2 Kings 5:20

2 Kings 5:20 says, But Gehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, Behold, my master hath spared Naaman this Syrian, in not receiving at his hands that which he brought: but, as the Lord liveth, I will run after him, and take somewhat of him.  Though Elisha didn't take any reward or payment from Naaman for God's curing him of leprosy, his servant Gehazi swore by God that he would take something for himself.  There are still people today who want to be rewarded materially for things that God has done, but we as followers of Christ never should.  Verse twenty-one adds, So Gehazi followed after Naaman. And when Naaman saw him running after him, he lighted down from the chariot to meet him, and said, Is all well?  When Naaman saw Gehazi following him, he got down from his chariot and asked him if everything was well.  He was more concerned about Gehazi than Gehazi was about him.  We should always be concerned about the welfare of others who come to us, even if it turns out that they are up to no good.  I don't believe that we should ever just ignore or dismiss them without any concern for them.  Verse twenty-two adds, And he said, All is well. My master hath sent me, saying, Behold, even now there be come to me from mount Ephraim two young men of the sons of the prophets: give them, I pray thee, a talent of silver, and two changes of garments.  Gehazi then lied to Naaman.  He told him Elisha had sent him to ask for some silver and two changes of garments for two young men who were sons of the prophets who had come to Elijah for help.  He may have figured Naaman wouldn't give him anything if he asked just for himself but thought that he wouldn't deny Elisha if had suddenly changed his mind about the reward.  People today still often attempt to disguise the fact that they are really asking us to donate to them by saying it is for some need that they have in order to do God's work.  Verse twenty-three continues, And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him.  Naaman gave Gehazi even more than he asked for, giving him two talents of silver and the two changes of clothes.  People will sometimes be generous in their giving to someone who claims that what they are asking for is to be used for others or even to be able to carry out God's work, but we as Christians need to be careful if we ask someone for help that it is actually so that God's work can continue and not just enrich ourselves.  Matthew Henry points out that Gehazi was in danger of causing Naaman to turn away from God by asking for this reward that had first been refused.  Greed on the part of God's people can still cause lost people to turn away from Him.  Verse twenty-four states, And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed.  Naaman had sent two servants to bring the gifts, and when they got to Gehazi's house, he took it from them and sent them back to Naaman, thinking that he had succeeded in his deception.  He wasn't going to tell Elisha and those who could were gone.  Even if we think so, we are never going to fool God, which was the ultimate challenge for Gehazi.  Verse twenty-five adds, But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither.  When Gehazi again stood before Elisha and was asked where he had been, he lied again and said he hadn't been anywhere.  One lie often leads to another when we need to hide the truth about the first lie.  Verse twenty-six continues, And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?  Elisha told Gehazi he knew what he had done and asked him if doing God's work was a time to be rewarded materially, no matter how great the reward might be.  We should never attempt to profit from doing what God has called us to do if He does something great through us.  God must always get the glory and we must acknowledge that He will always meet our needs but won't necessarily provide for our wants.   Verse twenty-seven concludes, The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow.  Gehazi had wanted to receive something from Naaman for what God had done, and he did.  He became a leper himself.  We may not aways suffer physically from misusing God's work through others or ourselves, but we will always be made impure spiritually if we do so.