“These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 10:5-6).
At the time of our Scripture, the gospel was first proclaimed to the Jews. The Samaritans were a mixed-breed of people. There was much hostility between Jews and Samaritans.
The Israelites were like lost sheep who had strayed because of faithless shepherds (Jeremiah 50:6). The Jewish people had so many privileges, but didn’t realize this enough to accept one of their own as the Messiah. God gave unto them the old covenant that began with Abraham. He also gave them the law, a temple where they could worship, revelation of divine glory and Messianic prophecies. One writer states “these privileges, however, were not extended to the Jews because of their superior merit or because of God’s partiality toward them. It was necessary that the invasion of this world by the gospel begin at a particular point with a particular people, who in turn were responsible to carry that gospel to the other nations.”
When I review a history of the Israelites, I see God grooming them as the first missionaries. The Jews were looking for an earthly king. I find it difficult to understand they didn’t know Jesus was the Messiah when so much of their worship, sacrifices and rituals pointed to His coming. We find in John 1:11, “He came unto His own, and his own received him not.” They simply lacked the faith to believe and accept Jesus as Lord and Savior.
After Christ’s death and resurrection, when the veil of the temple was rent in two, He commanded the message be taken unto all the world. When Christ ascended and the Spirit came down, the apostles were to be witnesses first in Jerusalem, then expand their outreach all the way to the ends of the earth. There would no longer be any limits on spreading the gospel. We may have to be creative, at times, to bring the lost to Jesus, but it’s our God-given responsibility to do what we can. God fulfilled His mission while on earth. He left work for us to do to continue spreading His message of hope to all mankind.
Sue Winchester
Missouri
PRAY TOGETHER: The Ipiranga FWB Church in Brazil almost closed at one point. Pray for two church leaders now attending seminary and working in this ministry.
