: Naaman's chariots kicked up dust as they thundered back toward Elisha's house, but this time they did not ride with arrogance. There was no expectation, no pride, only something new, something lighter, something Naaman had never felt before. Gratitude. He leapt from his chariot before it had fully stopped, his freshly healed skin catching the late afternoon sun. There was no rot, no sickness, just the feeling of wind against flesh that no longer burned with decay. He strode forward and dropped to his knees before Elisha, his voice trembling with something that felt dangerously close to awe. 00:20:43 Speaker 2: Now I know there is no God in all the world except in Israel. 00:20:50 Speaker 4: Elisha, who had been calmly feeding a goat a handful of dates, barely looked up. 00:20:57 Speaker 3: Oh good, you figured it out. 00:20:59 Speaker 4: Naaman exhaled a soft laugh, shaking his head. 00:21:06 Speaker 2: Please take these gifts. I brought silver, gold, fine garments. You've healed me, and I will pay you whatever you ask. 00:21:16 Speaker 4: Elisha finally turned, and his face changed. It was subtle, something in the eyes, something in the way his body suddenly held a stillness that was not passive, but deliberate. Elisha looked at Naaman as though he pitied him. 00:21:33 Speaker 5: No. 00:21:34 Speaker 2: No. No. 00:21:38 Speaker 4: Elisha dusted off his hands, standing. 00:21:41 Speaker 3: This is not my doing. This is the work of the Lord, and Yahweh does not sell his mercy. 00:21:48 Speaker 4: Naaman hesitated. He was not used to this. Everything in his life had been earned, won, purchased with blood, sweat, and coin. But now, a gift, unpaid for? Naaman exhaled, the weight of it settling into his bones. He turned back to his chariots, motioning for his men to bring forth a sack filled not with gold, but earth, simple dirt taken from Israel's land. 00:22:21 Speaker 2: Then let me take this soil, that I may worship Yahweh alone, even in the land of Aram. 00:22:31 Speaker 4: Elisha nodded once and Naaman bowed low before mounting his chariot. The wheels creaked as they turned toward home, but someone was watching them go and his heart wasn't settled. Gehazi stood at the doorway, his stomach twisting in knots. He had been quiet through the entire exchange, his hands curling into fists, unclenching, curling again. He watched the gold, the silver, the riches ride away into the horizon. And it made no sense. 00:23:08 Speaker 2: None of it. 00:23:09 Speaker 4: They had nothing. They lived off scraps, off miracles and faith, while Elisha threw away the greatest provision they had ever been offered. His mind raced. Did Elisha not understand? Did he not see? This money could have fed the prophets. It could have rebuilt homes. It could have funded Yahweh's work, and Elisha let it go. Gehazi's breath came sharp through his nose. Then, suddenly, his feet were moving. Before he had even made the choice in his mind, his body had already decided. The hooves of Naaman's horses drummed against the road when he heard a voice calling out behind him. 00:23:57 Speaker 6: My lord, Naaman, Naaman, wait, wait. 00:24:01 Speaker 4: Naaman turned, surprised. His men halted the chariots, their hands instinctively drifting to their weapons. Gehazi jogged forward, panting, his face set in a look of careful urgency. 00:24:16 Speaker 6: My master's changed his mind. 00:24:18 Speaker 4: Naaman furrowed his brow. 00:24:21 Speaker 6: Oh. 00:24:22 Speaker 4: Gehazi placed his hands on his knees as if catching his breath. But really, he was stalling. 00:24:29 Speaker 6: The two young prophets have just arrived. 00:24:33 Speaker 2: Poor boys, right? 00:24:34 Speaker 6: Fresh from the ill country. My master wished he'd taken your offer, that we might clothe him and provide for their needs. Would you spare a talent of silver? Perhaps two garments? 00:24:47 Speaker 4: A pause. Then, Naaman's face lit up. Of course, this made sense. He had been right to offer a gift. He laughed, clapping Gehazi on the shoulder. 00:25:03 Speaker 2: So, Elisha has come to his senses. Wonderful. Naaman is happy to oblige. Here, take four. Take as much as you need. 00:25:13 Speaker 4: He motioned to his men, who hastily dismounted, unstrapping the heavy sacks of silver, loading them into Gehazi's arms. It was easier than expected. Gehazi swallowed down the knot in his throat and nodded. Then he turned and walked away, with hands full and a heart emptied. Gehazi thought he had hidden it well. The moment he returned, he had stashed the silver, the garments, the evidence. He had calmed his breath, had wiped the sweat from his brow. He entered the house as if nothing had happened, and Elisha was waiting, seated, still. But the moment Gehazi stepped inside, the air felt different, and Elisha, Elisha was looking at him, through him. 00:26:09 Speaker 2: Where have you been, Ghazi? 