Matthew 10
Jesus
Sends Out the Twelve Apostles
“Go
nowhere among the Gentiles and enter no town of the Samaritans, but
go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The
apostle Paul would follow in the same ministry until Acts 18:6:
“But
when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his
clothes in protest and said to them, 'Your blood be on your own
heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the
Gentiles.'”
As
his Savior before him, Paul wished to share the knowledge of God's
grace through Jesus Christ to the people of Israel first (Romans
1:16), as he recognized they were part of God's plan to save
humankind (see Romans 11).
The
disciples' ministry to the people of Israel was yet another example
of God's grace, and has great implications for us raised to know
Christ though have strayed along the way.
Jesus'
instructions in Matthew 10 go against everything we know about
missions planning: He essentially tells them to depend upon the
provision of God. They were not to carry extra money, clothing, or
supplies—their order: travel by faith, an assignment to which God
has called several: Abraham being a prime example(Genesis 12:1).
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