Jesus and the Twenty-Four Teach in Sidon 

On Friday afternoon, June 10, 29 CE, Jesus arrived in Sidon, where they stopped at the home of a woman named Karuska, who had been a patient in the Bethsaida hospital that Jesus frequented. He stayed at her home while the apostles and evangelists were lodged with her friends in the neighborhood. They relaxed and rested on the Sabbath day, many reflecting on the Master’s discourse on religion they heard along the way. They spent almost two and one-half weeks in Sidon and vicinity.

When they entered Sidon, they passed over a bridge, the first that many of them had ever seen. As they walked over this bridge, Jesus said:

“This world is only a bridge; you may pass over it, but you should not think to build a dwelling place upon it.”

As the twenty-four apostles and disciples began their labors in Sidon, Jesus went to stay just north of the city in the house of one called Justa and her mother, Bernice. Jesus trained the twenty-four each morning before they went into Sidon to teach and preach during the afternoons and evenings. The apostles were greatly encouraged by how well the gentiles embraced their message and were added to the kingdom. The later writers of the Gospels glossed over their success with the gentiles and focused on the hostile reception his own people gave Jesus.

The gentiles appreciated Jesus’ teachings more than the Jews did. They were able to discern that not only was Jesus like God, but that God was like Jesus. They could grasp the Master’s teachings about the uniformity of the laws of a planet, which was the same for the entire universe. They were delighted that God is no respecter of persons, races, or nations; the so-called heathen is one with a chosen people. There is no favoritism with the Heavenly Father, who runs a law-abiding and unfailingly dependable universe. These gentiles were not afraid of Jesus and dared to accept his message.

During a morning session, Jesus clarified that he did not flee Galilee because he lacked the courage to face his enemies. They understood that he was not yet ready for a clash with established religion and did not seek to become a martyr. In another session, he told his disciples that “even though heaven and earth shall pass away, my words of truth shall not.” His theme centered on spiritual progress. He told them they could not stand still; they had to move forward in righteousness or fall back into evil and sin. He urged them to “forget those things which are in the past while you move ahead to embrace the greater realities of the kingdom.” He urged them not to settle for a simplistic understanding of the gospel but to pursue the complete realization of their divine potential in the spirit's community and among fellow believers.

Jesus said, “My disciples must not only cease to do evil but learn to do well; you must not only be cleansed from all conscious sin, but you must refuse to harbor even the feelings of guilt. If you confess your sins, they are forgiven; therefore, you must maintain a conscience void of offense.”

Jesus appreciated the sharp sense of humor these gentiles showed. It was the humor and strong, persistent faith of Norana, a Syrian woman, that particularly moved him and invoked his compassion. On that Sabbath afternoon, before entering Sidon, Jesus overheard a Syrian woman whom the apostles tried to send away. Simon Zelotes was indignant that she would ask for bread from the master when heathens are akin to dogs. Norana did not become offended and lash out. She joked about Simon’s analogy, replying yes, a dog, but a believing dog. Her persistence, humor, and belief touched Jesus’ heart and appealed to his mercy. Jesus praised Norana for her great faith and granted her wish to cure her afflicted daughter.

Jesus often expressed regret that his own people – the Jews – lacked this sense of humor. He once told Thomas, “My people take themselves too seriously; they are just about devoid of an appreciation of humor. The burdensome religion of the Pharisees could never have had origin among a people with a sense of humor. They also lack consistency; they strain at gnats and swallow camels.”