00:26:11 Speaker 4: A moment, a heartbeat, too long. 00:26:15 Speaker 2: Nowhere, really. 00:26:17 Speaker 6: Errands to run, things to manage, and all that. 00:26:20 Speaker 4: Elisha flinched, not in anger, not in disappointment, but in pain, because this was Gehazi, his Gehazi, the man who had raised him when his own father had been too busy, the man who had carried him on his shoulders as a boy, who had taught him how to sharpen a blade, how to build a fire, how to read the weather in the sky. The man who had been there when Elijah was taken from him. The only constant when everything else had crumbled into dust. And now, Elisha took a slow breath, steadying himself. 00:27:03 Speaker 3: Gehazi, was not my spirit with you when Naaman stepped down from his chariot to meet you? 00:27:09 Speaker 4: Gehazi's breath hitched. No, no, no, no. Elisha knew. The blood in Gehazi's veins went cold. Elisha stood, his face etched with sorrow. 00:27:25 Speaker 3: Qazi, why? 00:27:28 Speaker 4: It wasn't condemnation. It was desperation. Despite knowing the truth, Elisha held out hope that perhaps there was some good explanation for his servant's disobedience. There was not. I. 00:27:43 Speaker 2: I. 00:27:46 Speaker 4: He didn't know what to say. How could he explain it? That he had done it for the prophets? That he had done it for the people? That he had done it because someone had to be practical because Elisha never was? It all felt so foolish now. Elisha shook his head, his voice breaking. 00:28:07 Speaker 3: I already lost Elijah. I cannot lose you too. 00:28:11 Speaker 4: Gehazi felt something in his chest collapse. His knees shook, his hands trembled. He wanted to fall to the floor, to weep, to beg for mercy. But it was too late, because Elisha was already turning his head, like he was hearing something Gehazi could not. And suddenly, his breath caught, his eyes filled. He shook his head, whispering. 00:28:41 Speaker 2: Gehazi. 00:28:42 Speaker 3: The disease that left Naaman. 00:28:45 Speaker 4: His fingers clenched at his robe, like if he gripped hard enough, he could take back the words. 00:28:53 Speaker 3: It will cling to you. 00:28:55 Speaker 4: His throat closed, his breath shook, and then softer. 00:29:01 Speaker 3: And to your children after you. 00:29:05 Speaker 4: A silence so deep it felt like the heavens themselves held their breath. Gehazi froze, then a shudder. His breath stuttered, his hands trembling, and then the burning began. The sickness crept up his skin, bubbling, boiling, his flesh turning white with the first signs of rot. Gehazi stumbled back, gasping, clutching his arms, his chest. Elisha watched, but he could not move. He could not breathe. His legs shook beneath him, his hands clutching at his chest like he had been stabbed. This was not anger. This was grief so deep it threatened to break him apart. And Gehazi Gehazi fell to his knees, trembling. He did not weep, for he had been taught long ago to not show his sorrow, a lesson he refused to teach Elisha as a boy. He looked up, meeting his master's eyes. 00:30:12 Speaker 2: I failed. 00:30:15 Speaker 4: His hands curled into fists, the leprosy spreading, crawling up his arms like judgment woven into his very flesh. 00:30:25 Speaker 2: I failed you, Elisha. I failed your father. 00:30:29 Speaker 5: And I... I failed. 00:30:33 Speaker 4: I failed the Lord. At that, the walls broke. A sob ripped from his throat. It was brief, like the flicker of a candle's flame the moment before it is blown out. Gehazi took a deep breath, collecting himself. 00:30:52 Speaker 3: I accept my fate. 00:30:56 Speaker 4: It is just. 00:30:58 Speaker 6: If I were to travel on with you, I know I'd only hold you back from your mission. 00:31:04 Speaker 3: Oh, Master, I hope you can forgive me one day. 00:31:09 Speaker 4: Tears slipped down his face as he looked up, one final time. And then he turned and walked into the night, forever unclean, forever alone. Elisha fell to his knees. and wept. 00:31:31 Speaker 1: This Pray.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Schellebarger, and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia Zaradok, Thomas Copeland Jr., Rosanna Pilcher, and Mitch Lashinsky. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Brie Rosely, and Chris Baig. 00:32:06 Speaker 4: You can hear more Prey.com productions on the Prey.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People, please rate and leave a review.