“So Naaman left. He took along ten kikkars of silver, six thousand shekels of gold, and ten changes of clothing. He brought the letter to Israel’s king. It read, “Along with this letter I’m sending you my servant Naaman so you can cure him of his skin disease.”” – 2 Kings 5:5-6 (CEB)
The girl said the prophet. By the time the message has traveled up through two royal courts, it has become a letter from one king to another, and the prophet is not mentioned in it.
Watch what got added along the way. An enormous sum of money. Ten changes of clothing. Horses and chariots. Naaman is going to a healing the way a general goes anywhere, with enough freight to make the visit impressive and enough payment to keep it a transaction.
This is what institutions do to a simple word. Not out of malice. Each step up the chain was reasonable, and the message still arrived at the wrong address carrying things nobody asked for. The girl’s sentence was better before the kings improved it. Where have you made following Jesus more complicated than it needs to be?
God, keep me from dressing up what you made simple. Help me hear the plain word underneath everything we have built on top of it. Amen.