Jesus' Fame Throughout Syria Matthew 4:24

Matthew shared how Jesus was “baptized” and “tempted” by the “devil”, and he wrote, “Then the devil left him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And he said unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him. And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him. And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people”, and in chapter four and verse twenty-four of his book, Matthew shared how Jesus', “fame went throughout all Syria” where we read:

And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

The verse reads, “And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, ...” Matthew began with the words, “and his fame” which means “and Jesus' report, hearing and audience” “went throughout” or “departed toward and among” “all Syria” which refers to “the whole and complete region of Asia bounded on the north by Taurus and Amanus ranges which is on the east by the Euphrates and Arabia and on the south by Palestine and the west by Phoenicia and the Mediterranean”: “and they brought” which means “the people in Syrian carried and lead” “unto him” or “to Jesus” “all sick people” or “each, every, the whole and everyone of the miserable, grievous and sore folk” “that were taken with” or “who were straitened, kept, held, pressed and lain sick with” “divers” or “various and manifold” “diseases” which refers to “sicknesses and infirmities” “and torments” which means “and tortures and acute pains”. Matthew shared how Jesus became “famous” throughout “Syria”, and the people brought those who were inflicted with “sicknesses, diseases and torments” to Him.

The verse continues, “... and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” Matthew added the words, “and those” which means “and the people in Syria”“which were possessed with devils” which means “who were brought under the power of a demon”, “and those” which refers to “and the people in Syria” “which were lunatic” or “who were moon-struck which is like epilepsy being supposed to return and increase with the increase of the moon”, “and those” or “the people in Syria” “that had the palsy” or “who were paralytic, suffering from the relaxing of the nerves of one's side, disabled and weak of limb” “and he” which refers to “Jesus” “healed them” or “cured and restored them to health”. Matthew shared how Jesus “cured and restored to health” people in Syria who were “demon possessed, with an epileptic type behavior and paralytic”.

When we consider Matthew's words in this verse, we see how Jesus used His power and authority over physical “sicknesses and disease” among the people in Syria. God is the “Creator” of the world, and He sent His Son Jesus to the earth to minister and serve people in their difficulties and troubles. Not only did Jesus proclaim the “gospel”, but He demonstrated it by “healing” the people who were physically weak. May all who read these words understand the power of God through His Son Jesus Christ who came to bring “salvation” to the people of the world.

Next time Matthew shares how “great multitudes of people from Galilee” “followed” Jesus, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.