“And [Jesus’] fame went throughout all Syria and they brought to Him all sick people that were taken with diverse diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and He healed them.” – Matthew 4:24

One of my lowest moments was when we went for an outreach for a week and not even one soul got saved.

At the time, we saw it as “wasted” valuable time and resources.

However, God works in mysterious; a thriving Church was later planted in the same place.

Our meditation today mentions Jesus ministering in a region called Syria.

In the Old Testament, the region of Syria was referred to as Padan-Aram, and it was where Isaac and Jacob got their wives.

Syria was around the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where trade and commerce were the main economic activity.

Consequently, the region acquired a complex cultural heritage, which had a tremendous impact across the Mediterranean Sea and beyond.

By the time of the New Testament, Syria was a Roman Province, having been captured by the Romans in 64 BC.

Syria’s strategic location made it a crucial crossroads for trade, cultural exchange, and the spread of ideas, including Christianity.

When Jesus ministered there, people brought to Him those who were ill, demon-possessed, or paralyzed, and He healed them all.

Jesus also ministered in the Decapolis (Ten Cities) – a region in southern Syria – where He performed many miracles, including casting out demons (Matthew 8:28-34).

He also preached in the cities of Tyre and Sidon in northern Syria, where He healed a Syrophoenician woman’s daughter who was demon-possessed (Matthew 15:21-28).

And so, what is your ‘Syria’ – the area where you’ve labored to minister but you don’t seem to see any fruits yet?

However, the Bible does not mention any particular follower of Jesus or convert from Syria.  

Yet, the ministry of Jesus in Syria made a significant impact on the region, which would later enable Syria to play a significant role in the Early Church.

The ministry He did there might not have borne fruit immediately but years later, it was seed that sprung up into a great revival that spread to the entire world.

For example, Acts 11:19-30 describes the establishment of a significant Christian community in Antioch, marking it a pivotal location for early Christianity. 

Antioch, a city in Syria, is acknowledged as the ‘birthplace of Christianity.’

It was there that the disciples were first called “Christians” (Acts 11:26), which was a crucial moment in the formation of Christian identity.

Indeed, the church in Antioch was to become a significant hub for missionary work, and it was from there that Paul and Barnabas were first separated by the Holy Spirit and sent out on their first missionary journey (Acts 13:1-3).

At his conversion, Paul, then known as Saul, was rushing to Damascus, the capital city of Syria, to hunt down Christians when he had his dramatic encounter with Jesus in a vision, in which He queried; “Why are you persecuting Me”? (Acts 9:1-31).

Later, Syria was to become the operations base for all Paul’s missionary journeys across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, which had a far-reaching and enduring impact on the growth of Christianity.

And so, what is your ‘Syria’ – the area where you’ve labored to minister but you don’t seem to see any fruits yet?

It could be a child who seems to have gone astray or workplace or a community or a neighborhood that appears not to be responding to your ministry.

Don’t lose heart because our labour in the Lord is not in vain; continue sowing the seed of God’s Word!

The word of God will always accomplish the work for which God has sent it.

At the appointed time – even if it is long after you’re gone – there will be a great harvest. Amen.