2 Kings 5:19-20 “After Naaman had traveled some distance, 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.”

Gehazi wanted to profit from God’s work. It’s not wrong to expect to receive support for doing God’s work. The Apostle Paul writes in the New Testament, “The Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should receive their living from the gospel.” Elisha almost certainly received some kind of financial support for his work as a prophet, much as ministers are paid today. Believers in Israel gave gifts that helped support his ministry. In some sense, then, Gehazi, as his servant, was also receiving his living from the gospel.

But this was different. Gehazi was no longer concerned about gifts given to support gospel work, though he lied about that to Naaman. “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.” Gehazi’s deceit, his treatment of Naaman as though he was someone to use for his own gain, like a greasy salesman making up a story to close the sale, was pure selfishness. For his efforts he got a chunk of silver worth about $25,000 that day. He also got more than he bargained for when he got home.

It’s not wrong for us to want our church to stay afloat financially. It’s not wrong for me to want to support my family from my work as a pastor. But we need not to let this sully our motivations or influence the way we interact with our community as a church. We don’t want to start seeing our neighbors as a mark whom we target for a sale. They are souls to be saved, people to love and add to our family. The church sale may be a long way from what Gehazi did to Naaman, many of them carried out with the purest of intentions. Sometimes it may even be a way to meet people. But let’s police ourselves, and not let money concerns ever get in the way of our concern for souls. Let’s not contribute to the suspicion so many already have: that preachers and churches are just interested in your money.

Gehazi learned about God’s concern the hard way when he got home. “When Gehazi came to the hill, he took the things from the servants and put them away in the house. He sent the men way and they left. Then he went in and stood before his master Elisha. ‘Where have you been, Gehazi?’ Elisha asked. ‘Your servant didn’t go anywhere,’ Gehazi answered. 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, olive groves, vineyards, flocks, herds, or menservants and maidservants? Naaman’s leprosy will cling to you and to your descendants forever’” (verse 24-27).

The key to understanding Elisha’s rebuke is in the phrase, “Is this the time…” On another day, from another person, in other circumstances, receiving gifts, even extravagant ones, to support God’s work might be appropriate. But taking advantage of Naaman in the flood of his emotion and excitement over being healed and finding the true God; potentially corrupting his understanding of God’s free and gracious treatment of us; seeking personal profit over another man’s spiritual welfare–this was Gehazi’s sin.

God’s gifts are not a commodity to be sold. They are not to be used to satisfy our greed. He takes seriously the importance of communicating his gifts are free.