“The king of Aram had great admiration for Naaman, the commander of his army, because through him the LORD had given Aram great victories. But though Naaman was a mighty warrior, he suffered from leprosy.”
2 Kings 5:1 NLT
Being the commander of an entire army was no small achievement. If the king admired Naaman for all his victories, most likely he was known all over the land. Yet, under his shining armor, Naaman suffered from leprosy.”
There are countless mighty warriors in our world today, and not all of them wear military armor. Some wear suits and ties, others high heels and stockings, but every person in public positions puts on protective armor. Some days they’re applauded as mighty warriors, some days they’re labeled as enemies, but under their armor, each one suffers from some kind of painful leprosy every day.
In Naaman’s time, people with leprosy were normally isolated out of fear their sores would infect others. Fortunately, Naaman’s disease was hidden from the public by his armor, but not from those close to him, as the rest of his story reveals.
Likewise, the suffering that goes on today in the personal lives of public servants is hidden under their well-designed armor. But isn’t each one a human being just like I am? Don’t they too suffer pain and disappointment just like I do? Perhaps they can’t stop the bitter anguish that eats away their lives and perhaps they too fear isolation if the public sees their ugly scars.
We have no idea what these mighty warriors go through every day, but we can pray for them and the pain each one silently suffers—under their armor.
