Christ’s Ministry Beyond Israel
The personal work of Christ when on earth is beyond comprehension. It is erroneous to suppose that His ministry was confined to the children of Israel—Jews in Judea and Galilee—together with their proselytes. Nor were the healing of the Syro-Phœnician girl and the nobleman’s son the only exceptions. In those cities on the Sea of Galilee, where He spent much time and did many mighty works, there was extensive trade with the East and North, and much travel in all directions. “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 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,” etc. It is true that His personal mission was primarily to the Jews, giving them the opportunity to be the bearers of the Gospel of peace to the regions beyond; but His attitude toward others at all times was, “Him that cometh to Me, I will in nowise cast out.” The vast amount of personal work that Jesus did is but briefly touched in the record left to us. John, in closing his account, says: “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written.”