ESOCS Devotional 27 December 2025 – God’s Love is Universal
MEMORY VERSE: “And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.” Luke.4:27 KJV
TEXT: LUKE 4:21-27
And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” 22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”
23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ ” 24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”
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In this verse, Jesus is referring to an incident in the Old Testament when the prophet Elisha healed Naaman, a Syrian general who suffered from leprosy. This story is mentioned in 2 Kings 5:1-14, where Naaman, a powerful and respected commander of the Syrian army, is afflicted with leprosy. Upon the suggestion of a young Israelite girl captured by the Syrians, Naaman seeks out Elisha the prophet of Israel, for healing. Elisha instructs Naaman to wash in the Jordan River seven times, and through his obedience, Naaman is miraculously healed.
This verse is significant as it emphasizes the idea that God’s grace and healing are not limited to a particular nation or people. It challenges the notion that God’s favour is reserved exclusively for the Israelites and shows that even a non-Israelite like Naaman can experience God’s miraculous intervention and healing. This message would have been quite radical and controversial in Jesus’ time, given the deep-seated prejudices and animosity between the Jews and the surrounding Gentile nations.
The lepers in the Bible represent not only physical illness but also spiritual impurity and separation from the community. Leprosy was a dreaded disease in ancient times, not only because of its physical effects but also because it rendered the afflicted person unclean and untouchable, leading to social isolation and exclusion.
In the case of Naaman, his healing from leprosy not only represents physical restoration but also symbolizes the inclusion of the Gentiles in God’s redemptive plan. The cleansing of Naaman serves as a powerful image of God’s universal love and the breaking down of barriers between different nations and peoples. In the broader narrative of the Bible, this foreshadows the message of salvation through Jesus Christ, which is not limited to the Jews but extends to all people, Jew and Gentile alike.
It encapsulates the inclusive and universal nature of God’s grace and healing. It challenges ethnic and national prejudices and emphasizes God’s love for all people, regardless of their background or social status. The story of Naaman’s healing serves as a powerful symbol of God’s redemptive work and foreshadows the coming of Jesus Christ, whose ministry and sacrifice would be for the salvation of the whole world.
CHALLENGES
- Are you deceived to believe that God doesn’t love sinners?
PRAYER POINT
- Sovereign Lord, help us to be united in Christ through the Gospel.
FURTHER READING: Ecclesiastes 4:1-end; 6:1-end; Luke 4:28-36
ESOCS Devotional 28 December 2025
