News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases … and he healed them. / Matt.4:24
Matthew tells us that news about Jesus spread throughout Syria. That place, under the rule of the Roman Empire, was not regarded by the Jews as the center of their faith and life. This was no small, local event—it revealed the gospel breaking past the political and cultural boundaries of the time. The Gospel writer bears witness to God’s astonishing grace reaching even those places people avoided or rejected.
God’s grace cannot be confined within walls of human making. Through Christ—who draws near to the sick, the broken, and the marginalized—the good news moves into the very places of hurt and alienation. Nothing can stop this news. When the mercy and power of Jesus meet real need, hearts are opened and the kingdom is proclaimed in both word and deed.
May we also carry this unstoppable gospel, stepping beyond our comfort zones and barriers, so that others may encounter the Healer and receive the life He gives.