|Why doesn’t Jesus heal everyone, feed everyone or raise everyone from the dead? If what we believe about Jesus is true, that He’s God, and if what we believe about God is also true, that He can do anything, then Jesus should be able to heal everyone, feed everyone and raise everyone from the dead. Yet, He doesn’t. And, since Jesus can do anything, then He must choose not to heal everyone, feed everyone or raise everyone from the dead. If Jesus chooses to heal some people and not all, feed some people and not all, and raise some people from the dead and not all, then isn’t He an arbitrary God? One of the definitions of the word “arbitrary” is to be “based on random choice or personal whim, rather than any reason or system.” Does Jesus meet this definition? Is there a “reason or system” behind Jesus’ choice not to heal everyone, feed everyone or raise everyone from the dead? This definition will be discussed below, following a brief recitation of Jesus’ various episodes of healing some people and not all, feeding some people and not all, and raising some people from the dead and not all.
The Bible records Jesus performing 23 healing miracles: 13 in Matthew, 12 in Mark, 15 in Luke and three in John. In those 23 recorded healing miracles, Jesus heals a total of 35 people. Certainly more than 35 people need to be healed by Jesus during His earthly ministry. And certainly He heals more than 35 people during His earthly ministry. The Gospels contain several verses that specifically mention Jesus healing “many” (see Mark 1:34, 3:10, 6:13 and Luke 7:21). The Gospels even contain several verses that specifically mention Jesus healing “all” (see Matthew 4:24, 8:16, 12:15 and Luke 6:19). There’s even a verse that says that Jesus heals “everyone” or “each one” (see Luke 4:40). Does Jesus really heal “all,” “everyone” or “each one”? Or, does He only heal “many”? When the Gospels specifically mention Jesus healing “all,” it is “all” within a particular region (for example, Galilee: see Matthew 4:24) or a particular city within a region (for example, Capernaum: see Matthew 8:16). Jesus does not heal “all,” “everyone” or “each one” everywhere. The key term in the very last sentence is “everywhere.”
The Bible records Jesus performing two feeding miracles: “the Feeding of the Five Thousand” (see Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17 and John 6:5-13) and “the Feeding of the Four Thousand” (see Matthew 15:32-38 and Mark 8:1-9). Certainly more than nine thousand people need to be fed by Jesus during His earthly ministry. And certainly He feeds more than nine thousand people during His earthly ministry. The Gospels mention Jesus feeding His own disciples on several occasions, including giving them bread and wine on the evening when He instituted the Sacrament of Holy Communion (see Matthew 26:17-29, Mark 14:12-25 and Luke 22:7-20) and giving them bread and fish by the Sea of Galilee after He is resurrected (see John 21:1-14). He even turns water into wine and, presumably, many people drink it (see John 2:1-11). But, does Jesus feed “everyone” “everywhere”? No.
The Bible records Jesus raising three people from the dead: Jairus’ Daughter (see Matthew 9:18-26, Mark 5:22-43 and Luke 8:41-56), the Widow’s Son at Nain (see Luke 7:11-15) and Lazarus (see John 11:1-44). Certainly more than three people need to be raised from the dead by Jesus during His earthly ministry. And certainly “many” people are raised from the dead at the moment of Jesus’ death on the cross (see Matthew 27:51-53), although we don’t really know if Jesus is responsible for this. Even though Jesus will raise all the dead when He returns at His Second Coming (see John 5:28-29), this happens later and not during His earthly ministry. So, does Jesus raise “all” the dead during His earthly ministry? No.
Why doesn’t Jesus heal everyone, feed everyone or raise everyone from the dead? What “reason or system” (based on the definition of the word “arbitrary” from the first paragraph) is behind Jesus’ choice not to heal everyone, feed everyone or raise everyone from the dead? The answer may be found in His series of miracles. Why does Jesus perform miracles? To heal everyone, feed everyone and raise everyone from the dead? No. Jesus performs miracles so that people see Him in a spiritual way. Jesus heals “ten men who had leprosy” and only one appears to see Him in a spiritual way and has faith in Him (see Luke 17:11-19). Jesus feeds five thousand people (see Matthew 14:15-21, Mark 6:35-44, Luke 9:12-17 and John 6:5-13) and no one sees Him in a spiritual way. They only see Him in a physical way: as a source of food (see John 6:26-27). Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead (see John 11:1-44) and “many” see Him in a spiritual way: “many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary [and Martha], and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him” (verse 45). When Jesus performs miracles, He appears to be leading people to the “knowledge of the truth” that God “wants all men to be saved” (see 1 Timothy 2:3-4). When Jesus performs miracles He appears to be leading people to the knowledge that they can only be saved through Him: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). This appears to be the “reason or system” (based on the definition of the word “arbitrary” from the first paragraph) behind Jesus’ choice not to heal everyone, feed everyone or raise everyone from the dead.
