The answer is: Greed

2 Ki 5:20-27

In 2 Kings 5:20-27, we meet Gehazi, the servant of the prophet Elisha, in a scandalous moment driven by greed—one of humanity's oldest downfalls. After Naaman! the high-ranking Syrian official, was miraculously healed of leprosy through Elisha, he offered gifts in gratitude, but Elisha turned them down, recognizing the healing as an act of God.

However, tempted by wealth, Gehazi chased after Naaman, misleading him by fabricating a story. He conveniently ignored Elisha’s priorities and supports a creeping insatiability for material gain. Gehazi's greed leads him to accept gifts deceitfully, which results in Elisha confronting him. The climax of his error is intense; not only is he afflicted with Naaman's leprosy, but he now bears the weight of a revealing character flaw.

This story echoes throughout the scriptures, reminding many of the troubling relationship humans often have with wealth. You might recall Ananias and Sapphira in Acts 5, whose deceit about a financial offering leads to dire consequences. Similarly, Solomon, in all his wisdom, noted that the love of money is the root of many evils.

Gehazi's impactful tale enriches the biblical themes of honesty and humility, and it serves as a lively admonition against letting greed take root in one’s heart. Thus, his narrative draws a line in the sand: how we manage our desires under scrutiny can define our moral compass. A servant’s heart nurtured by faithfulness, or one tangled in the pursuit of the worldly? The choice remains ours.