ONLY TO THE LOST SHEEP OF
ISRAEL?
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Why did Jesus say that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel ? (Matthew 15:24)?
Why did Jesus say that He was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel ? (Matthew 15:24)?
Jesus was in the area of Tyre and Sidon, a coastal region in
extreme northeastern Galilee (Matthew 15:21).
A Canaanite
woman came to Him with a request
to heal her demon-possessed daughter.
For a while, Jesus did not respond to the woman’s entreaties,
and she followed Him and continued to beg for mercy.
Finally, the disciples, feeling that the woman was a
nuisance, asked Jesus to send her away.
Then Jesus said, “I
was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew
15:24).
We should understand Jesus’ words here not as an outright
rejection of the Gentiles, but as
- a setting of priorities, and
- a test of the woman’s faith.
Moments later, He heals the woman’s daughter (Matthew
15:29).
THE “LOST SHEEP OF ISRAEL”
In Jeremiah 50:6, God calls Israel His
people and “lost sheep.”
The Messiah, spoken of throughout the Old Testament, was seen
as the one who would gather these “lost
sheep” (Ezekiel 34:23-24; Micah
5:4-5).
Fulfillment of prophecy
When Jesus presented Himself as a
shepherd to Israel, He was claiming to be the fulfillment of Messianic prophecy
(Mark 6:34, 14:27; John 10:11-16; see also Hebrews 13:20; 1 Peter 5:4; and Revelation 7:17).
Jesus’ words to the Canaanite woman also show an awareness of
Israel’s place in God’s plan of salvation.
God revealed through Moses that the children of Israel
were “a holy people to the LORD . . .
chosen . . . a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth”
(Deuteronomy 7:6).
It was through the Jews that God issued His Law, preserved
His Word, and sent His Son.
This is why, elsewhere, Jesus tells a Samaritan woman that
“salvation is of the Jews” (John
4:22).
In Matthew 15,
when the Jewish Messiah says that He was sent to “the house of Israel,” He is simply connecting His presence with
God’s purpose in Old Testament history.
Christ was “born under
the law, to redeem those who were under the law” (Galatians
4:4-5).
Setting of priorities
Every ministry must have
priorities, and Christ’s ministry was no exception.
When Jesus sent His disciples to preach the good news of
the kingdom, He expressly told them, “Do
not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans.
But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew
10:5-6).
Jesus did not forbid their preaching to all Gentiles; He did,
however, narrow their focus to the areas which should be most receptive—those
who knew the Law and were expecting the Messiah.
Paul, in his missionary journeys, followed the same priority
of preaching to the Jews first (Romans 1:16).
Finally, Jesus’ words to the
Canaanite woman served as a test of her faith.
She came to Jesus believing that
He was the “Lord,” the “Son of David,” and the giver of mercy (Matthew
15:22).
His delayed answer and seemingly exclusionary statement
brought from her a further, passionate, public expression of her faith in His
unlimited power (Matthew 15:27).
This act of compassion and healing of a Gentile is a
beautiful picture of Christ’s ministry to the whole world—the Jewish Messiah is
also the Savior of all who will believe (Matthew
28:19; John 10:16; Acts 10:34-36; Revelation 5:9).
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“Sitting at the Feet of Jesus”
Author: J.H.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BT-3TSLRJ0GaitherVEVO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTJbKRv9aM0Doppelquartett FEBGEspelkamp
CLICK
HERE . . . to view complete playlist
lyrics
1 Sitting at the feet of
Jesus,Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.
2 Sitting at the feet of
Jesus,
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows,
And, when weary, find sweet rest;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray;
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows,
And, when weary, find sweet rest;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray;
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
3 Bless me, O my Savior,
bless me,As *I sit low at Thy feet; [*I’m waiting]
Oh, look down in love upon me,
Let me see Thy face so sweet;
Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus,
Keep me holy as He is;
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.
gotquestions.org
