From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden. (Mark 7:24)

He Came To Serve

The ministry of Jesus was less than three years but it was an intense period of activity that at times would have seemed impossible for any man to endure. His pace of teaching, preaching, healing, administering, miracles and exhorting his disciples was a constant force of finishing the work of the Father before the final act of servitude in death on a cross. Often the character of servitude focuses on the gift of his life at Calvary but the life of Jesus as a whole was every bit of serving the needs of humanity. It is impossible to imagine how many thousands of people Jesus healed in his short ministry. On one occasion he fed more than five thousand people and on another, he fed four thousand. Enumerable crowds of people came to him to be healed of various diseases and maladies and Jesus healed every person who came to him. After a heated debate with the Pharisees over defilement, the Son of God came into the region of Tyre and Sidon and sought refuge in a house where he could spend some time alone. His desire was to quietly enter the home and be away from the crowds and the ever-present criticism of the Jewish leaders. As the Son of God who took on the form of flesh, Jesus needed time alone to spend with his father and to regain strength for the arduous work of his ministry. He thought he could find respite in the house but to no avail. Word spread that he had come and a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him and came seeking his healing. As the servant doing the bidding of the heavenly father, Jesus healed the young girl. He departed the region of Tyre and Sidon and arriving at the Sea of Galilee was presented with a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. Jesus healed him. Later, he would feed the five thousand, heal a blind man at Bethsaida and continue to heal all those who came to him.

When Jesus arrived in the region of Tyre and Sidon, he wanted some downtime and could not find it. It is remarkable how the Holy Spirit simply states the Son of God didn’t want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn’t keep it a secret. As God, the Lord had the power to pass through crowds without them being aware and yet he was unable to hide from the crowds that always pressed upon him. The heart of a servant is one that is willing to expend his time and energies for the good of others. It would have been easy for Jesus to enter the home and surround himself in a shroud of secrecy allowing him the time and opportunity to be away from the crowds. He did often go into the mountains and spend time alone but on this occasion, he could not be hidden. He knew his time was limited and there was much work to be done. Thirty years had prepared him to begin an arduous and challenging work of ministering to the needs of the people. He always sought opportunities to help others. On one occasion he was resting at the well of Jacob and a woman from Samaria came to draw water. He could have quietly sat by the side and said nothing but Jesus used it to change the heart of the woman and many from the city. His work was to see the fields white for harvest and the urgency of taking the time to seek honest souls who would listen and come to know his father. As a divine servant, he came to serve and he gave his life in servitude to the pressing needs of men. Ultimately, his spirit of serving leads him to a place of death where he would offer his life as a sacrifice for the sins of all. As a servant, Jesus gave his life to the glory of the Father.

No man has had the burden of the work as Jesus did and fewer still have the stamina and courage of Jesus to expend their lives as servants in the kingdom. One of the most important parts of serving others is the need to take time. Jesus healed a young girl who was afflicted with an unclean spirit. This little girl’s life was filled with grief, pain, and sorrow and there was no healing apart from Jesus. Had the son of God hidden himself by his divine power the little girl would not have received the healing. Jesus served the needs of her mother and blessed her life with the healing power of the divine because he took the time to allow his life to be interrupted. Serving God takes effort and time to help others. In the judgment scene depicted by Jesus as the separation of the sheep and goats, the main focus was on the time spent by the faithful to care for others. In contrast, those condemned never took the time to consider the needs of their fellow man. Servants take the time to help others and often when it is not the most convenient time or place. There are many opportunities afforded the people of God to show the glory of the Lord in their lives by a simple gesture of kindness, benevolence or lending a helping hand. Love is important to find expression in action rather than words alone. Jesus did not tell men he loved them; he showed them his love by dying for them. Servants serve the needs of others. As Jesus served, may all the children of God serve with his spirit.