Why did Jesus instruct the disciples to avoid Gentiles and Samaritans in Matthew 10:5? Text in Focus “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.” (Matthew 10:5) Immediate Purpose: Reaching the “Lost Sheep of Israel” First • Jesus adds in v. 6, “Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel.” • Israel held the covenants, promises, and Messianic prophecies (Romans 9:4-5). • The Messiah’s appearance to His own people validated God’s faithfulness to those promises before the gospel spread outward. Prophetic and Covenantal Priorities • Isaiah foretold a Servant who would “raise up the tribes of Jacob” before becoming “a light for the nations” (Isaiah 49:6). • Jeremiah promised a “new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah” (Jeremiah 31:31). • By sending the Twelve first to Israel, Jesus honored this prophetic order: covenant people first, nations next. Practical Training for the Twelve • Familiar culture and Scripture background made initial ministry less hostile and more instructive. • They could preach, heal, and cast out demons among people who already anticipated Messiah (Matthew 10:7-8). • Focused geography kept the mission short-term and manageable, sharpening dependence on God (Matthew 10:9-10). Progressive Revelation of a Broader Mission • The restriction was temporary. After the resurrection He commanded, “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19). • Acts records the unfolding: Samaria in Acts 8; Gentiles in Acts 10. • The pattern mirrors Romans 1:16—“first to the Jew, then to the Greek.” What This Means for Us Now • God’s plans unfold in purposeful stages; His timing is perfect. • Fidelity to Scripture sometimes means starting where God says start, even when a wider field awaits. • The same gospel that restored Israel now embraces every nation; believers today rejoice that Jesus’ initial focus paved the way for a global harvest. |
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