One of the themes of scripture is that while mankind might stand enthralled of the power of kings, God does not.
This empowers people who feel insignificant. The writings of the early historians of Samuel, Kings and the Chronicles are in a sense, a form of civil disobedience. The writer tells the story of Ahab and Jezebel and their connivance to murder an ordinary man, Naboth, and take his vineyard for their own.

Kings don’t blink twice at the Naboth’s of the earth, but God takes notice and the prophet denounces their treachery—with impunity. It is this radical view of history that empowered people like Martin Luther King Jr. to believe that God really was on the side of the ordinary, rather than in allegiance with the powerful, and who empowers the ordinary to stand against the powerful.

Who can stand and pronounce judgments on kings and queens?
The prophets of God, that’s who.
And no one did it better than Elijah or his pupil, Elisha.

But before we get all misty-eyed over God as champion of the poor, Jesus reminds us of this healing in one of His sermons.
He asks, "were there not many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha? And yet God only healed one person--Naaman and Syrian".
Wait a minute.
Isn't this a story of the comeuppance of the arrogant?
Yes it is.
But it is more than a political drama.
In the end it says God could care less about politics, either of the rich or the poor for that matter.
It says that those who employ the methods of this world will not find an ally in the almighty. It is only when we ally ourselves to the almighty that our methods have any utility.

Here is what happens:

Naaman the Syrian general, and hero, has leprosy.
In an interesting note, the writer says that through Naaman, God gave victory to Syria.
Interesting since Syria was often at war with Israel. Isn't God supposed to be on Israel's side?
In fact it was one of those raiding parties which captured a Hebrew girl and brought her back to Damascus where she serves as a household slave to Naaman's wife. This puts her on the pecking order just above the cat. And depending on how Naaman's wife felt about cats, maybe not even that high.

But when nothing else is working, this slave girl steps in and says, "there is a prophet in Israel who I am sure could heal Naaman."
That's it.
That's all she says. From then on, she has no more part in the drama and no doubt spent the rest of her time emptying chamber pots. But this total nobody is used by God in a unique and remarkable miracle of God. Unique because Jesus reminds us no other lepers were healed. But she has something no one else on the scene possesses: she has a simple faith in God and the servant of God. That's it. Oh yes, and a willingness to say so.
Not much is it?
Not much compared to the power of the Lords of the Earth.
But a whole lot more effective, it turns out.

Naaman tells the king of Syria.
The king, does what kings do. He writes to the king of Israel--his erstwhile on and off enemy.
Powerful people use the normal channels that have always worked. They know power and politics, and expect that these tried and true tools will not fail them.

The king of Israel reads the letter and is dismayed.
He is sure the king of Syria is trying to provoke a fight.
Not for a moment does he consider Elisha. He knows who Elisha is because he has had dealings with him, but he interprets this totally on the level of politics and concludes it is an attempt to provoke war.
He never thinks of Elisha. Why would he? Who after all is king?
But he too is powerless.

Elisha hears of the king's dismay and says in effect, "keep your shirt on. Send him to me."
Elisha has had dealings with the king and they are mostly disrespectful. Elisha has no use for him at all and lets him know so.

And he gets away with it.
You see why these books were revolutionary and seditious. And why tyrants would love to ban them.
Any book that teaches you God has no respect for kings or powers is dangerous.

So Naaman goes to Elisha's home, laden with gifts.
Naaman believes in magic, and he believes in his own ability to do something for the magician. Quid pro quo.
I do for you, you do for me.
And I am a rich and powerful man, so I can do a lot for you.

But Elisha shows absolutely no interest in what Naaman can do for him.
And he has no interest in doing anything particular for Naaman, in the way Naaman was expecting.
He shows no regard for Naaman's status and doesn't even come out of the house.
He sends his servant to Naaman. A real sign of disrespect in Naaman's eyes.
He tells the servant to tell Naaman to go wash seven times in the Jordan and he will be cured.

Naaman is furious.
French theologian Jacques Ellul writes about Naaman:

It is always thus when the Word of God comes to us. A priori it necessarily seems to be absurd, for it is of a different order. And our conversion does not consist in assimilating this Word so that it becomes reasonable. The absurd element persists, but from this moment what becomes absurd is the world, its wisdom, its intelligence, its power, its politics, its experience. For the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of men. After Naaman’s conversion what will seem absurd and ridiculous to him will be the manners, the customs, and the religion of Syria.^2.