Luke 4:27 - When Jesus didn't heal His neighbors

It's a hopeful sentiment that God heals everyone, but that's simply not true. Before, we've looked at people like Jacob. He was crippled with a limp as a reminder that God was the source of blessing in his life. Instead of curing Moses' speech impediment, God gave him Aaron as his spokesman.

Consider another scenario from the Gospels. Jesus told the people of Nazareth, His home town,
“... many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” (Luke 4:27, New Living Translation, 2015)

The Syrians had conquered Israel at the time. Yet God healed a Syrian--a despised Gentile--while overlooking Israelites who were just as sick as Naaman.

The people of Nazareth had a sense of entitlement. Since Jesus grew up in Nazareth, they thought they had a claim on Jesus to do miracles like He had done elsewhere (v.23) Jesus was essentially saying, "I'm leaving you to do miracles among other people, including Gentiles." This infuriated his fellow townspeople and they (unsuccessfully) tried to kill Jesus on the spot.

Now don't confused cause and effect. Some people are not healed, but it's not because of a "Nazareth Syndrome" mentality. However, if someone presumes that God is obligated to do everything they want, scripture says that God will "resist" them (James 4:6).

God in heaven, We ask you for healing for ourselves and our loved ones. Not because we deserve it, but because we admit our need of You in our lives: physically as well as spiritually. We commit ourselves to Your care, regardless of whether life goes the way we think it should or not. In Jesus' name, Amen.