23 Then he said, “You will undoubtedly quote me this proverb: ‘Physician, heal yourself’—meaning, ‘Do miracles here in your hometown like those you did in Capernaum.’ 24 But I tell you the truth, no prophet is accepted in his own hometown. 25 “Certainly there were many needy widows in Israel in Elijah’s time, when the heavens were closed for three and a half years, and a severe famine devastated the land. 26 Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them. He was sent instead to a foreigner—a widow of Zarephath in the land of Sidon. 27 And many in Israel had leprosy in the time of the prophet Elisha, but the only one healed was Naaman, a Syrian.” (Luke 4:23-27 NLT)
The people in the town Jesus grew up in expected Him to do the same kind of miracles for them that He was doing in a nearby city. They thought they deserved it because Jesus was one of them. They wanted Jesus to put them first.
Jesus told them about two events in the life of the great prophet Elijah where he helped people from different places. God's love, forgiveness, and help are not limited to one group or nation. God loves all people. That is why Jesus came into our world.
It is too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because we are Christians that God has to take care of us first. God is big enough, powerful enough, loving enough to take care of all people at the same time. Jesus tells us that our job as His followers is love, help, serve and care for others. It is not all about us. That is a hard lesson to learn in an ego centric, self serving society. But it is the right way to live. We have the ultimate alternative energy source to do that, Holy Spirit power.
The people in the town Jesus grew up in expected Him to do the same kind of miracles for them that He was doing in a nearby city. They thought they deserved it because Jesus was one of them. They wanted Jesus to put them first.
Jesus told them about two events in the life of the great prophet Elijah where he helped people from different places. God's love, forgiveness, and help are not limited to one group or nation. God loves all people. That is why Jesus came into our world.
It is too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that because we are Christians that God has to take care of us first. God is big enough, powerful enough, loving enough to take care of all people at the same time. Jesus tells us that our job as His followers is love, help, serve and care for others. It is not all about us. That is a hard lesson to learn in an ego centric, self serving society. But it is the right way to live. We have the ultimate alternative energy source to do that, Holy Spirit power.
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